“I remember a story when a colleague went to Panevėžys and Klaipėda to visit two music collectors, brought their collections and digitized them. We tried to collect the music in one place in various ways – we searched, called, communicated. Of course, AGATA members also uploaded their posts. Such was “Pakartot.lt“the beginning”, AGATA director Agnė Begetė is quoted in the press release.
Today, “Pakartot.lt” is the largest database of Lithuanian music, where you can find a collection of a century of Lithuanian music: over 120,000. music records and almost 17 thousand music albums.
Musical archives enriching creativity
Songwriter and performer Tomas Narkevičius-Free Finga tells “Pakartot.lt” that one of his greatest discoveries is the album “Vocal and Instrumental Youth Groups” by the vocal-instrumental ensemble of Kaunas “Elektra” factory, released in 1984.
Photo by Evelina Devaikaitė/Tomas Narkevičius-Free Finga
“The album of the ensemble led by Arūnas Navak features choral and orchestral ensemble songs that are of such musicality and quality that they sound like the most beautiful music of today. This is a very old publication, but it has had a great influence on me,” Free Finga says, adding that he has played almost all the songs from this album on his music show “Plastika”, broadcast on the Internet radio “Radio Vilnius”.
Listeners already know the new music being made now because there are many different ways to discover it, but the old music is often forgotten. How not to get lost among hundreds of thousands of posts?
T. Narkevičius-Free Finga usually searches for music by year and genre – for a long time he was interested in the popular music of older times, later he turned to the treasure trove of jazz and blues.
“I discovered a lot of old pop artists and cruelly a lot of old pop music which sampled I would rearrange more interesting chords or just look for inspiration. Many of my songs have been born from songs found on “Pakartot.lt”. For example, the song “Ant Bangos” was inspired by the music of Nelly Paltinienė and “Kopė balsų”. I use “Pakartot.lt” as a tool, as a big treasury of Lithuanian music. It seems to me that sampling in Lithuanian music you are closer to some kind of center, self, core, while writing Lithuanian music for me nice to sample namely Lithuanian, not foreign music”, admits the performer.
It seems to me that sampling in Lithuanian music, you are closer to some center, self, core.
The Lithuanian language is on the charts
Every week, AGATA publishes the charts of the most listened albums and singles, in which more and more positions are occupied by the work of Lithuanian artists.
In the 100 most listened to singles of the 45th week of 2024, there are works by 35 Lithuanian artists. And in the same 45th week six years ago, there were only four of them.
“Finally, the national content is appreciated by Lithuanian listeners – there are no more complexes related to listening to Lithuanian music, there is no need to promote its growth and dissemination by artificial means. “Pakartot.lt” was one of the opportunities to show how much and how unreal Lithuanian music we have, and it’s extremely fun to see that it paid off”, says AGATA head Agnė Begetė.
Photo by Rytis Šeskaitis. /Agnė Begetė
The trend of more and more musicians composing and singing in their mother tongue is also encouraging.
This is noticeable not only in Lithuania – according to the data of the music listening platform Spotify, in 2023 out of 10 thousand 54.9% of Spotify’s most popular music tracks were performed in English. Compared to 2022, they decreased by almost 7%.
“Apparently, the Lithuanian language is much easier to reach the heart and the ear,” says A. Begetė. According to the director, such a change could be determined by many reasons: performing music in one’s native language is no longer an obstacle to export, the complex of a small country has disappeared, one wants to be unique and stand out, the understanding has come that the popularity of good works does not depend on the language in which they are performed.
My favorite of the decade
“Pakartot.lt” is visited by over 1.6 thousand people every day. listeners choosing a wide variety of music genres.
Among the most listened-to Lithuanian songs of the decade on “Pakartot.lt” – Lilo and Innomine’s “The song that no one sang”, Vaidas Baumila’s and Justė’s “Milijonai”, SUBTILU-Z’s “OTONO PORTENO”, Monique and Vaidas Baumila’s “Dviese”, Aistė Smilgevičiūtė’s “TILI” TILI DUDA”, Lullabies performed by Taja.
“Pakartot.lt” not only gives you the opportunity to listen to your favorite songs, but also to get involved in intellectual battles exclusively dedicated to Lithuanian music, allowing you to test your knowledge, learn new facts, find like-minded people and have a good time.
The games take place in Vilnius and Kaunas. The games held in the Lukiški prison yard in the summer were particularly successful, each of which attracted around 60 teams – as many as 300 people.
Lunatics photo. /Pakartot.lt Lithuanian music battle of wits in Lukiški prison
“We want to reveal how interesting and diverse the world of Lithuanian music is with brainstorming. Therefore, the music in them sounds extremely diverse. From pop music to multi-directional alternative, from old, nostalgic hits to contemporary artists. Estrada, rock, rap, electronica, poetry, metal and more.
We create questions so that everyone knows something, but no one knows everything. So that players can enjoy old hits and find new things, learn unexpected facts about famous artists”, says Ugnius Antanavičius, host of the brainstorming sessions and one of the creators of the questions.
On December 7, St. A special game dedicated to the tenth anniversary of “Pakartot.lt” will take place in Mikalojus Stebukladaris church. You can find more information about it here.
From archive to protection
“Pakartot.lt” as a database helps fans of Lithuanian music to discover the roots of music, contributes to the discovery and reuse of new and archival music – AGATA receives a number of requests for the use of music from commercials or film makers.
This treasure of music is important not only for the preservation and education of music history. AGATA, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, also uses it in its daily activities.
There is an infinite amount of music being created, and it is important to have the correct data in order to account for it correctly and then pay artists for its use.
When registering records at Pakartot.lt, AGATA collects the most accurate information about the record itself, which not only helps to avoid mistakes in the future, but also allows it to be one step ahead in efforts to protect its members from today’s challenges.
“There’s a lot of AI technology development going on right now where programs are trained to generate music based on existing compositions. Many organizations related to AGATA do not have the ability to identify the specific use of the work, because they only store the data of the songs, but not the recordings themselves.
With a comprehensive records base, AGATA became the first organization in Europe to collect and store both information and records themselves. This not only gives the advantage of faster identification of cases of music use, but also creates a clear legal basis to ensure the protection of members”, says A. Begetė.
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In what ways do contemporary Lithuanian artists blend traditional influences with modern sensibilities?
Ontinuity and preservation of great works from the past. “Pakartot.lt” serves as a digital archive where artists, producers, and music enthusiasts can explore the evolution of Lithuanian music across different genres and eras,” explains A. Begetė.
“The site not only archives music but also facilitates conversations about it, fostering a sense of community among listeners and creators alike. By climbing into the depths of historical tracks, modern artists can find new sounds, context, and inspiration,” she adds.
This engagement with musical heritage has resulted in a vibrant contemporary scene where artists blend traditional influences with modern sensibilities, thereby revitalizing the sounds that represent their cultural identity. The acceptance and appreciation of music in the Lithuanian language signify a positive shift wherein songs sung in one’s mother tongue are celebrated, enhancing national pride and identity in the sphere of music.
As noted by T. Narkevičius-Free Finga, sampling older music allows artists to connect with their roots while also creating something uniquely fresh. This interplay between the past and present is crucial for the continuing evolution of Lithuanian music, fostering innovation while celebrating tradition.
The success of “Pakartot.lt” and the increasing presence of Lithuanian artists in popular music charts highlight a significant cultural revival. The platform serves as a custodian for the country’s musical landscape, preserving its rich history while also encouraging new generations to explore and contribute to this dynamic field.
the synergy between the old and the new—whether through sampling or through a renewed interest in local music—plays an essential role in shaping the future of Lithuanian sound, ensuring that as new music emerges, the incredible legacy of the past is not forgotten.
