Latvian technology business group opens office in Silicon Valley

Latvians Online | 

The Latvian American Business Association of California (LABACA) has opened an office in Silicon Valley, the group announced Jan. 31.

The office, located in the Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale, Calif., is part of the association’s efforts to link technology-related businesses in Silicon Valley and Northern Europe, especially Latvia.

LABACA is a non-profit organization formed in August to foster cooperation between U.S. and Latvian intellectual and financial resources to form a high-tech “ecosystem.” It particularly aims to popularize Latvia’s information and communication technology sector.

“I am confident that the Plug and Play Tech Center community is the right place to initiate exposure and networking for Latvian startups,” Richard Grant Gailums, a LABACA board member, said in a press release. “I anticipate that the Plug and Play community and its valued partners, like Silicon Valley Bank, Greenberg Traurig, Berger Lewis and others will help create long-term relationships for successful high-growth young businesses from Latvia.”

The Sunnyvale facility is one of a half-dozen locations run by the Plug and Play Tech Center. Formed in 2006, Plug and Play now hosts more than 200 start-up companies in California. It also works with the companies to secure funding.

The office in Silicon Valley will help LABACA accomplish a number of goals, according to the press release. They include:

  • Creation in Silicon Valley of a base of Latvian high tech companies, projects and ideas.
  • Bringing innovative ideas from Latvia and Northern Europe to Silicon Valley, enabling transformation and exchange between economies.
  • Using the Silicon Valley ecosystem, “business angels” and venture capital for launching Latvian startups.
  • Transferring Internet security solutions to the United States from Europe and particularly Latvia.

In addition to opening the Silicon Valley office, LABACA in recent months met with Jared Cohen, head of Google’s think tank, and co-sponsored a conference in Rīga for Latvian iPhone application developers.

Further information about LABACA is available on the association’s website, www.labaca.org.

Singer, songwriter Mārtiņš Freimanis dies from complications of flu

Andris Straumanis | 

Mārtiņš Freimanis, lead singer of the Liepāja-based rock and pop music group Tumsa, has died from complications caused by the flu, Latvian media reported Jan. 27. He was 33.

Freimanis, who was born Feb. 7, 1977, in Liepāja, also was known as a composer, music producer, actor and poet.

He died in the Rīga-based Infectology Center of Latvia, where he had been admitted Jan. 18.

Freimanis became Tumsa’s lead singer in 1994, according to the website of MICREC, the recording house that released the band’s albums. Freimanis composed many of Tumsa’s hit tunes, including on the band’s most recent album, Suns, released in late 2008.

He also wrote songs for other performers and became involved with Latvian efforts to win the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2003, he joined with singers Lauris Reiniks and Yana Kay to form the trio F.L.Y., which in 2004 represented Latvia in the song contest.

One of his most recent musical collaboration was co-writing the lyrics to Reiniks’ big summer hit of 2010, “Es skrienu.”

Freimanis and Tumsa also recently joined with Russian singer Yulia Chicherina on a recording project and plans for a concert tour. A video of their Russian-language love song “Максимум ты” may be viewed on YouTube.

In 2005, Freimanis starred in the feature film Man patīk, ka meitene skumst.

Two years later, Freimanis took on a role in the popular television soap opera Neprāta cena. He played Edgars Pētersons, a second-generation British Latvian who visits his ancestral homeland with his father and begins a romantic relationship with a local. He also wrote one of the show’s title songs, “Satīties sapīties,” performing a duet with singer Ella.

On stage, Freimanis is remembered for his title role in the 1999 rock opera “Kaupēn, mans mīļais,” performed by the Liepāja Theatre.

A collection of Freimanis’s poetry, including lyrics from songs performed by Tumsa, was published in 2004 under the title Zālīte truša dvēselei.

“Mārtiņš Freimanis has passed unjustly early,” according to a statement released by MICREC, “but we have no doubt that evidence of his talent will live and fill the hearts of many people with joy for years to come.”

A funeral service for Freimanis is scheduled at 3 p.m. Feb. 3 in Rīgas krematorijā,  Varoņu 3a, Rīga.

Mārtiņš Freimanis

Mārtiņš Freimanis, who died Jan. 27, was a popular Latvian singer and songwriter. (Publicity photo)

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

Nationalists in Saeima propose amendments to allow dual citizenship

Andris Straumanis | 

Descendants of World War II refugees from Latvia could become dual citizens of their ancestral homeland under amendments proposed Jan. 24 by five members of the nationalist bloc in the Saeima.

This is the second attempt in the past several months to alter Latvia’s citizenship law, and apparently gets the jump on a plan by the government to propose its own amendments.

The amendments, proposed by MPs from the National Association (Nacionālā apvienība “Visu Latvijai!” – “Tēvzemei un Brīvībai/LNNK”), also would allow dual citizenship for citizens of European Union countries, Switzerland, Australia and Brazil, as well as of NATO defense alliance members, which would include Canada and the United States.

The amendments to Latvia’s citizenship law were introduced by Einārs Cilinskis, Imants Parādnieks, Dzintars Rasnačs, Visvaldis Lācis and Inese—all members of the National Association (Nacionālā apvienība “Visu Latvijai!” – “Tēvzemei un Brīvībai/LNNK”).

The amendments also would allow dual citizenship for children of whom at least one natural or adoptive parent is a Latvian citizen.

Allowing dual citizenship would foster people’s connection to their homeland, according to an explanatory note submitted with the proposed amendments. Few European countries, the note continues, today do not allow dual citizenship.

In October during the closing weeks of the 9th Saeima, members of the Unity (Vienotība) bloc also proposed a bill that would have allowed dual citizenship. That legislation, however, failed to get a hearing.

For exile organizations such as the World Federation of Free Latvians (Pasaules brīvo latviešu apvienība) changing the law to allow dual citizenship has become a key issue. Until July 1995, exiles and their descendants were able to register as Latvian citizens without having to give up the citizenship of their adopted country. However, since July 1995 dual citizenship has not been allowed.

The new coalition government led by Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis included in its declaration a promise to change the citizenship law to allow dual citizenship.

Foreign Minster Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis, during a Jan. 6 press conference in Rīga, said the government has been working on legislation that would soon be submitted to the Saeima.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.