Latvian Blues Band releases first solo CD

Latvian Blues Band has released Unreal, its first solo compact disc.

Band members are Jānis “Bux” Bukovskis on guitars and vocals, Reinis Ozoliņš on bass, Rihards “James” Bērziņš on piano and organ, and Rolands “Rolx” Saulietis on drums.

The producer of the album is guitarist Duke Robillard, who has received the “Best Blues Guitarist” award from the Blues Music Awards four times (2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004) and was also nominated for a Grammy in 2007 for his CD Guitar Groove-a-rama.

The album contains 14 songs, 10 of which are original works by the band.

The band, whose history goes back to 1997, frequently performs in the Rīga blues club Bites Blūza Klubs.

The group has released CDs of performances with other artists, including One Hot Night with Frank Bang & Latvian Blues Band, Blues Party (with Johnny V) and three volumes in the series Latvian Blues Band & Friends: Live in B.B.C..

More information about the band is available on its Web site, www.latvianbluesband.com or on its page on draugiem.lv.

Unreal

Latvian Blues Band has released a new compact disc, Unreal.

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.

Laiks pieteikties uz 3×3 nometni

Mūžu dzīvo, mūžu mācies – tāds ir 3×3 nometņu moto. Šīs nometnes jau kopš 1980. gada tiek rīkotas visu vecumu latviešiem no visiem kontinentiem, lai padziļinātu un paplašinātu latviskās zināšanas, stiprinātu latviskas ģimenes, sekmētu latviskas draudzības, veicinātu latvisku kopības izjūtu, un attīstītu latvisku kultūrvidi.

Kā raksta vairāku 3×3 nometņu vadītāji Daiga un Aldis Bitenieki, “Nometne kopā pulcē trīs vienības – mātes, tēvus un bērnus, kā arī trīs paaudzes – visjaunāko, vidējo un vecāko. Kopš 1990. gada, kad 3×3 nometne no Amerikas atceļoja uz Latviju, tās nosaukumam ir trešā jēga – tā pulcē latviešus no visas pasaules – no rietumiem, no austrumiem un no Latvijas.”

2009. gadā 3×3 nometnes notiks Gaŗezerā (Mičigānas pavalstī, ASV) no 9.–16. augustam, vadītāja Maija Zaeska (zaeska@frontiernet.net); un Katskiļos (Ņujorkas pavalstī, ASV) no 16.–23. augustam, vadītāja Taina Laiviņa (tlaivins@comcast.net). Anglijā 3×3 nometne notiek angļu valodā un tā ir domāta galvenokārt bērniem. Tā notiks no 2.–9. augustam un kontaktpersona ir Dace Birzgale-Lieģe (dace_b_l@hotmail.com). Kopš 1990. gada 3×3 nometnes notiek arī Latvijā, divas nometnes katru vasaru, katru vasaru citās vietās. 2009. gadā pirmā nometne būs Naukšēnos, Valmieras rajonā, no 28. jūnija – 5. jūlijam, vadītāji Daiga un Kārlis Rokpeļņi. Otrā Latvijas nometne notiks Kazdangā, Liepājas rajonā, no 19.–26. jūlijam, vadītāji Daiga un Aldis Bitinieki.

3×3 nometnes piedāvā interesantas un saistošas nodarbības bērniem visos vecumos. Pa bērnu nodarbību laiku pieaugušie var apmeklēt ievirzes, kas viņiem interesē: no politikas, vēstures un psiholoģijas līdz folklorai, teātrim un latviskai virtuvei. Katrā nometnē arī iespējams apgūt rotkalšanu, aušanu, kokgriešanu vai kādu citu daiļamatu. Naukšēnu nometnē pat mācīs kā taisīt koka laivu! Ievirzes vada pazīstami tautieši, kas ir eksperti savos laukos. Neatņemama daļa no katras 3×3 nometnes ir uzsvars uz latviešu dziesmām un mūziku – gan baudot to citu izpildījumā, gan pašiem dziedot, spēlējot un dancojot.

Sīkāka informācija par 3×3 atrodama mājas lapā www.3×3.lv, vietējās ārzemju latviešu avīzēs un, protams, sazinoties tieši ar nometnes vadītājiem.

Ārzemju latviešiem, kas vēlas piedalīties kāda no Latvijas 3×3 nometnēm, ir lūgts pieteikties pie Līgas un Arnolda Rupertiem: liga3x3@iserv.net, tālr. +1 (616) 456-8023, vai 2141 Brunsink N.E.m Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.

Woman from Latvia charged in Adelaide pensioner’s death

Police in South Australia have arrested and charged a 34-year-old woman from Latvia in the alleged murder of an 83-year-old Adelaide area resident.

Angelika Gavare, a resident of the Christies Downs suburb of Adelaide, appeared Feb. 26 before the Adelaide Magistrates Court, according to Australian media reports. She is charged in the murder of pensioner Vonne McGlynn, who went missing in December from her home in the nearby suburb of Reynella.

Human remains were discovered Feb. 23 in the Christies Creek Reserve in Christies Downs, a South Australia Police spokesperson said. Two days later, police found a plastic bag containing a human torso.

“Police are still awaiting positive confirmation of the identity of the remains and it is expected that DNA results may be delivered soon,” the police spokesperson said. “However, preliminary identification of the remains indicates that they are those of the missing person Vonne McGlynn.”

Details of the charges against Gavare are still emerging. Although she apparently has lived in the area for about two years, she was not known in the local Latvian community, said Valdis Tomanis, Latvia’s honorary consul in Adelaide.

McGlynn was reported missing from her home on Dec. 2. Police on Dec. 29 declared her disappearance a major crime.

Detectives in the Major Crime unit are seeking information from members of the public who may have seen a person pushing a pram in early December in or near Christies Creek Reserve or on Scottsglade Street in Christies Downs. Anyone with further information is asked to telephone BankSA Crime
Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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