Latvian romantic pop band Otra Puse, which traces its musical roots to 1991, is set for a two-week winter concert tour of the United States that will take it to seven venues in the east and the Midwest.
The concerts will begin Dec. 30 in Philadelphia and conclude Jan. 15 in Milwaukee, according to band manager Inese Vīksnāne. The band’s repertoire will include its own songs as well as material from composers Raimonds Pauls, Imants Kalniņš and others.
The band is fronted by singer Normunds Pauniņš. Other band members include Ivars Makstnieks on keyboards and Arnolds Kārklis on guitar.
Pauniņš and Makstnieks joined the band in 1991 when Aigars Grāvers, former guitarist for the legendary band Jumprava, began pulling together a new group, according to the Otra Puse website. Kārklis, once the guitarist for the Latvian-American rock band Akacis, started playing with Otra Puse after he moved to Latvia in 1993. In 1997, Otra Puse dissolved as its members pursued other projects. Pauniņš, for example, went to London where he learned how to deejay and now also appears in Rīga clubs as DJ Norsky.
Recently, Pauniņš, Makstnieks, Kārklis and others have reunited and are recording again. This year Otra Puse has released two music videos. One is “Ave Pali,” which features a duet with Pauniņš and Aija Andrejeva, who formerly performed under the stage name Aisha. The other is “Dejo ar lietu,” released in October.
The band received the Latvian recording industry’s 2009 awards (Latvijas Mūzikas ierakstu gada balva) for best pop album for Nakts vai rīts and top radio hit for the album’s title song.
Besides Nakts vai rīts, Otra Puse has released two other albums, Pēc lietus (1995 on cassette, re-released in 2006 on compact disc) and Piparkūku sirsniņa, a compilation featuring the band and other artists performing to benefit SOS Children’s Villages Latvia.
Concerts are scheduled:
- Dec. 30 in Philadelphia. The concert begins at 2 p.m. in the Philadelphia Society of Free Letts (Filadelfijas Brīvo Latvju Biedrībā) hall, 531 N. 7th St., Philadelphia. For further information, contact Jolanta Mockus by email at jopina3@yahoo.com.
- Dec. 31 at the Latvian center Priedaine, 1017 State Rout 33, Freehold, N.J. The concert begins at 8 p.m. For further information, telephone +1 (732) 610-8227.
- Jan. 7 in the Washington, D.C., area. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Latvian Community Center, 400 Hurley Ave., Rockville, Md. For further information and to reserve a table, contact Kaspars Videnieks, +1 (301) 340-8391.
- Jan. 11 in Indianapolis. The concert begins at 7 p.m. in the Latvian Community Center, 1008 West 64th St., Indianapolis. For further information, contact Gunārs Kancs by email at GKrunch@aol.com or by phone at +1 (317) 844-8750 or +1 (317) 496-5440.
- Jan. 13 in Minneapolis. The concert takes place at 7 p.m. in the Latvian Ev. Lutheran Church of Minneapolis and St. Paul, 3152 17th Ave. S., Minneapolis. For further information, contact Maija Zaeska by email zaeska@frontiernet.net or by phone at +1 (763) 972-2521.
- Jan. 14 in Chicago. The concert starts at 7 p.m. in the Zion Latvian Ev. Lutheran Church, 6551 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago. For further information, contact Andra Alena by email at amunion777@gmail.com or phone at +1 (847) 431-2451.
- Jan. 15 in Milwaukee. The concert is set for 3 p.m. in the Latvian House, 8845 W. Lynx Ave., Milwaukee. For further information, telephone Andris Magurs at +1 (920) 296-0863.
For further information about Otra Puse, visit the band’s website, www.otrapuse.net.
