Remittances to Latvia, payments made by emigrants back to their home country, are expected to reach a record USD 787 million this year, according to data compiled by the World Bank and released in October.

That would be a 7.8 percent increase from 2012, when emigrants from Latvia sent back about USD 730 million. Large numbers of emigrants from Latvia are found in a number of countries, but chiefly in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as the Russian Federation, the United States, Germany, Israel, Canada, Australia, Lithuania and Sweden, according to the bank’s Migration and Remittances Factbook 2011.

The amount of remittances to Latvia has increased steadily since 1996, the first year the World Bank has data about the country. Only in 2009 did remittances temporarily retreat.

This year the remittances are expected to account for 2.6 percent of Latvia’s Gross Domestic Product, according to the World Bank.

Remittances from immigrants in Latvia back to their home countries are estimated to reach USD 64 million by the end of this year, an increase of 36 percent from 2012.

Emigrants from Lithuania will send back more than USD 1.8 billion in remittances this year, or 3.6 percent of that country’s GDP, the World Bank data show. Meanwhile, emigrants from Estonia are expected to send back USD 451 million, or 1.8 percent of GDP.

The migration and remittances data are available from the World Bank’s website.

Latvia will be getting a mention in Sao Paolo, Brazil at the ThorHammerFest this 20th November when Latvian folk pagan metal band Skyforger take to the stage and belt out some heavy Latvian folk tunes. This year Skyforger will be main group performing at the festival.

Formed in 1995 Skyforger, over the years, the group released 6 CDS, all with titles mentioning ancient, modern and mythical warrior themes: Kauja pie Saules, Latviešu strēlnieki, Pērkoņkalve, Zobena dziesma, Zemgaļu karadziesma, Kurbads.

Skyforger’s main vocalists and instrumentalists are Pēteris, and two Edgars (one nicknamed “Mazais”, the other – “Zirgs”), with Egons (of Iļģi fame) joining the group 4 years later.

The group’s name, Skyforger comes from the Latvian phrase “Debesu kalējs”, the lyrical title for the ancient Latvian god, Pērkons. According to the group’s manager, Andis Mikainis “Hopkins” “we find it important to sing in Latvian about mythological themes and to inform about mythological themes significant events in Latvia’s history.

Skyforger are currently working on their seventh album which will focus on the Prussians, one of the ancient Baltic tribes, with a language that was considered as the third, now extinct,  language in the Baltic language group. With this album the group hopes to enlighten the younger generation with little knowledge of the Prussians.

Skyforger have performed widely in Europe, the United States, and Russia, with concerts most frequently in Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and the Czech Republic. This will be the first time the folk pagan metal band heads to South America, to popularise its music where Skyforger will also include some Latvian folk songs in the concert repertoire.

Says Mikainis: “Unfortunately we won’t be home on the 18th November because we’ll already be in Frankfurt, on our way to Brazil. We will, of course, be celebrating Latvia’s birthday in our hotel room with a mini Latvian flag and lighting a candle in Latvia’s honour.”.