Ele Kõlar revisits sister duo’s music on new compilation

Estonian musician Ele Kõlar has said it is strange to admit that she did not appreciate enough what she and her sister Kaja Kõlar had achieved at the time. ERR reported this in an interview on Raadio 2’s morning programme.

Record label Vaiguviiul has released Mina ise, a compilation of songs by Ele and Kaja Kõlar from the 1970s and 1980s. It is the first album to bring together their work in a single collection.

Kõlar said friends and fans had been waiting for the album for a long time. Several years ago, Vaiguviiul head Mihkel Truman approached her about releasing it, but the project stalled.

“Everything seemed too complicated to me: where to find the material, whom to consult, how much the work would cost and what benefit it would bring. I did not value it as much as I should have at the time,” Kõlar said.

Earlier this year, Kõlar’s daughter, manager Sandra Sersant, took up the project again and persuaded her mother that the work they had done should be valued and released.

“She is very thorough. She has many skills, knows how to look far ahead and sees the big picture. A completely excellent manager,” Kõlar said.

Priit Kuulberg restored and improved the original recordings for the album. Kõlar considered the opinions of both Sersant and Truman when selecting the songs, but placed particular importance on Truman’s views.

“Sandra and I may have our own emotions, but he represents the public. He has to choose songs that people need, because unfortunately everything cannot fit on the album,” she said.

Kõlar said she never grew tired of listening to the duo’s music during their active years, partly because it could not be heard anywhere apart from television programmes.

“Against the background of this new return, it is strange to think and admit that I did not value it. What is done is done, and let it be as it was. I did not listen to it myself at all,” she said.

The duo’s professional stage presence and costumes helped set them apart. Kõlar recalled that she initially made all of their costumes herself.

“It was the Soviet era and there was nothing in the shops. When I saw some material and got an idea, I started putting it together as best I could,” she said.

The sisters practised their dances at night in the dance ensemble at Tombi cultural palace. The palace management gave them access to the mirrored halls, where they could rehearse the movements Kõlar had created.