Continuing to showcase talented young artists, in 2007 record label Upe tuviem un tāliem released Duende, a collection of duets between countertenor Sergejs Jēgers and saxophonist Artis Gāga. The collaboration is unusual as it is just voice and saxophone—no orchestra, no piano, nothing besides the two musicians themselves (though one song does feature a tambourine). Can just two musicians, who are limited to playing one note at any given time (so there are not even any chords on this compact disc), engage the listener throughout the length of the album?

Jēgers has achieved much in a very short period of time. According to his Web site, he has given solo performances at the Latvian National Opera and has performed the role of the Angel in A. Rubinstein’s opera “The Demon,” as well as roles in other operas. His first solo CD, Ave Musica (2006), was a collection of sacred baroque songs. The album won the 2006 Latvian Music Recording Award for Best Debut.

Saxophonist, composer and arranger Gāga has performed with many different ensembles in a variety of styles. He has given concerts with various orchestras, including the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, the Latvian National Opera Orchestra and other orchestras internationally. He has also performed with New Age group Kopējā izteiksme on its 2000 CD Putni maina virzienu. Earlier this year, he picked up three Latvian Music Recording Awards for 2007, including Best Debut Album and Best Instrumental, Film, or Theater Music Album for his solo CD, Mūzikālās impresijas: Zīmējumi debesīs.

Duende was recorded at the Sesava Lutheran Church, which, as the liner notes indicate, has excellent acoustics (proven admirably by this recording). Most of the songs on Duende are by French composers and, much like the songs on Ave Musica, are of a sacred nature. We get a performance of “Pie Jesu” from Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem.” There are also two “Ave Marias” by Camille Saint-Saëns, not to mention “Amarilli, Mia Bella” by early Italian baroque composer Giulio Caccini. The CD also features the duo’s interpretation of the old French standard “Placer D’Amor” (elsewhere titled as “Plaisir d’amour”) by Jean Paul Martini.

The booklet features plenty of photos of the artists, as well as some philosophical musings by Latvian writers, and we also discover that the term “duende” is taken from Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca. I would not have minded if the recording company had dropped some of the deep thoughts and replaced them with perhaps a bit more information about how these two artists came to collaborate and their own thoughts on the collaboration. The liner notes are in Latvian and in English.

Though an unusual pair, the countertenor Jēgers and saxophonist Gāga have made one of the most interesting and absorbing recordings in recent memory. To answer the question from before, yes, these two artists, with just voice and saxophone, make for compelling listening. The melodies effortlessly flow between voice and saxophone, complementing each other with beautiful textures and deep emotions. The jury of the Latvian Music Recording Awards agreed and awarded the CD the Best Academic Music Award of 2007, acknowledging and rewarding the performance and talents of these two exceptional musicians.

It is about time someone released a compilation album of the songs that were most significant and popular during the “Singing Revolution.” These songs of the late 1980s and early 1990s inspired and awoke long dormant thoughts in many listeners, both in and beyond Latvia. As a teenager in the United States who had never been to Latvia, when I heard the song “…pie laika” by Remix and its final exhortation “Brīvību tēvzemei – pieprasām!” (Freedom for the fatherland – we demand it!) I realized something big was happening.

And it wasn’t just in that one song. So very many songs of the period dealt with the Reawakening and a yearning for independence. Most all of the songs on the compilation records Mikrofons 88 and Mikrofons 89 dealt with this very theme. Though multiple factors led to the return of Latvia’s independence, one cannot deny the power of song in these events and their effect on what transpired.

In 2007, MICREC released the compact disc Latviešu patriotisko dziesmu izlase: Tautas laiks, a collection of the songs of the era (plus a few older songs) that played a part in the “Singing Revolution.” Most all of the hits of that time are here: the aforementioned “…pie laika” by Remix; the Pērkons song dedicated to the nascent Latvian green movement, “Zaļā dziesma”; two songs, “Manai tautai” and “Lūgšana,” by Ieva Akurātere, who was the “voice” of the Reawakening; and “Taisnība” by Zodiaks. Older songs included are “Tik un tā” by Uldis Stabulnieks and “Vairogi” by Līvi. The Stabulnieks song, with lyrics by Māra Zālīte, dates from 1980 and is perhaps one of the first to express an unabashed patriotism and love for Latvia. The Līvi song was first recorded in 1972, but the version on this CD is the re-recorded 2002 version.

Most of these songs have been released and re-released a number of times, but what makes this particular collection a true treasure is a number of songs that, to my knowledge, have never been released on CD (and if they have, they are not readily available). These include songs like “Daugaviņa” by the group Sīpoli, “Senā kalpu dziesma” by Opus and “Veltijums LTF (Latvijas Tautas Frontei)” performed by NEA. A particularly pleasant surprise was the inclusion of “Zeme, zeme, kas tā zeme” by Brāļi Grāši of Germany. Rarely do these compilations include songs by diaspora Latvian groups. Interestingly, this song’s melody is based on the Jewish song “Dona dona” by Aaron Zeitlin and Shalom Secunda.

Some songs have not aged particularly well. For example, “Atmostas Baltija” is a song that repeats its verse and chorus in Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian by, respectively, singers Viktors Zemgals, Žilvins Bubelis and Tarmo Pihlaps. Though certainly an admirable display of unity, the novelty of the song wears off quickly. There is also the less than subtle “Brīvību Baltijai!” from Opus Pro, which bludgeons the listener with its message. Or “Ai, māsa Lietuva” by Turaidas Roze, which repeats the title of the song way too many times. Contrast those with the song “Tautas laiks” (music by Jānis Lūsēns, lyrics by Imants Ziedonis), performed by Zigfrīds Muktupāvels. It still gives me the shivers whenever I hear it.

No collection of songs will ever satisfy everyone, but I would have dropped some of the previously mentioned songs and found a place for “Mēs pārtiekām viens no otra” by Pērkons (the most popular song in Latvia in 1989), as well as other songs that, to my knowledge, have not yet been released on CD, such as “Līdz palodai” by Zodiaks and Akacis or “Putnu ceļš” by Jumis, both from Mikrofons 89. And I would have added more diaspora songs, such as “Par mani, draudziņ, nebēdā” or “Pazudušais dēls” by Čikāgas piecīši.

Unfortunately, one particularly disappointing aspect of this collection is, as always, the packaging. There are a few pictures from that time, as well as an all-too-short essay by lyricist and musician Guntars Račs. Though certainly one could write a dissertation about the Reawakening (and plenty have been written), this is truly a missed opportunity to give newer listeners an understanding of what happened during that time and why these songs were so special. A younger listener, especially one not born before the Reawakening, will not get a full historical picture of what went on. So much more could have been written. Why not ask major figures of that era, such as Ieva Akurātere or Imants Kalniņš, to write a few thoughts and impressions? That would make for some fascinating reading for both young and old.

In any case, Tautas laiks is an essential collection of songs from the 1980s and early 1990s, particularly since it contains many songs not available elsewhere. Packaging deficiencies aside, I recommend this highly, not just as a collection of great songs, but as a historical musical overview of that period of time—a time of unprecedented unity in Latvia, and as a harbinger of what was soon to come.

Many people attending the 2003 Latvian Song Festival in Rīga noted that the Youth Concert was one of the highlights. Many of Latvia’s youth choirs joined together to sing both recent and not-so-recent popular songs arranged for choir voices. However, one glaring omission I noted in the repertoire was the complete absence of any songs by Latvian group Labvēlīgais Tips. How could that be? One of the country’s most popular groups was completely ignored. Miscarriage of justice, I say. Was there truly no room for “Alumīnijas cūka,” “Omnibuss” or “Džins ar toniku” in the concert?

Much to my surprise, during this year’s song festival Labvēlīgais Tips will get a whole performance of its own as part of one of the shows. On July 8, the band (along with other groups, not to mention 2,300 dancers) will play at a dance performance. The group has recorded an album particularly for this event, 2007’s Svīres tango. Remarkably, this is the band’s ninth studio album—and 12th overall—since 1995. No other major group in Latvia has been as prolific.

Topping the band’s 2006 album, Naukšēnu disko, would be difficult. It was an album I thought to be just about the best stuff Labvēlīgais Tips had ever done. Wisely, the group decidedly to vary things slightly in its songwriting and performance, and the resulting album yet again proves why this long-running band is so consistently good at what it does.

The 2007 lineup includes Andris Freidenfelds (vocals), Normunds Jakušonoks (keyboards, vocals), Ģirts Lūsis (guitar), Ainis Zavackis (drums), Pēteris Liepiņš (bass), Artūrs Kutepovs (guitar), Kaspars Tīmanis (trombone) and Oskars Ozoliņš (trumpet, replacing the recently departed Andrejs Ābelīte).

Svīres tango is slightly unusual in that it is a “concept” album. From beginning to end, the album tells a story about a young man who, tired of life in the countryside of Latvia, comes to the big city (Rīga) looking for work and adventure. He runs into a bit of trouble in the capital, meets some questionable characters and, in the end, realizes that—as always—“there’s no place like home.”

The story begins on a train—documented in the Latin-tinged song “Pa sliedēm”—as the young man, yearning for life beyond the countryside, heads to Rīga looking for fortune.  In the march-like “Nevienam es tās Rīgas neatdošu,” he is much impressed by the city, though there is much to be wary of, but still he doesn’t want to trade life in Riga for anything. Of course, he needs to find a job, a theme addressed in “Kurš neko nedara,” which features lead vocals by Jakušonoks. (Jakušonoks, who also sings lead on “Jaunekļa sirds,” joined Tīmanis as part of the sextet Bonaparti.lv, which represented Latvia in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest with the Italian song “Questa notte.”)

There is also a students’ drinking song, “Mīļumiņ, nāc padzert ūdentiņ,’” and, of course, this water also has malt, hops and yeast along with it. As in most every other big city, there are other temptations to distract the young hero, such as the ladies sung about in “Jaunekļa sirds” and the “Naktstauriņu pilsēta,” sung from the perspective of the ladies themselves.

Pop singer Ance Krauze is featured on the title track, “Svīres tango,” as well as the song “Pavediens,” where she reminds the young man that true happiness awaits him at home.

The only real criticism of the album is that it is very short, just barely over 30 minutes. I know some consumers grumble about having to pay full price for a shorter-than-usual album, but if the quality is good (like Svīres tango) I don’t mind so much. The liner notes could be better, though: no lyrics, no photos, not much of anything really besides the song listing and the group members.

Labvēlīgais Tips is on a roll, releasing yet another album of catchy songs full of subtle (and not so subtle) humor. To dismiss the band as being jokesters would be to miss the bigger picture of what the band is all about. Svīres tango features the band showing a slightly more serious side, but still staying true to its whimsical and satirical roots. I, for one, will be picking up tickets to the show on July 8 as soon as they are available.