Author: Egils Kaljo

Young Latvian flutist Evelīna Erliha to perform at Carnegie Hall in May

Egils Kaljo | 

Latvian flutist Evelīna Erliha won 1st place at the 2025 Little Mozarts competition for young musicians ages 3 to 14. Awarded 29 out of 30 points by the jury, Erliha also won the opportunity to perform at New York City’s Carnegie Hall at the end of May.

Erliha has been studying in New York City since 2024, and is currently studying at two music schools in New York City – the Kaufman Special Music School and the Mannes School of Music, one of only 15 applicants selected. She is also a musician in the Mannes Chamber Orchestra.

Evelīna Erliha oftens performs with her mother, distinguished Latvian pianist Dzintra Erliha.

Evelīna will be performing throughout the United States in the autumn of 2025, and she will be premiering a new work by composer Dace Aperāne – “Madrigal” – which the composer has dedicated to her.

Egils Kaljo is an American-born Latvian from the New York area . Kaljo began listening to Latvian music as soon as he was able to put a record on a record player, and still has old Bellacord 78 rpm records lying around somewhere.

Memoir on wartime and exile “Vecmamin, what is exile?” republished

Egils Kaljo | 

After being out of print for more than two decades, Rūta Rudzīte’s wartime and exile memoir Vecmāmiņ, kas ir trimda? has been republished by Laika grāmata.

As a child living in Riga, Rūta experienced first hand the occupation of Latvia by the Soviet and Nazi armies during World War II, as well as being a refugee in exile, and her eventual emigration to the United States. The author recounts her story to her granddaughter, after being asked the titular question.

Written for children and younger readers, Rudzīte’s story of war and exile continues to remain relevant, even now, eighty years after the end of World War II.

The book contains both the Latvian and English language version of the story – ‘Vecmamin, what is Exile?’ so all readers can appreciate her writing and this fateful and tragic chapter in Latvia’s history. The book can also potentially be used in Latvian schools as a supplementary material to teach both Latvian language and history.

The new edition of the book is also supplemented with many historical photographs.

The book’s rerelease was made possible with the support of the Latvian 50 Year Occupation Museum Fund Support Group (OMFA) in the United States, as well as  the support of the Daugavas vanagi organization.

For further information, please visit the Laika grāmata website.

Egils Kaljo is an American-born Latvian from the New York area . Kaljo began listening to Latvian music as soon as he was able to put a record on a record player, and still has old Bellacord 78 rpm records lying around somewhere.

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Song book “Lokaitiesi, mežu gali” now in digital format

Egils Kaljo | 

One of the many missions of the American Latvian Association (ALA) is to save many of the books used in Latvian schools during the time of exile and make available digital copies of them, to ensure the materials are available for future generations to benefit from.

ALA has made available a digital copy of one of the most popular and beloved Latvian song books – Lokaitiesi, mežu gali. Originally published in 1981 and used throughout Latvian schools in the United States and elsewhere, Lokaitiesi, mežu gali was used by multiple generations of Latvian children to learn Latvian folk songs.

Compiled by Valda Lēvenšteina, the song book collects more than fifty of the most popular and best-known Latvian folk songs, including the music, and each picture is accompanied by charming and lovely illustrations by artists Dzintra Lejiņa and Ilze Freivalde-Loxley.

Lokaitiesi, mežu gali is an invaluable resource for Latvian children, parents and schools, and provides many examples of the richness and beauty of Latvian folk songs.

The song book can be downloaded here – Lokaitiesi, mežu gali

Egils Kaljo is an American-born Latvian from the New York area . Kaljo began listening to Latvian music as soon as he was able to put a record on a record player, and still has old Bellacord 78 rpm records lying around somewhere.