Latest album from Iļģi comes just in time for Midsummer

Andris Straumanis | 

With the Midsummer holiday—celebrating the shortest night of the year—approaching later this month, the post-folklore group Iļģi has released its latest album.

Titled Īsākās nakts dziesmas, the album is the 12th by the group, which marked its 20th anniversary in 2006. The album is already available in digital format at platforma.lv and in compact disc format next week in Latvian stores.

The album has 11 tracks, which according to recording company Platforma have a “goal to speak to, interest and entrance even those people, who until now have not seen the true meaning and wonder of Midsummer.”

Tracks include:

  1. Visu gadu Jānīts nāca
  2. Visu gadu Jānīts jāja
  3. Jāņu mātes pagalmā
  4. Sit, Jānīti, vara bungas
  5. Saule brida miglājosi
  6. Labvakari, rudzu lauks
  7. Te staigāj’ši Jāņa bērni
  8. Jāņu dancis
  9. Visi ziedi izziedēja
  10. Tā sacīja, tā bij’ tiesa
  11. Līgojami, līgojami

Iļģi includes Ilga Reizniece, Māris Muktupāvels, Gatis Gaujenieks, Egons Kronbergs and Mārtiņš Linde.

The band has two CD release concerts set June 7 in the Club Essential in Rīga. The concerts will be available for viewing live through Platforma’s Web site. The band also has a Midsummer-themed concert set June 13 in Rīga’s Vērmaņdārzs, after which Reizniece will lead lessons about how to celebrate Jāņi.

Īsākās nakts dziesmas is being released with support from the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, the Latvian Foundation and the American Latvian Assocation’s Culture Fund.

For a look into recording of the new album at Gaujenieks’ GEM Studija, see this video on YouTube. For more on the band, visit the Iļģi Web site at ilgi.lv.

Īsākās nakts dziesmas

The post-folklore band’s 12th album is Īsākās nakts dziesmas.

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

U.S., Australia lead in European Parliament absentee ballot requests

Andris Straumanis | 

More than 1,500 absentee ballots have been requested by Latvian citizens living abroad who want to vote in the European Parliament election scheduled June 6, according to the Central Election Commission in Rīga.

The number of ballots is half that requested in the last European Parliament election in 2004.

Of the total 1,532 absentee ballot requests, the largest share came from the United States (399) and Australia (326), two countries with large diaspora Latvian populations.

In all, absentee ballot requests were received from Latvian citizens in 39 different countries. The European Parliament election is being run concurrently with local government elections in Latvia. While 950 polling stations will be open around Latvia on June 6, none will be open abroad.

For absentee ballots to be counted, they must be returned to Rīga by the time polls close at 10 p.m. Latvia time on June 6.

Other countries with notable numbers of ballot requests from Latvian citizens include Belgium with 154; Great Britain, 109; and Canada, 102. A total of 72 requests came from Afghanistan, most likely from Latvian troops stationed there.

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

Thousands casting early ballots in local, Europarliament elections

Andris Straumanis | 

More than 51,000 people in Latvia have already cast ballots in the first two days of early voting in local government and European Parliament elections, according to the Central Election Commission in Rīga.

Early voting—meant for those who will not be able to visit their local polling station on election day—continues with limited hours for one more day on June 5.

So far the greatest number of early ballots, a total of 19,601, has been recorded in Rīga, according to election commission data. Vidzeme province had the second highest number of early voters, 12,177, followed by Latgale, Kurzeme and Zemgale.

On election day, June 6, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 950 stations around Latvia. Races for the mayor of Rīga and for eight seats in the European Parliament are among those that are drawing attention in this election.

A total of 17 political parties have fielded 186 candidates in the European Parliament election. Among them are a number of dual citizens or former members of the exile community. Elections for the European Parliament are being held in all 27 member states of the European Union.

Latvian citizens abroad may vote by absentee ballot. Ballots had to be requested by May 7 and must be returned to Rīga by no later than 10 p.m. June 6, when counting starts.

Provisional results of local government elections will be reported overnight after polls close, the Central Election Commission has announced. Results of the Latvian vote for the European Parliament will not be announced in Rīga until 11 p.m. June 7 after the last polling stations close in Italy and Poland.

The Central Election Commmission will report voting results on the Web site www.velesanas2009.cvk.lv.

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