Sweden’s foreign minister, the Latvia-born Laila Freivalds, has resigned amidst criticism of her reaction to an extremist group’s Web site running cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad, the government announced March 21.

Freivalds appeared in a brief press conference with Sweden’s Prime Minister Göran Persson to explain the resignation. Deputy Prime Minister Bosse Ringholm will take over temporarily until a new foreign minister is named.

Criticism of Freivalds had escalated in Sweden in the weeks since early February, when she strongly condemned SD-Kuriren, a far-right newspaper, for running the cartoons as a response to reaction caused by Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten and its publication in September of 12 caricatures of the prophet, whose depiction is generally prohibited under Islamic law.

“I will defend freedom of the press no matter what the circumstances, but I strongly condemn the provocation by SD-Kuriren,” Freivalds said in a Feb. 9 statement. “It displays a complete lack of respect.”

Shortly thereafter, a Foreign Ministry official contacted the hosting company on which the SD-Kuriren Web site was located and asked to shut it down. Freivalds initially denied knowing anything about the action, but documents showed that she had been informed, according to Radio Sweden.

Sweden’s constitution forbids government interference in the media.

Freivalds also was criticized for Sweden’s response to the December 2004 Asian tsunami. About 500 Swedish citizens died in the natural disaster that left nearly 230,000 dead or missing.

Freivalds, born in Rīga in 1942, became foreign minister in 2003. She replaced Anna Lindh, who died after being stabbed in a Stockholm department store. Freivalds earlier served twice as Sweden’s justice minister.

The latest compact disc from the post-folklore group Iļģi, released this month, features 12 songs about weddings, the recording studio UPE has announced.

Titled Ne uz vienu dienu (Not for Just a Day), the album focuses on one of the central rites of Latvian folk tradition. UPE notes that of the three major rites—name-giving or baptism, marriage, and one’s funeral—the wedding is the only one a person experiences consciously. It is not only a happy occasion, but also serious and laden with responsibility.

Guests artists on the album are Rūta Muktupāvela, wife of noted folklorist Valdis Muktupāvels, and Ugandan-American musician Samite.

This is the 10th album by Iļģi. Last year’s Totari, a collection of winter solstice songs, just won an award for best Latvian folk music recording of 2005.

For further information, visit www.upe.lv.

Pop-rock group Prāta Vētra (Brainstorm) came up big during the 10th annual Latvian Music Industry Awards on March 10 in the recently opened Arena Riga, winning four awards for its Četri krasti (Four Shores) album.

The band won all but one of the categories in which it was nominated. Prāta Vētra won awards for best rock song (”Četri krasti”), best rock album (Četri krasti), best music video (“Thunder Without Rain”) and best live concert video of 2005 (Četri krasti koncerts Mežaparkā).

The only category the band didn’t win was for best radio hit, but that didn’t seem to bother the group members, because after winning the fourth award of the evening, singer Renārs Kaupers remarked to rookie hip-hop group Borowa MC that good things don’t come in threes, but in fours. This was in direct reference to the three awards that Borowa MC picked up during the evening.

The new group from the province of Latgale won awards for best hip-hop song (“Vysskaistuokajai meitiņai”), best hip-hop album (Trepis iz nakurīni) and best debut (Trepis iz nakurīni).

Awards for best pop album (K.U.) and best pop song (“Pekinā ir auksti”) went to the duo U.K., Roland Ūdrītis and Egons Kronbergs, who both are members of the group Hobos.

Kronbergs received a third award for his work with the folklore group Iļģi, which won for best contemporary folk music album for Totari.

The evening ceremony included some surprises. The popular a capella group Cosmos, which will represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest, didn’t receive any awards. Likewise, the alternative music group Double Faced Eels came up empty-handed.

Between the presentation of the awards a good cross section of Latvian music was performed by various groups and singers. Prāta Vētra finished off the show with its latest single, “Lapsa.” After the concert, a banquet was held for the participants of the show and invited guests. —Raitis Freimanis in Rīga