Sveiki!

For fans of Latvian, Latgalian, Selonian, and Liv folk music who don’t already know – there’s now an internet radio station for your listening pleasure at:

http://www.radiooira.lv/

Virtual gold stars in a cloud of fairy dust will be sent to the first person who can explain the meaning of ‘Oira.’ : )

More seriously, the site is in its early stages, a server migration is planned that may temporarily interrupt broadcasts, and there isn’t a scheduled program yet.  Instead, what’s playing is randomly generated. 

If you’re using RealPlayer or iTune, the name of the selection and artist(s) are displayed in the application’s title bar.  If you’re using MediaPlayer, from the Radio Oira webpage click the Refresh button on your browser and the name of the selection will flash in the upper right hand side of your screen.

Happy listening!

Elizabete

I could be completely wrong, Elizabete, but I believe there’s a fairly common folk song...sung and danced all the time at weddings, balles, etc...that has a refrain that goes oira, oira, oira.  Unless I heard wrong.  It’s a bit like the hokey pokey...latvian style?  Make sense to anyone.

It is a dance, McTee...........anonufumgozalikadis:

Oira, oira, tidiridi,

Oira, oira, tidiridi.

Lec, meiteņ, lec, lec, lec,

Nadūmoj par kurpem.

but i don’t know what it means....

pete

ps.

Deju 1988. gadā pierakstījis Antons Slišāns no Stefānijas Slišānes (1913?-1995) Upītes ciemā (Latgale). Balvu rajona Šķilbēnu pagasta Upītes pamatskolas skolotāja Irēna Slišāne šo deju 1989. gadā iemācīja festivāla Pulkā eimu, pulkā teku dalībniekiem.

Mūsdienās deju vienmēr dejo paši upītieši. Viņi to labi zina - gan lieli, gan mazi. Citviet Upītes Oiru dejo sarīkojumos tad, kad citas dejas nedaudz apnikušas un atrodas kāds mazpazīstamāku latgaliešu deju zinātājs.

Dejā ir tāds mūsdienu cilvēkam grūti tverams skaistums - kustību vienkāršība un to precizitāte.

Dejas izcelsme saistāma ar kādu Dienvideiropas tautām zināmu tradicionālu deju (Hoira), kura deviņpadsmitajā gadsimtā bija veidota kā modes deja. Latvijā un Lietuvā fiksēti citi, visai atšķirīgi šīs dejas varianti. 

Upītes Oira ir dejojama viegli un brīvi, neaizraujoties ar variācijām. Pirmajā daļā (Sānsolis) deju vēlams risināt lēni. Uzmanīgi dejojot mierīgās un nedaudz lācīgās kustības, pārinieki var panākt ideālu saskaņu savos augumos un baudīt tā radīto kustību prieku. Sajūta ir vienreizēja un liekas pazīstama ikdienā. Tas tāpēc, ka dejas pirmajā daļā pārinieki dejo it kā raudzīdamies spogulī. Jāņem vērā, ka puiši kājas var celt stipri augstāk nekā meitas. Kāju celšanas dažādība dejā ienes nelielu spraigumu. Dejotāji var izdarīt ari citas kustības, kas starp viņiem rada nelielu spriedzi. Spraigās attiecības dejotāju starpā padara deju interesantāku. Jāņem vērā, ka tas patiks tikai savstarpēji pazīstamiem un ātra rakstura dejotājiem.

Otrajā daļā (Palēcieni) pārinieki iegūs labāku turpinājumu pirmās daļas sajūtām, ja strauji lēks, dejas rakstā mainot kājas. Krustiski sadotās rokas turiet sev priekšā krūšu augstumā. 

Sākuma stāvoklis
Pārinieki nostājas aplī viens otram pretī. Rokas ieliek sānos.

Sānsolis

8 taktis

1.-2. takts 2 reizes
1. takts. Puisis ar kreiso kāju sper plašu soli pa kreisi. Meita atbilstošu kustību izdara ar labo kāju. Otro kāju noliek līdzās pirmajai. Vēlreiz atkārto iepriekšējo darbību.

2. takts. Trīs reizes lēni piesit kājas.

1.-2. takts atkārtojot. Atkārto visu iepriekšējo darbību.

Palēcieni

8 taktis

3.-6. takts 2 reizes
Pārinieki satveras krustiskā satvērienā un dejo pa dejas ceļu negriežoties divsoļu polku. 3. takts. Puisim palēciens uz kreisās kājas un uz labās

kājas, meitai - uz labās un kreisās kājas.

4. takts. Divi teciņus soļi un palēciens uz vienas kājas, puisim - uz kreisās, meitai - uz labās.

5.-6. takts. Atkārto 3.-4. takts darbību.

3.-6. takts atkārtojot. Atkārto visu iepriekšējo darbību.

Since I’ve only done it at balles...where I have been often somewhat worse for wear...it’s good of you to confirm I’m not crazy!  You know how you think you know the words to common songs, only to find out that you have misheard something for years.:-)

Vau! Many thanks, Elizabete—something like this has long been needed, and so far… great stuff!

Speaking of folk—I noticed that Suzanna mentioned not being able to access folklora.lv from her computer… well, I don’t think it’s your computer, Suzanna. I haven’t been able to open that site for several days. Hopefully they’re just fixing it up.

Vysu lobu,
/P

peter B - 13 February 2007 07:02 PM

Deju 1988. gadā pierakstījis Antons Slišāns no Stefānijas Slišānes (1913?-1995) Upītes ciemā (Latgale). Balvu rajona Šķilbēnu pagasta Upītes pamatskolas skolotāja Irēna Slišāne šo deju 1989. gadā iemācīja festivāla Pulkā eimu, pulkā teku dalībniekiem.

Great job, Peteri B!

Just one minor correction.  Šķilbēnu pagasta Upītes ciems was traditionally part of Abrenes / Jaunlatgales apriņķis.  If things keep going the way they are, Tautas Kangari may just forfeit this plot of land too—thus making Oira Oira part of the grand culture of Rossija Rossija.

/R

Sveiki!

Susanna and Pete, I assume that you’ve both already received your virtual gold stars! ; ) You’re both one up on me, since I had to ask what Oira meant.  Because I’m reasonably knowledgeable about contemporary classical music, friends continually marvel that I know so little about the very basics of Latvian folk music that even a child could explain. : )

The brief explanation about Oira I received – it’s a well-known dance among all Latvian and Lithuanian folklorists (and possibly in other countries) that’s not very serious.  Susanna, you’re hokey pokey analogy may be quite accurate. : ) Hence, calling the radio station Oira, has a slight ironic connotation.

And Pete, your citation mentions the Oira having originated in Southern Europe and called Hoira.  Is it related to the Jewish Hora, I wonder?

Visu labu,

Elizabete

Maybe roumanian...........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hora

pete

Very pleasant and I thank you, also, Elizabete for passing on this info.  Frankly, I was getting a bit tired of Latvijas Radio 2 and 3.  Perhaps it was just the timing, but around Christmas,. I thought it would be nice to listen to some Latvian music, both popular and classical.  I must confess, I was diasppointed with both their offerings.  Haven’t tuned in since, so maybe there’s been an improvement.  But, at any rate this is nice listening and some of the music makes me want to jump up and start moving, in the privacy of my own abode, of course!

Paldies!

Irena

:-) Now that would be a sight, Irena!  All of us jiggling in our living rooms to Latvian folk tunes.  Actually my son has been requesting it in the afternoon when he’s reading.

I don’t believe I said thanks, Elizabete, for keeping us up to date with this kind of information.

And, PC, I have tried again with no luck to access folklora.lv...any news on what may be going on?
Susanna

http://folklora.lv/

pete

Yea!  I just got on to folklora.lv...and was able to email Ansis for some information.

BTW...as long as we’re talking about folk music...Ansis Berzins (who runs the website folklora.lv) is also the leader of the folkmusic group Maskackis Spelmanis.  They frequently play at events at the Brivdabas Muzejs, and were also featured guests for dance evenings at the 3x3 we attended in 2003.  A great group… They have several very nice CD’s, including one with instructions on folk dances that go with the music on the CD.  So, Irena, if you want to dance at home...there’s you chance!

Pete...there is no W in Latvian and thus there are many sites that don’t require the “www.” addition to the web address.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Susanna,

I am not 100% sure, but we can pretty much ignore typing in the “www.” for any website. It seems to work for all the websites I have tried.

Pierre

Sveiki!

Beginning on Thursday, February 22, 2007 in conjunction with Latgales Radio, listen to Artūrs Uškāns’ produced world music broadcast „SPAITI” on Radio Oira at http://www.folkradio.lv (This site has English language translations of information about Radio Oira - http://www.radiooira.lv/)

Program times:

On Thursdays at 20:00 – 21:00, with repeats on

Sundays at 15:00 – 16:00 and

Tuesdays at 10:00 – 11:00

A program consisting of ‘positive music,’ dedicated to the ‘world’s ethnic cultures’ – this is how Artūrs Uškāns, the producer and creator of „Spaiti,” describes his broadcasts, which have been on the air since September, 2006 on Latgales Radio.

„Spaiti” is an ancient Latgalian word that means sun beams.  Indeed, the broadcast itself is conducted in Latgalian.  Initially, it’s planned that „Spaiti”, a broadcast dedicated to Latgalians and Latvians, will go beyond Latvia’s borders to acquaint listeners with the music of Australian aboriginals, the Roma, Cajuns, Africans and many other people’s music, which is taken from Artūrs’ personal collection of recordings, gathered throughout the world.  The aim of the program is to introduce listeners to music that isn’t as prominent in the pop culture arena, but is considerably more valuable, having been developed over the course of centuries. 

Responses to the broadcasts may be sent via e-mail to:

Happy listening!

Elizabete