| Kajto | |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Alias: | Kat yn 't Seil |
| Origin: | Friesland, Netherlands |
| Genre: | Esperanto folk music, maritime music, balfolk |
| Years Active: | –present |
| Label: | Vinilkosmo |
| Associated Acts: | Irolt, De Perelaar, Nanne & Ankie, Marianta, Kapriol'! |
| Current Members: | Ankie van der Meer |
| Past Members: | Marita Kruijswijk Marian Nesse |
Kajto (pronounced pronounced as //ˈkai̯to//) is a musical group from the Dutch province of Friesland performing acoustic folk music and balfolk in Esperanto drawing from the Frisian musical traditions of sea shanties, rounds and dances. Many of their songs are musical settings of Esperanto poetry, including works by Poul Thorsen, William Auld and Julio Baghy.[1]
Kajto (meaning "kite" in Esperanto)[2] was the name adopted by the Frisian folk group Kat yn 't Seil in 1988 for their performances of Esperanto material. For most of their history Kat yn 't Seil and Kajto were identical ensembles performing different repertoires under different names.
The group has performed extensively at Esperanto conventions and events, mostly in Europe, but also in North America and Australia, and released five albums on the label Vinilkosmo as a quartet and one as a duo.[3] [4] They have been described as one of the best known pop-folk groups in the Esperanto-speaking community, or Esperantujo, and have been praised for their tight arrangements.[5] [6] In 2004 the group was honored with the Franz Alois Meiners Culture Award (FAME Kulturpremio), which carries considerable prestige within the Esperanto community.[7] [8]
Until about 2007, Kajto consisted of the following members:
The group no longer performs as a quartet; however, Nanne Kalma and Ankie van der Meer continue to perform under the name Kajto as a duo.
Former Kajto members Marita Kruijswijk and Marian Nesse have formed a new Esperanto folk group, Kapriol'! with Rutger Dijkstra and Ad Bos. Kapriol'! continues to perform some material from the repertoire of the original Kajto quartet.[9]
The song "Ansero – Vanelo" was included in the compilation Vinilkosmo kompil' 1 (1995).
The album Masko was included in Vinilkosmo's Kolekto 2000.
Kvalite ilia muziko estas komparebla al tiu de la plej famaj Esperanto-muzikgrupoj Persone kaj Kajto.
In its level of quality, [Kaj Tiel Plu's] music is comparable to that of the most famous Esperanto music groups, Persone and Kajto.
La etoso estas popola, sed la muziko ne ĉiam estas simpla. La kantoj estas zorge kaj strikte aranĝitaj, kaj ĉie evidentas la profesieco de la grupo. ... ĉu alia bando en Esperantujo kuraĝus tiel harmoniumi en rapidaj seppulsaj mezuroj?
The vibe is folky, but the music is not always simple. The songs are carefully and tightly arranged, and everywhere the group's musicianship is evident. ... Would any other band in Esperanto-land have the guts to harmonize like that in fast seven-beat measures?