RO:TORO

RO:TORO plays traditional Estonian tunes with lady pipers, an improvising saxophonist, accopanied by a rocking guitarist and a mad percussionist playing water drums - plastic bowls on a waterbed. With four years of existance, the group has released two CD-s under the nordic label TUTL and has become a regular performer at folk music festivals both in Estonia and abroad.The group works largely with traditional bagpipe tunes, which also inspire the members’ own compositions. The saxophone and water drums provide a modern counterpoint to the bagpipes’ traditional sound-scape. Acoustic or amplified, RO:TORO will guarantee enthralling performances.
Cätlin Jaago is bagpipe player and arranger. The head of two leading folk groups of Estonia (RO:TORO and Vägilased) has studied bagpipe in University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy where she got acquainted with traditional techniques and repertoire of the bagpipe from the notations and previous recordings. She has become one of the best piper of Estonia and is well known as virtuoso player who has mastered archaic style. In her own compositions she has brought to test the possibilities of Estonian bagpipe also she has made some beautiful ballads.
Sandra Sillamaa has been Cätlin‘s student for eight years and it is fantastic musical understanding between them. When they play together it is like they are one musical person. Sandra has grown up with folk music and with bagpipe – that is rare, especially with so restless person as she. She has been on her musical pilgrims in Ireland, Ivory Coast, Sweden, Belgium, Turkey and has brought some influences with her. Her own compositions are melodic and energetic. But she has always stayed faithful to Estonian traditional music.
Marko Mägi has been jazz-saxophonist all his musical life. In Viljandi he had strong contacts with folk music and that changed his musical language. He has created unique balance between virtuoso saxophone improvisations and riffs yet staying close to traditional intonations. He‘s bringing modern thinking and improvisation to this group.
Silver Sepp didn’t want to use modern far-spread percussions in this group as the idea didn't match with Estonian bagpipes. Because of a weak drum tradition of Estonia he created drum-set of his own that we can call Estonian. Materials that he uses are closest to find. He took 6 plastic washbasins that accidentally tuned with bagpipe (G major). For getting the sound he fills one bowl with water and places other one on it upside down. Sound of these three water-drums are nice and soft as well round and long. Also he uses wooden boards and in close distance concerts nail instrument and tuned bicycle wheel.
Karl Laanekask is a guitarist with rock-jazz background.