Amnesty International has condemned the decision by the Rīga City Council to ban a gay pride parade that had been scheduled July 22, while parade promoters have taken the matter to court.

The city council, citing security concerns, on July 19 denied a permit for “Riga Pride 2006,” setting in motion a potential repeat of events that occurred last year during the capital city’s first-ever gay pride parade.

Mozaīka, the nonprofit group organizing this year’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender event, has appealed the council’s decision to the Rīga District Administrative Court. The court is scheduled to consider the matter July 21.

The council’s decision was based on unspecified threats of violence from various extremist groups.

But Amnesty International questioned the council’s reasoning.

“The claims of Rīga City Council that security would not be able to be guaranteed to the participants of the march lacks credibility,” the London-based Amnesty Internation said in a press release, “considering that Latvian law enforcement agencies had the capacity to effectively ensure security during previous events of a similar or larger scale such as the 2006 ice hockey World Championships, and are expected to so during the November 2006 NATO summit in Rīga.”

The council also had received a petition signed by about 17,000 people demanding the city forbid the parade.

Last year, the city granted a permit for the parade, but the city manager—citing security concerns—subsequently canceled it. Parade organizers appealed to the administrative court, which ruled the city must re-issue the permit. The July 23, 2005, parade was marked by more anti-gay protestors than marchers.

Both pride event promoters and their opponents appear better organized this year. Mozaīka, a group formed following last year’s pride event, in April unveiled a new Web site, www.mozaika.lv. Meanwhlle, opponents have created a nonprofit group called NoPride and began the Web site www.nopride.lv.

Two singers from Latvia, both of whom work with the MICREC recording house in Rīga, are getting noticed in North America.

Russian singer Yana Kay, a veteran recording artist, has a video of her song “Tears In The Rain” appearing on Canada’s BPM TV dance music channel on cable and satellite television, according to a MICREC press release.

Yana Kay’s video came to the attention of the Canadian music channel thanks to the DVD The Best of Latvia, a May release showcasing 32 Latvian music videos from the past several years, MICREC explained.

Yana Kay has been involved in Latvia’s dance music scene for a number of years. She also teamed with Mārtiņš Freimanis and Lauris Reiniks to perform as F.L.Y., Latvia’s 2003 entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Since 1997, she has recorded 12 singles and albums.

The surrealistic, black-and-white music video also may be viewed on Yana Kay’s official Web site, www.yanakay.com.

Rock singer Detlefs (Uldis Dirnēns) and his new group Detlef’s Zoo are to have their song “So Cold” included in the soundtrack for a new American horror film, Cabras. The song will be among 20 to be part of the film directed by Fredy Polania, according to MICREC. The film is a production of Polania Pictures and Florida-based Carlson Entertainment.

The film is scheduled for release in 2007 and will be preceded by the release of music videos for all 20 songs, including “So Cold.”

Detlefs is one of several participants of the reality show “Talantu fabrika” to have seen commercial success. His first big hit was the song “Četras sienas” (Four Walls). In 2004, he formed the group Detlef and released the debut album Tu Izliecies par sevi on the MICREC label.

At the beginning of this year, the group was reformed as Detlef’s Zoo. Besides Detlefs on lead vocals,  the band includes Martins Millers on bass, Marks Ameriks on drums and Kaspars Ansons on guitar. The band is expected to release a new album at the end of the year.

“So Cold” was recorded in England.

For further information on the band, visit its official Web site, www.detlef.lv. For further information about the Cabras project, visit www.cabrassoundtrack.com.