Two singers from Latvia, both of whom work with the MICREC recording house in Rīga, are getting noticed in North America.

Russian singer Yana Kay, a veteran recording artist, has a video of her song “Tears In The Rain” appearing on Canada’s BPM TV dance music channel on cable and satellite television, according to a MICREC press release.

Yana Kay’s video came to the attention of the Canadian music channel thanks to the DVD The Best of Latvia, a May release showcasing 32 Latvian music videos from the past several years, MICREC explained.

Yana Kay has been involved in Latvia’s dance music scene for a number of years. She also teamed with Mārtiņš Freimanis and Lauris Reiniks to perform as F.L.Y., Latvia’s 2003 entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Since 1997, she has recorded 12 singles and albums.

The surrealistic, black-and-white music video also may be viewed on Yana Kay’s official Web site, www.yanakay.com.

Rock singer Detlefs (Uldis Dirnēns) and his new group Detlef’s Zoo are to have their song “So Cold” included in the soundtrack for a new American horror film, Cabras. The song will be among 20 to be part of the film directed by Fredy Polania, according to MICREC. The film is a production of Polania Pictures and Florida-based Carlson Entertainment.

The film is scheduled for release in 2007 and will be preceded by the release of music videos for all 20 songs, including “So Cold.”

Detlefs is one of several participants of the reality show “Talantu fabrika” to have seen commercial success. His first big hit was the song “Četras sienas” (Four Walls). In 2004, he formed the group Detlef and released the debut album Tu Izliecies par sevi on the MICREC label.

At the beginning of this year, the group was reformed as Detlef’s Zoo. Besides Detlefs on lead vocals,  the band includes Martins Millers on bass, Marks Ameriks on drums and Kaspars Ansons on guitar. The band is expected to release a new album at the end of the year.

“So Cold” was recorded in England.

For further information on the band, visit its official Web site, www.detlef.lv. For further information about the Cabras project, visit www.cabrassoundtrack.com.

Meetings with Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair are on Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga’s agenda when she visits the United Kingdom from July 9-13, the president’s press office has announced.

The president will lead a delegation that is to include Minister for Economics Aigars Štokenbergs and Minister for Science and Education Baiba Rivža, as well as her husband Imants Freibergs, other officials and about 40 business people.

Vīķe-Freiberga’s stay will begin July 9 with a visit to the men’s final of the Wimbledon tennis championship. That evening, she is to speak at a dinner hosted by the British Business Council.

The following day, July 10, Vīķe-Freiberga is scheduled to meet with Blair and Jack Straw, leader of the House of Commons. She also will visit the British Library to view the Magna Carta and Latvian manuscipts. A reception hosted by Latvian business people is planned that evening in the Royal Garden Hotel in London.

A forum hosted by the Latvian Investment and Development Agency and the London Chamber of Commerce is scheduled the morning of July 11 in the Royal Garden Hotel. Also on the agenda is a meeting with London’s Lord Mayor David Brewer, a speech at the London School of Economics, a meeting with members of Parliament, and an evening reception at the Embassy of Latvia in London.

On July 12 it’s off to Cambridge University, where among other activities the president will meet with Māra Kalniņš, who is a university reader in modern English literature at Corpus Christi College.

Vīķe-Freiberga is scheduled to arrive at 15:30 hours at the Latvian rest home Straumēni in Catthorpe, where she will meet with community members.

Back in London on July 14, the president will visit the Tower of London and view the Crown Jewels and, in the afternoon, visit with Queen Elizabeth in Buckingham Palace. The queen is expected to visit Latvia in October.

Vīķe-Freiberga is scheduled to arrive back in Rīga the evening of July 14.

The trip to the United Kingdom follows a state visit last week to Slovakia.

A record five Latvian juniors have been selected In the 2006 Canadian Hockey League draft, according to media reports and team Web sites.

The June 28 CHL draft placed players in Canada’s three top junior leagues: the Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Kaspars Daugaviņš, 18, a recent third round draft pick of the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators, was picked up by the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors. The Majors alos chose Kris Grundmanis, 17. Daugaviņš made his debut in Rīga during the World Hockey Championship and, together with Grundmanis, was on Latvia’s U-20 team that played last winter at the World Championship in British Columbia.

The Peterborough Petes took seventh round Atlanda Thrashers draft pick Arturs Kulda, 17, while the Guelph Storm selected Artūrs Ozoliņš, 18. Kulda and Ozoliņš were on Latvia’s U-18 squad that won the Internatonal Ice Hockey Federation’s Division 1 and was promoted earlier this year to the elite level.

Nineteen-year-old Kaspars Saulītis was drafted by the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. Saulītis also was on the U-20 squad.

Given that each of the 54 teams in the CHL can draft only two imports from Europe, having five Latvian juniors drafted is a huge accomplishment for Latvian hockey. That means Latvians will fill 5.5 percent of the CHL’s available import slots going into the 2006-2007 season.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Oscars Bartulis, who played two seasons with this year’s QMJHL champions, the Moncton Wildcats, has been traded to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, who play out of Sydney, Nova Scotia. He has been drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. Teamate Oscars Bartulis, a Boston Bruins draft pick, will be at the Bruins’ rookie camp and will either play in the Boston system or be returned to Moncton for one last season as an over-age junior.

Nashville Predators draft pick Laurins Dārziņš is getting a lookover at the Predators rookie camp. He graduated from the junior ranks having played several seasons with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. Dārziņš was on Latvia’s starting lineup in Rīga championship. The jump from the juniors to the NHL is a big leap even for those drafted and many don’t make the cut.

The success of Latvia’s junior teams and the attention its top players are getting bodes well for Latvian hockey as a new generation of players steps forward. Latvia has about 3,000 registered hockey players.