Latviešu lietotne “Tautasdziesmas”, kas sākotnēji tika izstrādāta Latvijas simtgadei par godu, šī gada decembrī ir izlaista jauna paplašināta versija. Ar lietotnes palīdzību bez interneta pieslēguma visās viedierīcēs (Android, iPhone un iPad platformās) var piekļūt kopumā 200 populāru latviešu tautasdziesmu tekstiem un meldijām.
Lietotnē ir pieejamas populārākās un visbiežāk dziedātās latviešu tautasdziesmas dažādās kategorijās – saulgriežu, bērnu, rotaļu, karavīru, latgaļu, līvu, kāzu un citās. Lietotnē arī apkopoti YouTube video ieraksti ar latviešu tautasdziesmām. Lietotne kalpo latviešiem visā pasaulē kā resurss mācību stundās, ikdienā atmiņas atsvaidzināšanai, kā arī palīgs izklaides pasākumos.
Lietotne “Tautasdziesmas” ir domāta visām paaudzēm – jauniem iemācīt dziesmu meldijas un tekstus un pieaugušajiem atsvaidzināt atmiņu, ja kāda tautasdziesma piemirsusies, vai nav bijusi zināma. Lietotne ir unikāla ar tās universālo pieejamību tautasdziesmām jebkurā vietā pasaulē (arī bez internet pieslēguma). Lietotāji aicināti lietotnes veidotājiem ierosināt savus mīļākos tautasdziesmu videoklipus, kas pieejami YouTube; tos izstrādātāji pievienos, lai lietotne kļūtu par saistošu audiovizuālu rīku.
Lietotne izstrādāta firmā DekSoft, kura arī radījusi citas izzinošas un izglītojošas latviešu lietotnes: Kas Kas Ko?, Latvian Nouns, Latvian Verbs, Lociņš un Vārdenīte. Projekta izstrādi atbalstījušas PBLA un Kultūras ministrija.
Daina Gross is editor of Latvians Online. An Australian-Latvian she is also a migration researcher at the University of Latvia, PhD from the University of Sussex, formerly a member of the board of the World Federation of Free Latvians, author and translator/ editor/ proofreader from Latvian into English of an eclectic mix of publications of different genres.
LU Diasporas un migrācijas pētījumu centrs turpina pētījumu par to, kā emigrācijā dzīvojošie cilvēki pieņem lēmumu par savām un savu bērnu nākotnes mācībām vai studijām. Kā viņi izvēlas, kur mācīties vai studēt, un vai saskata Latviju kā potenciālo studiju vietu? Pētījums tiecas apzināt ārpus Latvijas dzīvojošo, esošo un potenciālo studentu izglītības pieredzi un saprast, kā uzlabot Latvijas profesionālo skolu, koledžu un augstskolu studiju piedāvājumu.
LU pētnieki aicina piedalīties šajā pētījumā, aizpildot anketu:
Latvijas izcelsmes jauniešus, kas dzīvo ārpus Latvijas un jau mācās vai par to domā, kā arī ārvalstīs dzīvojošos vecākus, kam ir bērni vecumā no 10 līdz 25 gadiem.
Anketu iespējams aizpildīt līdz š.g. 20. novembrim.
Šajā aptaujā sniegtās atbildes palīdzēs apzināt ārpus Latvijas dzīvojošo esošo un potenciālo studentu izglītības pieredzi un saprast, kā uzlabot Latvijas profesionālo skolu, koledžu un augstskolu studiju piedāvājumu. Lai uzzinātu, kāds ir pašreizējais piedāvājums ārzemēs dzīvojošiem un izglītību ieguvušiem Latvijas valstspiederīgajiem, šī pētījuma ietvaros tiek veikta arī izglītības iestāžu aptauja. Abās aptaujās iegūtā informācija parādīs iespējamos risinājumus, kas ļautu uzlabot Latvijas profesionālās un augstākās izglītības piedāvājuma pievilcību.
Pētījuma nepieciešamību nosaka izglītības attīstībai nelabvēlīga demogrāfiskā situācija Latvijā un pasaulē nepārtraukti pieaugošā konkurence par studentiem. Kā liecina iepriekšējie LU Diasporas un migrācijas centra pētījumi, tikai nedaudzas no Latvijas profesionālās un augstākās izglītības iestādēm identificē diasporu kā potenciālo studentu mērķa grupu un domā par to, kā efektīvi to piesaistīt. Daļēji iemesls tam ir pamatotas informācijas un datu trūkums par diasporas jauniešu potenciālo interesi par studijām Latvijā, viņus interesējošajām studiju jomām, kā arī grūtībām, kas kavē šo jauniešu piesaisti Latvijas izglītības sistēmai.
Pētījuma rezultāti par diasporas jauniešu piesaistes iespējām profesionālās un augstākās izglītības iestādēm Latvijā būs publicēti brīvpieejā tīmekļvietnē diaspora.lu.lv.
Dr. sc. soc. Inta Mieriņa ir LU tenūrprofesore , LU Filozofijas un socioloģijas institūta vadošā pētniece un Diasporas un migrācijas pētījumu centra direktore.
One of the most serendipitous
events in exile Latvian history is the coming together of the musical trio Trīs
no Pārdaugavas. Initially planned as a one-off performance, the group performed
together for more than twenty years, entertaining both Latvians in exile and
later performing in Latvia as well. The uniquely talented members – Fēlikss
Ērmanis and his resonant vocals, Vilnis Baumanis and his impeccable songwriting
and arrangement abilities, and multi-instrumentalist Mārtiņš Ērmanis – came
together to form a singular musical group. Not content to just sing Latvian
standards, their original songs ranged from the humorous to the deeply serious,
often reflecting exiled Latvian life – being Latvian in the United States.
Baumanis’ thoughtful, nuanced lyrics, along with their intricate three-part
harmonies (all three were talented singers) resulted in Trīs no Pārdaugavas
becoming one of the most beloved exile ensembles, whose songs still are fondly
remembered today.
Though it has been decades since
the group last performed, and, sadly, only one member – Baumanis – is still
alive, interest in their music and their accomplishment remains. Baumanis,
along with distinguished Latvian author Nora Ikstena, collaborated to write
down the definitive story of Trīs no Pārdaugavas. Published in 2020 by the
Micrec recording company, the book, simply entitled Trīs no Pārdaugavas,
provides a history of the group and their accomplishments both in the United
States and in Latvia.
Always a popular draw at Latvian events, the group’s sly humor helped Latvians forget the difficulties of life in their adopted home. As part of their concerts, they often poked fun at recent events at a particular Latvian center, often including verses about events having taken place that same day.
The book is also a biography of
Vilnis Baumanis. Baumanis’ life story also offers some fascinating anecdotes,
including a chapter about his work at Voice of America. Baumanis worked there
for many years, and one can follow along the growth, and then decline, of the
radio service. The book also details his childhood years in Latvia, then
memories from Displaced Persons camps in Germany and then on to exile in the
United States. The book’s introduction, by Ilze Jurkāne, also provides a
glimpse of the bohemian atmosphere of the Baumanis’ house in New Jersey, where
multiple Latvian families lived and Latvians regularly congregated.
The group collectively decided to
disband in the early 1990s, with the explanation given that, along with the
restoration of Latvian independence, the group had achieved all that they had
set out to do, and there was less of a need for them now that Latvia was again
free. Certainly, their concert at the Mežaparks Stage, which gathered tens of
thousands of listeners, was the culmination of their efforts to keep alive the
Latvian spirit in their songs.
At just over one hundred pages,
it is a slim book. Some readers may be left wanting more, since the group was
such a vital thread in Latvian life for decades. One does wish there was more
about the songs themselves – there are just a few pages detailing the
inspiration for some of the songs, but not much else. The group’s albums often
had notes and commentaries on the songs, which were often fascinating and
entertaining, and one wishes there was more of that in the book. As the songs
were written in the 1970s and 80s, some references may be lost on readers,
particularly those outside the United States. If one had little knowledge of
the group or of exile Latvian life in general, this book only provides a brief
glimpse, and one may finish the book not fully understanding how truly
essential Trīs no Pārdaugavas was to the American Latvian community.
The book comes along with a CD of
the group’s original songs recorded by the group Ducele. Ducele, who call
themselves a Latvian ‘ecological’ ensemble, perform the songs with aplomb,
giving them a fresh sound and perspective. Humorous and lighthearted songs like
‘Monika’ and ‘Strīķēšana’ are as lively and good natured as the originals, but,
perhaps surprisingly, it is the more serious songs like ‘Tauta tālumā’ and
‘Dziesma tālāk iet’ that are most effective and moving. Ducele also offer their
own interpretive approaches to some of the songs, such as the slight Celtic atmosphere
given to ‘Dzintarjūra’.
Music and songs were an integral
part of Latvian exile life, an audible link to the Latvia many had fled after
World War II. Trīs no Pārdaugavas strengthened and amplified that link, leaving
a particularly impressive collection of recordings that remain beloved and
relevant decades later. Though their songs spoke to an exile Latvian audience,
the songs still speak to all Latvians worldwide, even today. The new recordings
by Ducele also confirm Baumanis’ songwriting talents, as the songs are as fresh
and topical today as they were forty or more years ago. Nora Ikstena’s and
Vilnis Baumanis’ book Trīs no Pārdaugavas is a valuable, enlightening
document of the role of the group in exiled Latvian life and is a reminder of
not just how talented, but vital and essential the group was.
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.
