Auļi, a Latvian ensemble that perform music using just bagpipes and drums, has released its third album, Etnotranss, on the Lauska label. The compact disc contains 12 instrumental works.

Formed in 2003, the group released its first album Sendzirdēju in 2005, followed by Auļos… in 2007. Though the group’s sound has links to Latvian folklore, it also has elements of rock, metal, ethnotrance, ancient music and world music.

The ensemble has worked with Latvian composer Juris Kulakovs on his cantata “Vēstules uz bruģa.” The ensemble also was invited to perform at the opening of the choir concert as part of the 2008 Latvian Song and Dance Festival. It has performed not just in all corners of Latvia, but at festivals at Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and even in Beijing, China.

Bagpipes in the ensemble are performed by Kaspars Bārbals, Leanne Barbo, Gatis Indrēvics, Māris Jēkabsons, Edgars Kārklis and Normunds Vaivads. Drummers include Mikus Čavarts, Edgars Krūmiņš and Kaspars Indrēvics. The bagpipes and drums are supplemented by the trough fiddle (ģīga) played by Gatis Valters.

The CD also features essays in Latvian (with English translation) on each of the songs by Latvian writer Laima Muktupāvela, who some may know from her book, Brālibrāli, about the distinguished twin Latvian choir conductors Gido and Imants Kokars.

Auļi will play as part of the dance performance “No zobena saule lēca” at the Ķīpsala Hall in Rīga from Nov. 18-20. The event will feature more than 1,000 performers.

The album features the following songs:

1. Diņķis
2. Ozols
3. Dieva dēli
4. Zemzeme
5. Karotājs
6. Krustukursti
7. Naidnieks
8. Dzīvais ūdens
9. Senā zeme
10. Tāltālu
11. Brammanis
12. Austras koks

For more information on the band, visit www.auli.lv.

A woman in Canada has become a dual citizen of Latvia by an unanimous vote of the Saeima, while a bill that would extend dual citizenship privileges to a broad class of individuals remains under consideration.

In an 83-0 vote on Oct. 21, the parliament without debate recognized Agra Vāgnere as a citizen based on her contributions to the Latvian diaspora community in Canada, especially in Toronto.

Born in Latvia, Vāgnere moved to Canada in 1989, two years before her homeland regained its independence from the Soviet Union. She married and became a Canadian citizen.

Under transitional rules in Latvia’s citizenship law, Vāgnere could have registered as a Latvian citizen up to July 1995 and kept her Canadian citizenship. After the deadline, the law forbids dual citizenship for anyone who becomes a Latvian national.

However, the citizenship law makes provision for the Saeima to grant citizenship to persons for special merit in service to Latvia.

Vāgnere missed the 1995 deadline, but appealed recently to the Saeima for help. Her case, supported by Latvian Interior Minister Linda Mūrniece and Mārtiņš Sausiņš, chair of the World Federation of Free Latvians (Pasaules brīvo latviešu apvienība), got the backing of the Saeima’s commission overseeing the citizenship law. The commission on Oct. 14 submitted a bill asking that Vāgnere be recognized as a Latvian citizen because of her contributions to the Latvian community and for defending Latvia’s interests abroad.

The bill made it to the floor of the Saeima on Oct. 21. Pēteris Tabūns, chair of the citizenship law commission, asked the parliament to give the bill expedited consideration, meaning that it would not have to go through the usual three readings before a final vote. The Saeima passed the bill on its second reading.

Although President Valdis Zatlers still has to sign off, Vāgnere’s profile in the Latvian social network draugiem.lv already sports the tagline “LV pilsone” (Citizen of Latvia).

It will be worth watching what might happen after the newly elected 10th Saeima convenes on Nov. 2. Will other diaspora Latvians follow Vāgnere’s lead and seek the parliament’s assistance in becoming dual citizens?

In the meantime, many other Latvians in the diaspora may be hoping that another bill submitted Oct. 14 could be their ticket to dual citizenship. Six members of the Vienotība (Unity) coalition proposed a set of amendments to the citizenship law that would remove various barriers to dual nationality.

The bill was referred to committee on Oct. 21. If the legislation could make it back to the floor for a first reading before the 9th Saeima closes down, then the 10th Saeima could pick it up for consideration. However, as the newspaper Diena reported, that is unlikely given that the 9th Saeima’s final meeting is Oct. 28.

In that case, those eager for dual citizenship will just have to hope that Vienotība—which promised to make changes to the citizenship law an issue for the next Saeima—will follow through.

The U.S. Congress has gone on recess with much legislation still in limbo, including a resolution that would congratulate the Baltic states on the 20th anniversary of their renewed independence and the end of Soviet occupation.

Unless the House of Representatives acts on it when lawmakers return after the November mid-term election, H.Con.Res.267 could just die in committee.

The Washington, D.C.-based Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) in mid-September urged its supporters to press legislators to adopt the resolution before going on recess. While the effort failed, JBANC’s appeal did have some effect: The number of co-sponsors for the resolution more than doubled.

Republican Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois introduced the resolution on April 26 and it was referred immediately to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The resolution had 12 co-sponsors in mid-September. It now has 27.

JBANC’s managing director, Karl Altau, attributed the increase in sponsors to lobbying in Washington and to the work of Baltic communities.

“We’re encouraged by the rise in interest, albeit in this late hour,” he told Latvians Online in a Sept. 30 e-mail. “I feel that with an additional 65 office visits over the last week in Washington, D.C., and in particular with help from the Latvian-American communities in Illinois and California, that we have also generated much more interest in the resolution. Eleven of the 28 supporters (including Shimkus) are from those two states.”

Altau remains optimistic the resolution could be acted on when Congress reconvenes.

“With the number of co-sponsors, we are technically over the threshold to have this brought out of committee and onto the floor for a vote,” he said. “We can only hope that there remains a window of opportunity in the lame duck session. It would be particularly nice to have this passed before Latvian Independence Day.”