Nominees named for Latvian Music Recording Award

Andris Straumanis | 

The 2008 nominees for the Latvian Music Recording Award (Latvijas Mūzikas Ierakstu Gada Balva) have been announced by the Latvian Music Producers Association, and ex-president Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga is among them.

Vīķe-Freiberga’s album Vairas dziemsas is up for the best folk album award, contending against four other records.

The biggest competition this year, the producers association said in a Jan. 8 press release, will be in the best pop album category, where some of the biggest names are nominated. Best pop album nominees are Linda Leen for Chameleon, Intars Busulis for KINO, Igo for Spēle, Cosmos for Turbulence and Prāta vētra for Tur kaut kam ir jābūt.

This is the 13th year that the Latvian Music Recording Award program is being organized. Winners will be announced during a live television broadcast Feb. 24.

Best rock album nominees are Z-Scars for Tieši sirdī, Detlef Zoo for If It Makes Us Happy, Dons for Lelle, Leģions for Nekad nesaki nekad and Ēnas for Ēnas.

Song of the year nominees are Linda Leen for “Chameleon,” Cosmos for “Tu kā, es kā,” Intars Busulis for “Brīvdiena,” Dzelzs vilks for “Uijā uijā nikni vilki” and Prāta vētra for “Ja tikai uz mani tu paskatītos.”

Best folk music album nominees are Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga and other for Vairas dziesmas, Dzelzs vilks for Uijā uijā nikni vilki, the Latvian Radio Choir for Skaisti dziedi,
Vilkači for Ko kundziņi, and Jānis Kurševs and Iveta Romancāne for Vilnis Salaks: Latviešu tautas dziesmu apdares.

Best academic music album nominees are the State Academic Choir Latvija for No Baltijas krasta, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra for Romualds Kalsons: Instrumentālie koncerti,
the Rīga Dome Boys Choir and Collegium Musicum Rīga for J.S.Bach: Choral Motets & Organ Compositions, Dzintra Erliha for Zvaigznes skatiens and Shady Brass Q for Latvian Composers.

Best instrumental, theater or film music album nominees are Juris Kulakovs and others for Ētera odējs, Artis Gāga for Tumša nakte, zaļa zāle, Gunārs Rozenbergs and the Mirage Jazz Orchestra for My Favourite Things, Imants Ziedonis and Raimonds Tiguls for Epifānijas, and Ingus Ulmanis, Rūta Muktupāvela and others for Čuņčiņa dienas un nakts grāmata.

Best alternative music album nominees are Imants Daksis for Tu esi dziļa, EXIT for Ticket to Paradise, Jana Hermann for Disco Discovert, Lidojošais paklājs for Lidojošais paklājs and The Briefing for Funny Thoughts.

Best children’s album nominees are Aisha, Niks Matvejevs and Knīpas un knauķi for Pifa piedzīvojumi, the Rīga Dome Choir School’s Girls Choir and Instrumental Group for Gribas drusku pablēņoties, Inese Kučinska and others for Kaspars Vecvagars: Diegabundža, and various artists for Lāčuka dziesmas 2.

Best dance music album nominees are Roberts Lejasmeijers for Restaurācija, Brīvdiena for Mākoņi baltie, Forte for Laika upe and Ella for Welcome to the Club.

Best schlager album nominees are Normunds Rutulis for Vēlreiz mājās, various artists for 11 stāsti par laimi, various artists for Mana dziesma Latvijai, Baltie lāči for Līdz rudenim and Guntis Skrastiņš and No 1/2 vārda for Ķeizarkroņi.

Best country album nominees are Aldis Rullis and Emburgas zēni for Pavasara logs, Klaidonis for Labāko dziesmu izlase and Sestā jūdze for Kalendārs.

Best music video nominees are Detlef Zoo for “So Cold,” Detlef Zoo for “Love Town,” 
Prāta vētra for “Ja tikai uz mani tu paskatītos,” Jana Hermann for “Revolution” and Ella for “Shine Like a Superstar.”

Best concert video nominees are Raimonds Pauls and Latvia’s youth choirs for Raimonds Pauls: Dziedāšanas svētki ‘08, Various artists for Liepājas dzintars, Prāta vētra for Tur kaut kam ir jābūt koncerts Mežaparkā, and Mikus Roze, Arta Kaņķele and Knīpas un knauķi for Reiz bija…

Debut of the year nominees are Āķis (Kaspars Jansons) for the album Lūpā, Shady Brass Q for the album Latvian Composers, Dzintra Erliha for the album Zvaigznes skatiens, Jana Hermann for the album Disco Discovert, and Rihards Zaļupe and others for the album Marimba Dance.

Also to be awarded is the top radio hit of 2008 and the lifetime achievement honor.

For more on the competition, and to see past winners, visit www.gadabalva.lv.

Gada balva

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

Citing health, culture minister Demakova resigns

Andris Straumanis | 

Saying her health prevents her from participating in the political process, Latvia’s Minister of Culture Helēna Demakova has submitted her resignation to Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis.

Demakova has served as culture minister since 2004. She submitted her resignation Jan. 12.

A founding member of the People’s Party (Tautas partija), Demakova has tapped actor Juris Žagars to be her replacement. In a press release announcing her resignation, Demakova said her replacement “must be a person with a national and politically conservative presence,” but should also have authority in the cultural sector and experience in culture management. If party leaders agree, they would nominate Žagars to the prime minister.

Demakova has been diagnosed with a bone infection.

Demakova’s resignation came after President Valdis Zatlers criticized as “amoral” a decision to sign a LVL 6.77 million contract for design of a new concert hall at a time of government belt-tightening.

The contract was signed by the state agency Jaunie Trīs brāļi, part of the Ministry of Culture. Formed in 2005, the agency has been responsible for the planning, design and construction of the new Latvian National Library, the Rīga Concert Hall and the Museum of Contemporary Art. The same day Demakova handed in her resignation, the ministry also announced that the Jaunie Trīs brāļi agency will be liquidated and its functions given over to the Ministry of Finance.

Construction of the library, known as the “Gaismas pils” project, continues, but construction of the concert hall has been put off until at least 2011. The art museum is still being planned.

Work on the three projects is one of the achievements of her time in office, Demakova said in the press release. During her tenure, she said, the cultural sphere in Latvia has grown from an “orphan” and “beggar” to one that receives funding that is in keeping with being a European nation.

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

Demonstration to press for Saeima’s dissolution

Andris Straumanis | 

A demonstration to demand that President Valdis Zatlers dissolve Latvia’s parliament is scheduled Jan. 13 in Rīga’s Dome Square, while the nation’s Security Police is investigating an Internet-based call for the violent overthrow of the government.

The demonstration is being organized by Sabiedrība citai politikai, a political party led by Aigars Štokenbergs and Artis Pabriks, as well as other groups.

“We ask all of Latvia’s patriots to come to the Dome Square on Jan. 13 to show that we are concerned about our nation’s future, justice and democracy,” organizers state on a Web site promoting the demonstration, www.tavabalss.lv. The two-hour demonstration is to start at 17:30 hours local time.

The call for the demonstration, reminiscent of the “umbrella revolution” protests of late 2007, comes as the public’s unhappiness with the Latvian government has risen with the country’s deepening economic crisis.

It is not the first time Zatlers has been asked to dissolve parliament and call for new elections. Under Latvia’s constitution, the president may call for the dissolution of the Saeima. A national referendum must then be held. If the referendum succeeds then the parliament is dissolved, but if it fails then the president must step down.

In August, voters failed to pass a referendum on a constitutional amendment that would have allowed citizens the right to call for a dismissal of the parliament. Although turnout fell short of what was needed, those who did vote were overwhelmingly in favor of the amendment. That led Zatlers to call on the Saeima to approve such an amendment on its own, but the parliament has yet to consider a bill.

Amid efforts to promote the Jan. 13 demonstration, an unnamed individual or individuals have suggested that a violent overthrow of the government is needed, too. Under a headline of “4.atmoda ir klāt” (The Fourth Awakening Has Arrived!), a call to action posted last week on several Web sites explains how to make a Molotov cocktail and tells readers to throw them at the Saeima building.

The State Security Police is investigating the Web postings, the Apollo portal reported Jan. 9. At least two of three Web sites carrying the message had been blocked by the morning of Jan. 12.

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