Well-known Lithuanian actors and singers – Jokūbas Bareikis, Jurga Šeduikytė, Lina Rastokaitė, Rafailas Karpis, Gabrielius Liaudanskas – Svaras, and others, who will be revealed by the organisers later – are invited to the solemn concerts of the most beautiful songs and stories in the “Codex of Vytautas Kernagis”. The concerts, which will take place in four of Lithuania’s largest arenas, will not only bring back memories of the beloved works of the nation’s herald Maestro, but will also give the audience the opportunity to see archival material from the life and work of Vytautas Kernagis that has never been seen before.

Jokūbas Bareikis, the director of the project “The Code of Vytautas Kernagis”, has been successfully touring Lithuania for more than a year with a programme of songs by V. Kernagis in solo concerts. This time, Bareikis will not be alone – he will share the stage with at least five well-known performers and stage colleagues. With the help of a live band, strings, gospel choir Vilnius Voices, stage and lighting professionals and the most beautiful voices on the Lithuanian stage, the director will invite the audience to meet him on the biggest stages in the country, where the space and the technical possibilities will allow them to hear and feel even more impressive and magnificent performances in memory of the Maestro.

“This second programme dedicated to Kernagius has grown out of the first one, in every sense – both in scale and in theme,” says Bareikis. – I keep thinking, why did the Maestro become the one and only, what made him immortal in people’s hearts? Probably it’s not just the song, the words or the personality. He radiated values through his work – people came away from his concerts different. Maybe just for an evening, a week, or a month, but different – with a smile, thoughtful, a little happier, and sometimes – crying. What did Vytautas talk about between the lines? What might he have missed saying? This is the answer I am looking for. I have called it “The Code of Vytautas Kernagis”.

Kernagis’ family is also contributing to the preparation of these concerts by helping to select never-before-seen archive material that will be shown to the audience during the concerts. Bareikis says that the family’s consent and cooperation was one of the main moral conditions for these concerts to take place.

Jurga Šeduikytė, singer and songwriter, who will perform songs by V. Kernagis at the concert, says that she will never forget the first meeting with the Maestro.

“I remember I met Vytautas at my concert at the legendary concert venue “Vandenis” in Palanga. It was very good to meet him, it was good to know that he knows what I sing, what my music is.”

J. Šeduikytė says that the support of the people around you is always very important for a singer – the colleagues, musicians and team around you are always changing, but you remain alone with yourself.

“And you never fully know if what you are doing on this earth is good? And when a person like Vytautas, whom you respect very much, comes and says that everything is fine with you, keep on creating – those are very important and necessary words.”

Rafailas Karpis, tenor and opera soloist, admits that Vytautas Kernagis has been with him from his childhood until today.

“My earliest memories are of gloomy winter evenings, when my parents and I used to faithfully watch his show “Paskutinis šansas” (The Last Chance) – those evenings turned into joyful celebrations,” the soloist says. – Later, when he was at school, especially in the older grades, nothing conveyed the poems of the great Lithuanian poets more powerfully than the songs he composed and performed based on those poems. And this is only a small part of Vytautas in my life. I believe that Kernagis shaped the identity of many Lithuanian people.”

R. Karpis hopes that during the concerts we will be able to remember together with the listeners what we have best – the work of Vytautas Kernagis – in a simple, but at the same time deep and sincere way, of course – with a bit of sarcasm and reverent humour.

Jokūbas Bareikis, the concert director, recalls that while preparing for these projects he discovered more and more interesting coincidences related to Kernagi – for example, his favourite childhood record was the LP by V. Kernagi.

“I also learned to play the piano at the same school, and at secondary school I was taught by the same teacher, Laima Abraitytė, thanks to whom the Maestro became interested in poetry. Later on, I met Kernagi live, during my final exams – I chose to sing his song, and the course director R. Tuminas suggested that I sing like him, and Kernagi persuaded me to perform the song with him. And so it was – Kernagis comes on stage, sings the first verse of “Purpurinis Vakaras”, and I come out, dressed like him, and sing the second verse. During the warm-up we stand and look at each other – “Who are you?”, “It’s me. Who are you?”

Concerts “The Code of Vytautas Kernagis” will take place: on 7 February in Šiauliai Arena, on 20 February in Šiauliai Arena. Kaunas Žalgiris Arena, 21 February. Vilnius Twinsbet Arena, 22 February Klaipėdos Švyturio arenoje. Tickets are distributed by bilietai.lt