Latvian voices new album “Rotā” features Baltic folk song arrangements

Egils Kaljo | 

Latvian a cappella ensemble Latvian Voices have now, for more than fifteen years, been one of the premiere vocal groups actively working today. Performing throughout Europe and around the world, their singing talents and ability have earned them extensive praise and plaudits.

The group, led by soprano, composer and arranger Laura Jēkbsone, also includes Beāte Krūmiņa, Zane Stafecka-Tene, Paula Pērkone, Una Stade, and Jānis Strazdiņš (who, having joined in 2020, was the first male voice in the ensemble).

The group has also actively recorded, and their most recent album – their 11th album overall – Rotā was released in 2025. Their 10th album – SNIEGums – was released in 2024 and featured winter and Christmas songs.

Rotā features arrangements of Latvian and other Baltic culture folk songs, all by Jēkabsone. Jēkabsone’s composition and arrangement abilities result in multi-layered and nuanced interpretations of songs like ‘Vakarā kalnā kāpu’, where all the voices of the group are woven together to create a spirited and exultant performance that celebrates the power of song.

Themes of singing appear in many of the songs on the album, such as on the undulating and flowing ‘Es bij’ liela dziedātāja’, as well as on the playful and rhythmic ‘Jo dziedāju, jo skanēja’.

The Latgale region of Latvia represented by two arrangements, the touching and heartfelt arrangement of the song ‘Muote dieleņu auklieja’, a song of a mother nurturing a son who will grow up to be a soldier, as well ‘Zvīdzi, zvīdzi sērmais zirdzeņ’, a which is about a young man who is desperate to avoid war, but the only one who will provide the funds to release him is his bride, who has to sell her bridal crown.


The majestic arrangement of the song ‘Rotā’ features the rich bass of Jānis Strazdiņš, and having a male voice in the ensemble adds additional dimensions and layers to the group’s sound.

The album also contains arrangements of not just folk songs from Latvia, but Lithuania (the bouncy ‘Titity, Tatatoj’) and Estonia (the energetically pulsating ‘Ilus Hääl’), displaying Jēkabsone’s arrangement skills with the songs of other nations

Enthusiastic and exuberant, the songs on Rotā, with their rich, layered arrangements, confirm again Latvian Voices’ place as one of the premiere a cappella ensembles active today. Jēkabsone’s arrangements, with their intricate structures and harmonies, allow each voice in the ensemble to shine and display their vocal skills and talents. The lustrous and radiant voices of Latvian Voices make Rotā a memorable entry in their discography.

For further information, please visit the Latvian Voices website.

Rotā

Latvian Voices

2025

Track listing:

  1. Vakarā kalnā kāpu
  2. Es bij’ liela dziedātāja
  3. Muote dieleņu auklieja
  4. Zvīdzi, zvīdzi sērmais zirdzeņ
  5. Jo dziedāju, jo skanēja
  6. Titity, Tatatoj
  7. Ilus Hääl
  8. Ik vakara es dziedāju
  9. Rotā
  10. Mana dziesma neizdziedāta

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.

Pianist Dzintra Erliha releases Christmas album

Egils Kaljo | 

Distinguished and prolific Latvian pianist Dzintra Erliha has released her latest album Christmas by the Piano, a collection of her arrangements of well known Christmas songs.

The digital album, released by the Prima Classic label and currently available on many streaming platforms, includes arrangements of 10 popular melodies, including O Come, Little Children (Jūs bērniņi, nāciet), Away in a Manger (Ne šūpulī greznā), and Silent Night (Klusa nakts). Her arrangement of “O Christmas Tree” (Ak, eglīte) was selected for the Apple Music playlist “Classical Christmas” and received 50 000 listeners in its first week.

Erliha, currently residing in New York, has a number of concerts planned in the near future, including a Christmas Eve concert at the Latvian church in Melville, New York, as well as a concert on March 28, 2026 at the Latvian Hall in Lincoln, Nebraska.

For further information, please visit Dzintra Erliha’s website

Dzintra Erliha – Christmas by the Piano

Track listing:

1 O Come, Little Children

2 Away in a Manger

3 Jingle Bells

4 Joy to the World

5 O Christmas Tree

6 O Come Ye All Faithful (Adeste Fideles)

7 O Little Town of Bethlehem

8 The First Nowel

9 We Wish You a Merry Christmas

10 Silent Night

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.

Collection of Arta Jēkabsone’s folk song arrangements on “Dziesmu kamoliņš”

Egils Kaljo | 

Award winning Latvian singer Arta Jēkabsone has, throughout her performing career, explored and combined many different styles in her songs. Though primarily a jazz singer, her work still has many Latvian elements and influences, and she has also created her own arrangements of Latvian folk songs. Her exuberant and emotionally rich vocals have won her praise around the world, as evidenced by her victory at the Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition and her being recognized as the “New Artist of the Year 2022” in Latvia.

Her latest album, 2025’s Dziesmu kamoliņš (Garland of Songs) is a collection of her arrangements of Latvian folksongs, along with original works. Including arrangements both of well-known and lesser-known Latvian folk songs, imbued with jazz stylistics, the collection makes for a memorable collection of performances in Jēkabsone’s own unique musical language.

Jēkabsone’s vocal talents are on display throughout the album, such as the wordless vocalizes that punctuate her arrangement of ‘Skaisti dziedi, lakstīgala’, and this performance is enhanced by the synthesizer performance of Kengchakaj, which adds additional layers and sonic textures to the music.

Jēkabsone also makes effective use of recording technology, allowing her to creative textured tapestries with just her voice. One such example is her arrangement of ‘Tumša nakte, zaļa zāle’, where, with vocal loops, she creates a multi-layered vocal performance that brings out the spiritual and meditative elements of this folk song.

The layered vocal effects also provide for a memorable interpretation of the lullaby ‘Aijā, žūžū’, where Jēkabsone builds upon the simple melody of the song to create a complex, yet moving performance of this beloved song.

Beyond being a singer, Jēkabsone is a multi-instrumentalist, and many of the performances include her playing the piano and violin. Additionally, Jēkabsone is also an accomplished songwriter, shown by the original song ‘Dziesmu kamoliņš’, a gently flowing song full of positivity and vivacity.

Arta Jēkabsone’s performances and arrangements of Latvian folk songs on Dziesmu kamoliņš are innovative and creative, and reveal new facets to these timeless Latvian songs. Jēkabsone, who has been living in New York City for more than a decade now, brings together both the folk songs of Latvia and the modern jazz elements with striking results. The layered and rich arrangements, woven together with Jēkabsone’s vocal talents, along with a number of talented musicians from around the world, makes Dziesmu kamoliņš a captivating and spiritually uplifting listen.

For further information, please visit Arta Jēkabsone’s website.

Dziesmu kamoliņš

Arta Jēkabsone

2025

Track listing:

1. Man dziesmiņu nepietrūka

2. Caur sidraba birzi gāju

3. Silta jauka istabiņa

4. Lakstīgala

5. Tumša nakte,zaļa zāle

6. Dieviņ,Tavu gaišumiņu!

7. Ziedi, ziedi rudzu vārpa

8. Sēju rūtu, sēju mētru

9. Noriet saule vakarā’i

10. Aijā žūžū!

11.Dziesmu kamoliņš

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.