Torama (group)

The group “Torama” was formed in 1990 ^{[4] by a} group of four researchers of the Mordovian folklore of Russia and enthusiasts of the cultural revival of Mordovia headed by Vladimir Romashkin ^[1] , who later became the artistic director of the group. Over time, the ensemble grew to nine people. Along with the Mokshan and Erzya polyphonic songs, the ensemble showed ancient customs and rituals.

"Torama" is recognized in Mordovia (the ensemble received the state prize of the republic ^[5] ) and in Russia (winner of the gold medal and the main prize of the All-Russian competition of folk music "Voices of Russia" ^[6] 1994). Torama is widely known in the Finno-Ugric world due to its constant participation in festivals and concerts in Estonia , Finland ^[6] , Latvia , Sweden , Poland and England ^[6] . “Torama” established contacts in the academic environment - the experience of field research links the group with the Castren Society, the Jan Sibelius Academy of Music, the Finno-Ugric Society.

The participants of the “Torama” reconstructed a number of lost and little-known instruments , including the Mordovian violin from the Harshi and Dudkin Nudes ^[7] . Instrumental compositions appeared in 2002 and since then have become the most significant direction in the development of the repertoire.

The interbreeding of national traditions with jazz became the main theme of one of the major events of 2001 - the Jazz Festival in Gdansk , Poland.

In late 2001, Vladimir Romashkin took part in the Civic Forum in Moscow . After that, the group gave a concert in the Moscow club MuHA.

In May 2002, the group performed at a large ethnofestival in Vilnius . June 12, 2002 Torama, as part of a delegation from Mordovia, took part in the celebration of the Independence Day of Russia in Moscow.

On August 29, 2002, as a result of a protracted illness, the permanent leader of the group, Vladimir Romashkin ^[8], died, the group was headed by Andrey Nikolaev ^{[5] [9]} . In the Kochkurovsky district of Mordovia, in the homeland where Vladimir Romashkin lived in the village of Podlesnaya, Tavla opened the Vladimir Romashkin Museum - “ Ethno-kudo ” ^[5] ).

The group continued its activity and remains a collective of traditional music with the most significant discography in Mordovia.

In 2007, Sergey Merinov ’s animated film “ Kuygorozh ” ^{[9] of} the “ Mountain of Gems ” series was released, in which her music was used in collaboration with the group ^[7] .

In 2012, the order of the Government of the Republic of Mordovia created the State Autonomous Institution "Folklore Ensemble" Torama "" ^[5] .

In 2018, the Folklore Ensemble performed at the Day of Russia in Moscow on Red Square.

2018 for the Ensemble came out very fruitful. They released a new album "Catching Time" ( https://torama.bandcamp.com ) with a total circulation of 2000 pieces on a CD, released an official DVD with a movie-concert, and also participated in celebrations related to the World Cup.

• Nikolaev Andrey ^[5] (head since 2002)
• Edelkin Dmitry (Artistic Director)
• Silence Tatyana
• Kashtanov Sergey (arranger, performer - director of the project "folk-rock", "folklore symphony")
• Knyazkov Alexey
• Tsigankin George
• Pavel Lamkov
• Dmitry Ivanov
• Julia Krylova (Editor-in-chief of the websites Torama.club, Mordov. Media, journalist, work with the media)
• Sotirov Azari (accountant)

During the entire existence of the group in the ensemble were:

• Romashkin V.I. ^[8]
• Romashkin Andrey
• Romashkin Vitaly
• Dulkin Gennady ^[1]
• Buyankin Yuri
• Kuzmin Alexander
• Aleksanderrin
• Prokin Vitaly
• Gangeev Oleg
• Kruchinkin Alexey
• Kokurin Vladimir
• Egorkin Genadiy
• Burlakov Alexander
• Shadrin Albert
• Kizhaeva Vera
• Atsapkin Ivan ^[1]
• Balashkin Nikolay
• Aleshkin
• Saldatov Denis

• Mordvin Songs - Traditional Erzya-Mordvin folk songs from the Republic of Mordovia (first Erzya album recorded in Finland in 1996)
• Mastorava - Me Naiset & Toorama (Mastorava - the second album, recorded together with the Finnish women's group Me Naiset ^[10] , is sung in Erzya and Finnish ^[11] 1997–2001)
• Taga Eriaza Shkai! (Let the Patron Lives! - the third album in Moksha language recorded in Estonia 2000)
• Cath Up the Time (Catching up Time)

While choral singing is preserved as a living tradition in Mordovian villages, instrumental mastery using traditional instruments has practically disappeared. The Torama group has carried out significant work on the reconstruction of obsolete instruments and the creation of the Mordovian ensemble instrumental repertoire.