Canadian-Latvian author Bērziņš re-releases “Happy Girl”

Daina Grosa | 

Ilze Bērziņš has just re-released her debut book Happy Girl, a memoir of her time spent in Latvia in the 1990s.

A Canadian-Latvian, Bērziņš is the author of 15 books written over the past 17 years, that have been enjoyed by both North American and Latvian readers worldwide. Bērziņš, also an artist who studied at the Sorbonne, published Happy Girl  in 1997. This was followed by a number of other books, mainly murder-mysteries, some Latvian-themed, others set in Canada.

Bērziņš herself comments on her genre: “I often think of my books as part travel story, part humour and part plot with mystery with a dash of romance.”

Bērziņš’ own summary of this new release reads:

‘“God help you,” her father says, when Ilze Berzins leaves Canada for a new life in Latvia. But the Latvia she discovers in Happy Girl, a book first published in 1997, is rife with corruption, poverty, and decay. She encounters many shocks and disappointments, as well as spectacular beauty, fulfilling work, and lasting friendships.

“The result of the author’s disillusion is a funny, lively, painful book,” wrote reviewer Diana Kiesners. “Berzins, along with a whole expatriate generation, was promised a fairytale Latvia that only needed independence to exist again. The promise is still unfulfilled.”

In 2012, Ilze Berzins travelled back to Latvia, visited her old haunts and attempted to recapture the giddy excitement she felt when she tried to settle there almost twenty years ago. This new edition of Happy Girl includes an account of this bittersweet homecoming. What she discovers will surprise, challenge and delight you. Will you agree with the reviewer of Happy Girl? Has the promise many “expats” took as a sure thing been fulfilled’

 

 

Daina Gross is editor of Latvians Online. An Australian-Latvian she is also a migration researcher at the University of Latvia, PhD from the University of Sussex, formerly a member of the board of the World Federation of Free Latvians, author and translator/ editor/ proofreader from Latvian into English of an eclectic mix of publications of different genres.

Averse of the Ainaži Nautical School Euro coin.

First Latvian Euro collector’s coin released

Egils Kaljo | 

The Bank of Latvia has released the first Euro denominated Latvian collector’s coin, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Ainaži Nautical School.

According to the Bank of Latvia website, the Ainaži Nautical School was inspired by Krišjānis Valdemārs and poet Auseklis, who wrote “Latvji, braucat jūriņā ..” (Go to sea, Latvians…). The first Latvian and Estonian nautical school was founded on November 23, 1864. The school was also involved in shipbuilding, as by the end of the 19th century, 50 sailing ships had been built in Ainaži.

The proof quality silver coin has a mintage of 5000, and has a face value of 5 Euro. The coin’s artist is Ivars Drulle.

In 2014, the Bank of Latvia also plans on releasing the following collector’s coins with the following themes:

-“The White Book” by Latvian writer Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš

-The 300th anniversary of Gothard Friedrich Stenders (Old Stenders)

-The Baroque style and art in Courland (Kurzeme)

-The 25th anniversary of the Baltic Way

-Innovative artistic, technological or thematic concepts

For further information, please visit the Bank of Latvia’s website at http://www.bank.lv

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.

2013 Latvian Song Festival recordings now available

Egils Kaljo | 

For the many who could not get tickets to the 2013 Song Festival events, many of the events have now been released on CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray DVD.

For those who attended or even participated in these concerts these recordings will be a valuable memento of this uniting festival for the Latvian nation.

The releases are:

The Jāzeps Vītols 150th anniversary concert on CD. Concert artistic director Mārtiņš Klišāns, director Roberts Rubīns.

The vocal symphonic music concert Brīnumzeme Latvija on DVD and Blu-Ray. Artistic director Mārtiņš Ozoliņš, director Dāvis Sīmanis.

The dance performance Tēvu laipas on DVD, featuring 600 dance groups and 15,000 dancers. Artistic directors Jānis Ērglis and Jānis Purviņš, director Māra Ķimele.

The closing concert of the 2013 Song Festival – Līgo on DVD and Blu-Ray – featuring 250 mixed choirs, 75 women’s choirs, 26 men’s choirs, 40 seniors’ choirs, as well as choirs from the Latvian diaspora – for a total of 13,000 singers, as well as 2000 dancers and 1000 wind orchestra musicians. Artistic directors Aira Birziņa and Ivars Cinkuss, director Pēteris Krilovs.

For further information, please visit http://www.dziesmusvetki.tv

image

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.