Moments from Nijolė Pareigytė's concert

Nijolė Pareigytė turned Calgary into a small corner of Lithuania for one evening.

Sometimes you don't even realize how much you miss Lithuania until you hear a Lithuanian song live one evening. Until you hear people speaking your own language, meet faces you haven't seen for a long time, and feel that strange but very warm feeling that even though you're so far away, you're still among your own.

Such was the evening of May 1st at the Festival Hall, when Nijolė Pareigytė, who came to Calgary, made us feel closer to home, at least for a short while.

Nijolė greeted the audience with her characteristic warmth and energy. During the evening, the well-known performer in Lithuania gave not only her songs but also a sincere communication with the audience. The hall heard works that many people know by heart. Nijolė communicated with the audience so simply and sincerely, as if everyone were an old acquaintance. She not only sang, but also invited people to join in fun games, and later organized a short battle of wits about Lithuania. The questions caused a lot of laughter, warm emotions and even excitement. And the winners took home special Lithuanian gifts from Nijolė.

The evening's atmosphere was further enhanced by DJ Kazas, who had a great feel for the audience and filled the hall with Lithuanian music throughout the event. It seemed that people came not only to the concert that evening, but also to meet each other.

Such evenings bring us very close. Living so far from Lithuania, we miss not only the sights or language of our homeland, but also that simple feeling of being among our own people. Events like this allow us to stop, chat, meet Lithuanians we haven't seen in a long time, hug familiar faces, and meet new people.