Kannel Project: Alfred Kuus: Bringing Canada’s Hidden Treasure to light

We are fortunate to have in Toronto, one of the world’s foremost traditional Estonian (rahva) kannel players. His name is Alfred Kuus and at the age of 80, he is still playing and teaching his beloved kannel music. In Japan people with mastery of traditional cultural skills are designated as "living treasures" Alfred Kuus should certainly be counted as such. He is well respected as a master musician in Estonia and the other Baltic states, receiving a standing ovation at his last concert in Latvia.

Unfortunately, he is not nearly as well known in Canada and while his name is recognized within the Estonian community, very little is known about his life/playing, except for those lucky enough to hear him play in concert. There is an urgent need to record his life and music to make this outstanding musician’s work and life story available to the broader community.

Many of the current generation of kannel players have been his students, and/or played together with him. They have expressed concern that very little is known of his life history, and on behalf of these kannel players, Tiit Kao, approached Reet Mae (also one of Alfred’s students) to ask if she would consider making a videotape of Alfred Kuus’s life. Reet approached her brother, Tom Mae, of Mae productions, to ask for his help. Reet, Tom and Tiit worked together, to develop the idea for a Kannel Project, which would begin with a videotape of Alfred Kuus’s life, and then a concert videotape/CD set, to record his music for posterity. Together, they approached the Estonian Ethnographic Society of Canada (EERK) to ask for their support and collaboration in bringing this project into being.

Now, thanks to the "seed" funding support of the Eesti Sihtkapital Kanadas the first part of this project, the videotape of Alfred Kuus’ life is underway. Now that the kannel project has begun, it is hoped that enough support will come forward to enable both the videotape of his life to be completed, and also to make a tape and cd of his playing, that will enable future kannel players to observe his technique and make his music available in a professional format. At the moment, his health status has no allowed further taping, but we have been fortunate to release the "Dancing Kannel Tantsib" CD from earlier tapes.

If you would like to support this kannel project financially, it is possible to send donations to Eesti Sihtkapital Kanada and designate them for the kannel project. This will ensure that your charitable contributions will enable both the record of Alfred Kuus’s life, and also that of his music to be completed. Following this, the kannel project plans to record the life and work of current Estonian folk musicians such as Tiit Kao, who is teaching 6 string kannel as part of the EERK programs this winter. It is to be hoped that the Estonian community will find the Kannel Project worthwhile and throw its support behind the endeavour.