Adelaide has had a long break from Estonian activities in North Adelaide. Our winters are cold and days are short. The Southern Hemisphere winter has finally come to an end and as the Spring bulbs come into bloom, the friendly Estonians are starting to venture out of hibernation.
Well this evening was planned months in advance. History will show that Ms Lea Rebane, the new Adelaide Eesti Selts President, secured a signature as one of her first tasks back in April during the Baltic Olympics and this sensational evening has finally raised the roof at Kalev on Jeffcott here in North Adelaide. Well done Lea!
Many areas in Adelaide such as Klemzig and Hahndorf have a close association with a Bavarian heritage. With this in mind, we took the opportunity to sign a fabulous band to entertain us. It only seemed natural for Thomas Sarapuu and his team to create this new phenomena, Lea secured the deal with the Adelaide Village Band and the OktooberEST Night was born. The Village Band has their roots in the Latvian community, established over 40 years ago and many Pub Night regulars have had an opportunity to see them. I was expecting a brass band of six to eight players. Well when over 30 instruments and individuals all dressed for the part arrived with an unprecedented enthusiasm, we knew that we were certainly in for something special.
The performance was a treat. The main hall echoed during the first bracket with traditional Baltic tunes. Following a brief intermission, they performed a modern bracket of spectacular ‘Oompah’ style music. Even Thomas could not resist the urge to grace the dance floor. Thank you team; we are looking forward to making this another annual feature in the Esto Pub Night calendar.
The crowd at Esto Pub Night continues to break records for our small community. The support shown by various groups has certainly been heart warming. The Latvian community has always been fantastic in their support and attendance. The Uekele group were present in amazing numbers and secured a date in early February for the next Hawaiian Esto Pub Night. It was also good to see ex-Adelaide Estonians come back and embrace the enthusiasm of the event. Tiffany Nurk returned to Adelaide and came along to support the evening with her partner and father. She loved the food and entertainment and described the experience as if being around her wonderful grand parents again. Raul Pottisepp is an Estonian student legend here in Adelaide. Two years ago he caught a tram and two buses to get to the Esto Pub night after reading something about it on the eesti.org.au website. That tradition has certainly continued. It was wonderful to meet Rallike who has settled here from Tallinn, along with several other young Estonian travellers and guests who made the effort to help support their cousins here in Adelaide.
Thomas Sarapuu and his team behind the bar provided the usual stunning range of local wines and beers, supplemented by the Estonian selection which was particularly highlighted on this occasion with the imported Saku Kuld. Thank you Aki, Alex, Amy, Kristina, Matt and Erika for your support. The entertainment and refreshments were again supplemented by an unprecedented dinner where Chef Greggory was in charge. The Mulgimaa kapsas and Saaremaa kartul (sauerkraut & mash) alongside the perfectly prepared Bratwurst and Polish sausage was a treat. Where are you getting these recepies from? Thank you Heather, Lea, Allan, Kustas, Peter, Oxana and others for the fantastic kitchen support. Yes Kustas, we did see the secret ingredient that went into the Haapsalu Sinep (mustard)!
So where does the Esto Pub Night go from here? It has been rumoured that with various information tools these days, news of our evenings is spreading faster than ever. Everyone is on Facebook, we all have smart phones, iCloud is bouncing our information everywhere, not to mention the iPads, blogs and international mailing eNews lists. Whatever happened to newspapers? Well one of the most talented Estonian rahvamuusika or traditional folk groups is touring Australia. Sada is a four piece ensemble that will perform a superb afternoon concert at Estonian Hall. We have managed to secure their final Australian concert here in Adelaide at 4pm on Saturday 26 of November. Immediately following their concert, we are going to treat the band to a special farewell event in the form of an Esto Pub Night. Come and join us to thank them for their sensational tour or just come and listen to their talents and traditional music, featuring traditional instruments.
So remember our motto – Just drop in for ten minutes or stay for the evening – no booking or formal arrangements are required. You will meet friendly Estonians and enjoy a great meal, sample fantastic wines, Estonian Vodka, Saku Kuld and Cider. Drop in after being out elsewhere or come for the evening. We will have some top music videos for you to enjoy also. This will be the Esto Pub Night where you will meet all of your old friends!
More details can be seen at www.estopubnight.com, search for us on Facebook, email us at kalevonjeffcott@gmail.com or see details on your favourite Australian Estonian website or newspaper.
‘The OktooberEST Night’, Esto Pub Night 19 – and Estonian folk band ‘SADA’ for Esto Pub Night 20! Adelaide has had a long break from Estonian activities in North Adelaide. Our winters are cold and days are short. The Southern Hemisphere winter has finally come to an end and as the Spring bulbs come into bloom, the friendly Estonians are starting to venture out of hibernation.
Richard Semenov
