These sound poets push dark buttons

Books

Folk song book gives voice to Medņeva singers

Amanda Jātniece

In 1987 a group of women in the Medņeva area of far northeastern Latvia established an ensemble devoted to the singing of local folk songs. The Medņeva Ethnographic Ensemble sang and continues to sing songs that the group’s members learned from their parents and grandparents or remember from work parties and celebrations when they were children.

Compact discs

Šomase’s solo debut features all-star cast

Egils Kaljo

Liene Šomase is a young Latvian singer who is attempting to forge her own path. Also a saxophone player, she first became known in 2006 with her hit song “Ugunskurs.” Not long after that, she joined singer Jānis Moisejs to record the album Pasaule ir skaista, with music by Raimonds Pauls and lyrics by Guntars Račs.

Compact discs

Get on board for magical, albeit dreamy, carpet ride

Amanda Jātniece

Lidojošais paklājs (The Flying Carpet) began a few years ago as an amalgam of Latvian musicians from both the contemporary and folk worlds, who have sometimes collaborated with musicians and singers from other countries as well. The group performs a combination of ethnic music and original compositions, forming a pleasant type of world-inspired contemporary music.

Books

In Nesaule’s novel, tenderness prevails tentatively

Diana Kiesners

Fans of Agate Nesaule’s 1995 memoir A Woman in Amber have been eagerly awaiting her first novel. Now, 13 years after her memoir received an American Book Award and international praise, it has arrived.

Compact discs

Trīs no Pārdaugavas compilation is essential listening

Egils Kaljo

In the discography of Latvian music, one of the most glaring omissions has been the availability in digital format of American group Trīs no Pārdaugavas’ albums.

Compact discs

S.I.L.S. releases debut, then takes year off

Egils Kaljo

An up-and-coming band on the Latvian rock scene is S.I.L.S., which released its debut album, Stāsti patiesi un izdomāti, in 2008. The group was founded way back in 1999 and has had songs included on various Priekšnams alternative music collections, as well as performing at several of the Bildes festival concerts in Rīga.

Books

Coffee table book shows two days in Latvia

Egils Kaljo

One of the most ambitious artistic projects in the dying days of Soviet Latvia was “Viena diena Latvijā” (One Day in Latvia), held on Aug. 31, 1987, and organized by photographers Jānis Krūmiņš, Ints Kalniņš and Gunārs Janaitis. Seventy-four photographers from many different countries were sent out all over Latvia, simply to take pictures of things that were happening on that day.

Web sites

‘Lielā diena’ heralds arrival of spring

Daina Gross

The ancient Latvians called the spring equinox Lielā diena, when the day gets longer or lielāka than the night. It is a cause for celebration, of course! As Easter or Lielā diena approaches and the preparations begin, you may be on the hunt for some Easter-related information.

Books

Priekpilna tikšanās ar Austrālijas latviešu mākslu

Māris Brancis

Tas patiesi ir izcils notikums, ka pašā pagājušā gada nogalē, pēdējo Kultūras dienu laikā Austrālijas Latviešu mākslinieku apvienība (ALMA) varēja iepriecināt visus interesentus ar jaunu grāmatu – albumu Australian Latvian Artists. Austrālijas latviešu mākslinieki, ko sarūpējusi redakcijas komiteja ar Dagniju Gresti priekšgalā. Viņa šo sāpju bērnu palaida pasaulē, bet pati to atstāja, uzceldama sev varenu pieminekli.

Compact discs

The Briefing serves up salad bar of jazz-funk

Kaija Straumane

Jazz is not everyone’s cup of tea. Neither is funk. I know they aren’t mine. And yet, much like the clever combination of grapefruit (hate it) and cranberry juice (not a big fan), elements that might otherwise leave a bitter taste in your mouth can be brought together to make something that, for unknown reasons, cancel each other out and just seem right.

Iļģi concert, streamed from Rīga, focuses on Midsummer

Andris Straumanis

June 07, 2009

I watched a wonderful concert live over the Internet today. The post-folklore band Iļģi introduced its latest album, Isākās nakts dziesmas, with a set of both old and new material in Rīga’s Club Essential.

Latest album from Iļģi comes just in time for Midsummer

With the Midsummer holiday—celebrating the shortest night of the year—approaching later this month, the post-folklore group Iļģi has released its latest album.

Latvian violinist named laureate in Queen Elisabeth competition

A 22-year-old woman from Latvia has been named a laureate in the 2009 Queen Elisabeth violin competition held in Belgium.

Norway wins Eurovision Song Contest, Latvia left in dust

Norway has won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, gaining the right to host next year’s competition. Belarus-born performer Alexander Rybak and the song “Fairytale” earned an amazing 387 points.

World media take note of Nothing Special

Nothing Special is pretty special at the moment, at least according to Latvian media reports that note how the group is garnering international press attention.

Grāmata par gleznotāju Jāni Osi

Māris Brancis

June 26, 2009

Monogrāfija Jānis Osis. 1926-1991 veltīta vienam no talantīgākajiem pēckara paaudzes māksliniekiem Jānim Osim, kuru var uzskatīt par Dieva dotu talantu, kurš varēja gleznot kā ainavas, tā industriālus motīvus - viss zem viņa otas pārvērtās par vīrišķīgas romantikas pilnu stāstu par dzīvi Baltijas jūras krastā. Diemžēl viņa dzīves laikā par viņu tika maz rakstīts, šī ir pirmā nopietnā publikācija.

Two poems by Brūveris published by literary journal

Two poems by Pēters Brūveris of Latvia have been published in the latest issue of the biannual Michigan-based literary journal Absinthe.

Tourist book on Rīga published in nine languages

A tourist guide to Latvia’s capital city, written by Rīga Vice Mayor Andris Ārgalis and available in nine languages, has been released by the publishing house Nacionālais apgāds.

Nesaule talks about novel with The Smoking Poet

Zinta Aistars, a Latvian-American writer and editor-in-chief for The Smoking Poet, talks to author Agate Nesaule for the online publication’s spring issue.

Poems of Čaks reach Bulgarian audience

The work of poet and prosaist Aleksandrs Čaks (1901-1950) is now reaching a wider audience in Bulgaria, thanks to a new anthology focused on Latvian writers. Čaks’ collection of poems Iedomu spoguļi has been published by the Sofia-based Foundation for Bulgarian Literature, reports the Latvian Literature Centre.