The most famous Latvian popular music composer, Raimonds Pauls, will turn 75 in 2011. To celebrate the anniversary, the Rīga-based recording company MICREC has released a compilation on compact disc of some of his most famous songs, as well as some more obscure work.

The two-CD set, entitled Raimonds Pauls. Zelta 75, collects 49 popular songs from the 1960s to the end of the 1980s.

The set also collects a number of less familiar songs. Many of them are taken from the archives of Latvian Radio and from Soviet LPs produced by the Melodija recording company, and are being released on CD for the first time. Covering a range of styles from jazz to disco to popular to film music, these songs feature some of the greatest popular singers and other musicians of that time.

This is actually the third Pauls CD compilation set. The first was Zelta 60, released in 1995 to celebrate the composer’s 60th birthday, followed by Zelta 70 in 2005 to celebrate his 70th birthday.

Tracks and performed on the first CD include:

1. Melodija (Eolika, from the film 235 miljoni seju)
2. Reiz nāksi tu (Valentīna Butāne)
3. Lai tik līst, perfored by Edgars Zveja)
4. Tikai prieks (Zigfrīds Račiņš)
5. Studentu brīvdienās (Valentīna Butāne)
6. Ar tevi vien (Sieviešu vokālais ansamblis)
7. Vecā jūrnieka stāsts (Zdzislavs Romanovskis)
8. Vectētiņš un vecmāmiņa (Margarita Vilcāne and Ojārs Grīnbergs)
9. Balāde manam vectēvam (Valdemārs Zandbergs)
10. Hallo, Rostoka (Ojārs Grīnbergs)
11. Kur tu biji? (Bruno Oja)
12. Cik klusa nakts (Nora Bumbiere and Ojārs Grīnbergs)
13. Ances Romance (Margarita Vilcāne, from the film Klāvs Mārtiņa dēls)
14. Alus dziesma (Vīru vokālais ansamblis directed by E. Račevska)
15. Precē mani, čigānzēn (Nora Bumbiere and Viktors Lapčenoks)
16. Dzel manī sauli (Nora Bumbiere and Viktors Lapčenoks)
17. Ai – dundur – dundur – dun – dun – dun (Nora Bumbiere and Viktors Lapčenoks)
18. Pusnakts balāde (Nora Bumbiere and Viktors Lapčenoks)
19. Undīne (Nora Bumbiere and Viktors Lapčenoks)
20. Dziesmiņa par prieku (Viktors Lapčenoks )
21. Tāls Parīzes radio (Margarita Vilcāne)
22. O’Lamara (Nora Bumbiere and Viktors Lapčenoks)
23. Balta pūka (Nora Bumbiere and Viktors Lapčenoks)
24. Dresleriāna (Nora Bumbiere, Viktors Lapčenoks and others)
25. Modo (Modo)
26. Kā caur pelniem (Aija Kukule, Mirdza Zīvere, Pārsla Gebharde and Modo)

Tracks and performed on the second CD include:

1. Tango (from the film Teātris))
2. Diksilends (Eduards Pāvuls, Gunārs Cilinskis and Valentīns Skulme, from the film Melnā vēža spīlēs)
3. Heksenberga mīlas dziesma (Vaironis Jakāns)
4. Lāsts (Juris Strenga)
5. Brauciet lēnām pār tiltu (Jānis Paukštello)
6. Tāpēc jau, ka nevar zināt kāpēc (Edgars Liepiņš)
7. Kad nekas nav palicis tevī (Imants Skrastiņš)
8. Zvaigzne (Rolands Zagorskis)
9. Balts sniedziņš (Dainis Porgants))
10. Svētvakars (Andris Bērziņš)
11. Dāvāja Māriņa (Aija Kukule and Līga Kreicberga)
12. Muļķe sirds (Žoržs Siksna)
13. Varavīksne (Ingus Pētersons)
14. Nepareizā dziesma (Dālderi))
15. Meitene ar kallu ziediem (Credo)
16. Kad saule aiziet (Viktors Lapčenoks and Inversija)
17. Nenāciet klāt man rudenī (Laima Vaikule)
18. Robots (Aija Kukule and Remix)
19. Vardīte (Viktors Lapčenoks)
20. Pelnrušķīte (Viktors Lapčenoks)
21. Miega vilcieniņš (Dainis Porgants and Dzeguzīte)
22. Nepasauc, nepiesauc mani vēl (Remix)
23. Melodija (Odis, from the film Depresija))

In addition to the CD compilation, a big anniversary concert is scheduled in the Arena Rīga on Jan. 16, which will be an event in three parts. The first part will feature songs from the 1960s and 1970s, including lesser known works, the second will be theatre and film music, and the third part will feature his most popular songs.