The Internet portal Apollo has unveiled the first online digital music store in Latvia. Apollo’s Fonotēka (Sound Library) service gives access to songs for 50 santīms each.

But before you click over to Apollo expecting to find a Latvian version of something like Apple Computer’s wonderful iTunes Music Store, take heed that the Fonotēka is not a download service—at least not yet.

That’s what I was hoping to find when I first visited the site in an attempt to get a legal copy of a currently popular song, Detlefs’ “Četras sienas.” Then I saw the fine print: the 50 santīms gives you just seven days of access to listen online, not to download the song. According to a press release from Microphone Records (MICREC), which operates the Fonotēka with Apollo, music downloads are expected to become available come May 1. For now, however, only being able to listen to the music online is a disincentive for me. I want to be able to download the song and burn it to a compact disc or load it on my iPod.

Purchasing access, at least for first-time customers, is a bit involved. You have to register with Apollo and then figure out how you want to pay. Apollo presents four options, including paying online through Hansabanka’s Hanza.net, via SMS (Short Messaging Service, otherwise known as text messaging) on your LMT or Tele2 mobile phone, or by dialing a 900 series pay-per-call telephone number—all methods that should work well if you’re in Latvia. Although credit card culture is not yet widespread in Latvia, it would make sense to offer payments using VISA or MasterCard as another option. Apollo and MICREC might get more customers that way, especially from outside of Latvia.

For the time being, the Fonotēka only offers a limited number of albums released by MICREC. The recording house says negotiations are underway to add music from foreign record labels. If other Latvian labels such as Baltic Records Group, Platforma Records and UPE Recording Co. were added, the Fonotēka could be a worthwhile endeavor.

This isn’t MICREC’s first foray into online distribution of digital music. In 2000, MICREC offered Braithouse’s dance music recording In Da Mix, but response from customers was far from even lukewarm.

“If I recall correctly, five copies were sold that way,” Guntars Račs, MICREC’s A&R director, told me.

Perhaps the Fonotēka will strike the right chord.

Nonmainstream downloads

If you’re looking for legal music to download for free, and you are interested in nonmainstream genres as presented by Latvian artists, consider the various offerings from the music association TORNIS or download a “do-it-yourself” compilation album of Latvian hard core, punk and ska music from HC.LV. Electronica fans might find the long-standing Andrews.lv a good place to gather a collection of MP3s. And if you want to complement your library of folk music with songs performed by some lesser-known ensembles, visit Ansis Ataols Bērziņš’ folklora.lv Web site.

Latvian music from the iTunes store

Speaking of the iTunes Music Store, the popularity and range of recordings offered by Apple Computer keeps growing and now even includes some Latvian music to download. Want a copy of the national anthem, “Dievs, svētī Latviju!”, but without the words? It’s yours for 99 cents, recorded by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. (Estonia’s and Lithuania’s anthems also are available.)

Gunta Plostniece’s Latvian Sacred Song, an 18-track album of inspirational songs released in 1999, is available, too.

Fans of classical music might also be interested in several albums that include performances by Latvia-born violinist Gidon Kremer (but none with his Kremerata Baltica) or in two featuring Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons.

Two years ago, Latvia’s Marija Naumova surprised hometown fans and the rest of Europe by winning the Eurovision Song Contest with her performance of “I Wanna.” Last year, the trio F.L.Y. (Mārtiņš Freimanis, Lauris Reiniks and Yana Kay) finished a dismal third to last. On Feb. 28 in Ventspils, music fans will decide who to send to this year’s contest.

Ten performers will compete in Eirodziesma 2004, the Latvian run-up to Eurovision. (An additional songs are held in reserve.) Whoever wins will represent Latvia in the song contest scheduled May 12 and 15 in Istanbul, Turkey.

A favorite this year might just be “Dziesma par laimi,” written by the popular lyricist Guntars Račs and performed by the duet Fomins & Kleins. For the second year in the row, Ivo Fomins and Tomass Kleins will perform the only song in the Latvian contest that will be sung in Latvian. All the rest are in English, a misguided attempt to appeal to a wider European audience. Last year, several Eurovision artists performed in their native tongue and the second place winner, Belgium’s Urban Trad, even sang a tune in a make-believe language.

Fomins & Kleins last year took second place in the Latvian contest with the song “Muzikants.” To my ear, “Dziesma par laimi” sounds too much like “Muzikants” and doesn’t stand out enough from other entries. I wouldn’t vote for it, but then again it is the only Latvian entry.

Eurovision fans will notice a few other returning performers in the Latvian national final. The girl group 4.elements is back, this time with “Ready,” a song composed by popular singer Lauris Reiniks, brother of group member Rūta Reinika. These young women are talented singers and could be good representatives in Turkey. Now that I’ve listened to the all the entries three times, the song and the performance have grown on me. It is the sort of upbeat tune that often does well in Eurovision. I hope 4.elements at least has a strong showing in the Latvian contest.

Another entry I like a lot Tatjana Timčuka’s rendition of “Like a Star,” an anti-love song penned by Oļegs Borošņevs. It’s a fast-paced, punchy song and could be a contender.

I have a few other favorites, but none of the songs seems like it could outlast 4.elements or Timčuka, much less other countries’ entries at Istanbul.

The father and daughter duet, Johnny Salamander and Meldra, offer “We Share the Sun,” a throwback to the 1970s both musically and lyrically. The song is catchy and has a nice guitar riff to add interest, but I wonder if the 1970s aren’t a waning trend. Too bad for Mr. Salamander’s silly stage name.

“Let’s Fly Away” should remind listeners of something by Carlos Santana. The song, written by the experienced performer Jānis Stībelis, comes a bit late. We’ve done the Latin thing already (remember “I Wanna”?), but I would love to hear more from the singer performing this entry. Her name is Amber.

Chilli’s performance of the Mārtiņš Freimanis song “Not That Everyday Girl” has the same sweeping orchestral sound heard on some songs by Tumsa, the pop-rock group led by Freimanis.

Kristīne Broka and Santa Zapacka perform “Angel’s Song.” Musically it a nice tune performed by two talented singers, but the lyrics make little sense.

Finally, the band Z-Scars has entered its song “Runaway” in the contest. In voting on Latvian state television’s Web site devoted to Eurovision, the song has been among the top choices of those answering an informal poll. The band became popular with the release of the documentary film Atrasts Amerikā, for which it provided the soundtrack.

“Runaway” certainly is a polished song and sounds much different from other entries. But I question whether that sound isn’t too much of alternative for Eurovision fans.

Of course, we’ve been surprised before.

Latvia’s best music

Since when is Prāta Vētra a rock group? That was the question being asked by some observers of the Feb. 21 “Mūzikas ierakstu Gada Balva” ceremony. Prāta Vētra, which under its English name Brainstorm has made inroads in the European music market, walked away with five of the 18 awards handed out during Latvia’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards.

But two of those were for best rock song and best rock album, a decision that turned some heads, including—according to at least one news report—those of Prāta Vētra’s five members. Songs and albums by the likes of Skyforger and Dzelzs vilks, which no doubt are rock bands, were shut out.

Prāta Vētra won the best rock song award for “Colder,” which is from the album A Day Before Tomorrow, winner of the best rock album honor. “Colder” also was named radio hit and music video of the year, while “Plaukstas lieluma pavasaris” won the award for best pop song.

Songs by Latvian-American rapper Delete and the Lolitas brīnumputns album by the New York Latvian Concert Choir didn’t win in their categories.

Only one of the nominations that I wanted see win actually did. The post-folk group Iļģi took home the honor for best contemporary folk music album for Kaza kāpa debesīs.

Aleksandrs Kublinskis was honored for his investment in the development of Latvia’s music industry. Born in 1936, Kublinskis is a pianist and composer perhaps best known for some of his pop songs from the 1970s and 1980s, such as the lovely “Zemeņu lauks.”

For Latvia’s music industry, February will close out with a couple of big bangs. Eirodziesma 2004, the competition that will choose Latvia’s representative to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Turkey, is scheduled Feb. 28 in Ventspils. But before that event, the year’s best recordings will be honored in a Feb. 21 ceremony in Rīga that may hold special meaning for some Latvians abroad.

The “Latvijas mūzikas ierakstu Gada Balva” honors are sponsored by the Latvian Music Producers Association (LaMPA). Like other awards, such as the Grammys in the United States or the Brit Awards in the United Kingdom, the Gada Balva honors recording artists across several categories.

All the major recording companies in Latvia—Baltic Records Group, Mikrofona ieraksti, Platforma Records and UPE Recording Co.—are represented this year, as are a few smaller labels. The largest company, Mikrofona ieraksti or MICREC, has the most nominations, 26 across the 18 awards categories. Platforma is second with 17 nominations, while Baltic Records and UPE each have 14 nominations.

The Gada Balva doesn’t name an overall “album of the year,” but selects the best songs or albums in various categories in three divisions: major nominations, regular nominations and special awards.

In the major nominations division, the best songs and albums will be named in the genres of rock, modern rock, pop, dance music, hip-hop, and schlager or country.

The hip-hop category may be of special interest to Latvians in the United States. The Chicago-born rapper Delete, who started his career in Detroit, is nominated twice in the best hip-hop song category. One nomination is for “I Gotta Hold On” which he performs with the singer Erica Jennings on his album You’re Not Alone (released by Platforma), and the other is for his collaboration on “Tu vēl esi dzīvs,” performed with Pamatinstinks, Ray, KRF and Flip M.

However, the categories that will receive most attention undoubtedly will be those that name the best rock and best pop songs and albums. And those could be toss-ups. Nominated for best rock album, for example, are Prāta Vētra for A Day Before Tomorrow, Dzelzs vilks for Ļauj man tevi…, Fomins & Kleins for Muzikants (which includes the title track that was the only song in Latvian in last year’s Eirodziesma contest), the pagan-metal band Skyforger for Pērkoņkalve, and alt-rockers Z-Scars for Starp tevi un mani. While it may be very likely that Prāta Vētra adds another award to its résumé, it would be fun—if not a bit shocking—to honor Skyforger.

In the best pop album category, I’m cheering for Ainars Mielavs and Dzīvais porcelāns. Like previous Mielavs albums, it takes some getting used to, but offers listeners a number of well-crafted songs that sound as fragile as the album’s title. Mielavs is up against four other nominations, including the self-titled album from the new group Cosmos (released by Mielavs’ company, UPE Recording).

In the regular nominations division, the awards include best contemporary folk music album, best academic music album, best instrumental, film or theatre music album; best children’s music album, and best music video.

I’m confident Kaza kāpa debesīs, the latest UPE release from the post-folk group Iļģi, will win the contemporary folk music album award. It’s just a great album by a consistenty great group. But the independently released Gonam gona by Laimas muzykanti (released by Izteiksme) as well as Extravagance, the second album by the Aigars Grāvers-led RamaDance project (released by Platforma) could also be in the running. However, the latter really shouldn’t be in this category. Perhaps it’s time for LaMPA to create an “electronica” or “other” category.

The academic music category is worth watching if you’re a fan of Andrejs Jansons and the New York Latvian Concert Choir. Their recording of the musical Lolitas brīnumputns (which included participation by the Latvian National Opera) is one of five nominated in the category. The album is up against two recordings by the ever-popular Latvian Radio Choir, a recording of the final concert of the 23rd Latvian Song Festival (released by Baltic Records), and Naktstauriņi by Raimonds Pauls (released by MICREC).

Finally, among the special awards to watch is debut of the year. Nominees include Bardo Splash for Bordo, Cosmos for Cosmos, Dzintars Čīča for Nāc un dziedi, Nicol for Melns un balts and Z-Scars for Starp tevi un mani. Although all these new artists are deserving of support from consumers and the record business, Bardo Splash sounds to me to be the most refreshing.