Rapper Ozols releases new album

Andris Straumanis | 

Latvian rapper Ozols has released a new album, Neatkarība, full of guest appearances by a number of hip hop artists.

The 19-track album came out in digital format on March 14, followed on March 19 with the compact disc format. Neatkarība appears on the Platforma Music label.

The list of guest artists includes Nātre, Rays, Kurts, Pikaso, A.G. and b-ūš. Also appearing on the album is New York rapper Afu-ra.

Ozols is the stage name for Ģirts Rozentāls.

For more information on the album, visit www.platformamusic.lv.

Neatkarība

Neatkarība is the new album from Latvian rap artist Ozols.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

Latvian Blues Band releases first solo CD

Egils Kaljo | 

Latvian Blues Band has released Unreal, its first solo compact disc.

Band members are Jānis “Bux” Bukovskis on guitars and vocals, Reinis Ozoliņš on bass, Rihards “James” Bērziņš on piano and organ, and Rolands “Rolx” Saulietis on drums.

The producer of the album is guitarist Duke Robillard, who has received the “Best Blues Guitarist” award from the Blues Music Awards four times (2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004) and was also nominated for a Grammy in 2007 for his CD Guitar Groove-a-rama.

The album contains 14 songs, 10 of which are original works by the band.

The band, whose history goes back to 1997, frequently performs in the Rīga blues club Bites Blūza Klubs.

The group has released CDs of performances with other artists, including One Hot Night with Frank Bang & Latvian Blues Band, Blues Party (with Johnny V) and three volumes in the series Latvian Blues Band & Friends: Live in B.B.C..

More information about the band is available on its Web site, www.latvianbluesband.com or on its page on draugiem.lv.

Unreal

Latvian Blues Band has released a new compact disc, Unreal.

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.

Song and Dance Festival highlights now on DVD

Egils Kaljo | 

A DVD has been released of the highlights of last summer’s XXIV All Latvian Song and XIV Dance Festival. The DVD, entitled Dziesma ir spēks (The Song is Power), includes highlights of 34 performances from the festival, including selections from the opening concert, the dance performance, the wind orchestra concert and the closing concert.

The festival, which took place in Rīga from July 5-12, saw 39 concerts and events. A total of 38,601 performers participated, including 394 choirs, 54 vocal ensembles, 18,464 singers, 544 dance collectives, 13,700 dancers, 55 wind orchestra and five professional orchestras.

The DVD, which is packaged with a booklet in both Latvian and English, was released Feb. 16 by Rīga-based Brainstorm Records Co.

The track listing includes:

  1. “Fanfaras, dziesmai šodien liela diena,“lead conductor Edgars Račevskis
  2. ”Četras stihijas,” choreography by Jānis Purviņš, Gunta Skuja, Taiga Ludborža and Arta Melnalksne, lead director Taiga Ludborža
  3. “Lauztās priedes,” lead conductor Māris Sirmais
  4. “Aeternus,” conductor Haralds Bārzdiņš
  5. “Podnieka sapnis,” choreographer Ilmārs Dreļs, lead director Jānis Marcinkevičs
  6. “Rīga dimd,” lead conductor Imants Kokars
  7. “Rīgas torņa gala zīle,” lead conductor Jānis Dūmiņš
  8. “Aiz azara augsti kolni,” lead conductor Terēzija Broka
  9. “Kur tu skriesi vanadziņi,” lead conductor Roberts Zuika
  10. “Lokatiesi, mežu gali,” lead conductor Ausma Derkēvica
  11. “Mazs bij’ tēva novadiņis,” conductor Pauls Kveide
  12. “Bēdu manu, lielu bēdu,” lead conductor Gido Kokars
  13. “Adulienas bitenieki,” choreographer Jānis Purviņš, lead director Ilze Mažāne
  14. “Man izauga divas vārpas,” choreographer and lead director Gunta Skuja
  15. “Jūra krāca, jūra šņāca,” conductor Laimonis Paukšte
  16. “Pie jūriņas maliņā,” choreographer and lead director Zanda Mūrniece
  17. “Par mezgliem” and “Mana dziesma,” lead conductor Romāns Vanags, soloists Renārs Kaupers and Mārtiņš Zanders
  18. “Es redzēju Rīgas pili,” choreographer un virsvadītājs Jānis Purviņš
  19. “Novelette,” conductor Lelde Bitīte
  20. “Minam, minam, minamo,” choreographers and lead directors Ilze Mažāne un Iluta Mistre
  21. “Lepna, lepna tā meitiņa,” choreographer and lead director Jānis Ērglis
  22. “Neba maize pate nāca,” choreographer and lead director Jānis Purviņš, lead conductor Arvīds Platpers
  23. “Svīta pūtēju orķestrim,” conductor Egons Salmanis
  24. “Rozēm kaisu istabiņu,” lead conductor Jānis Zirnis
  25. “Septiņas latviešu tautas dziesmas,” conductor Haralds Bārzdiņš
  26. “Aizej, lietiņ,” lead conductor Māris Sirmais, soloists Dārta Treija and Zane Pērkone
  27. “Mūžu mūžos būs dziesma,” lead conductor Edgars Račevskis
  28. “Pateicības korālis Latvijai,” conductor Jānis Puriņš
  29. “Trīs zvaigznes,” lead conductor Aira Birziņa
  30. “Es atnācu uguntiņu,” choreographer un virsvadītājs Jānis Purviņš
  31. “Kas manim tumsa,” lead conductor Romāns Vanags
  32. “Saule, pērkons, Daugava,” lead conductor Sigvards Kļava
  33. “Manai dzimtenei,” lead conductor Romāns Vanags
  34. “Gaismas pils,” lead conductor Imants Kokars

More information about the song festival is available on the official Web site, www.dziesmusvetki2008.lv.

Song and Dance Festival DVD

Highlights of the 2008 Song and Dance Festival in Latvia are now available on a DVD.

Where to buy

Purchase Dziesma ir spēks from BalticShop.

Note: Latvians Online receives a commission on purchases.

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.