A first-of-its-kind DVD of a folk dancing concert by Latvia’s oldest ensemble, Līgo, has been released by the Rīga-based recording company MICREC.

The DVD was filmed June 18 during the ensemble’s 60th anniversary concert, “Līgo motīvi,” in the Dzintari concert hall in Jūrmala, MICREC announced in an Aug. 15 press release.

Līgo was founded in 1945 and is led by choreographer Jānis Purviņš.

The DVD showcases 35 folk dances performed by a total of 87 dancers. Four different dance programs are represented, including traditional Latvian dances, modern dances, dances tied to the theme of Midsummer (the Latvian festival of Jāņi) and dances performed to the music of popular composer Raimonds Pauls. The DVD includes explanatory text in Latvian and English as well as bonus video of scenes of Rīga and the Latvian Institute’s promotional clip, “Welcome to Latvia.”

The DVD is recorded in the PAL format, according to MICREC.

Its second compilation of Latvian hardcore, punk and ska music is available for download as a do-it-yourself compact disc, the youth culture portal HC.LV has announced.

The Latvia-based portal, recently reborn after being unavailable for several months, announced Aug. 15 that release of HC.LV Compilation, Vol.2 follows on the success of the first compilation released in 2004.

The second compilation includes 10 tracks from the groups Butter In Fly, Cacophonics, Catapulta, Emanon, More Than Talking and Reaching Bravo. The first compiliation, still available on the Web site, has 22 tracks.

The portal, project coordinator Deniss Fedotovs said in a press release, went online in 2000 and continued until the end of 2004, when it temporarily ceased operation.

The recordings are available for download from HC.LV.

A new postage stamp commemorating the life of Pope John Paul II, who visited Latvia in 1993, will be released by the Latvian Post Office beginning Aug. 14.

The 15-santīm stamp shows the late pope with St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City in the background. A total of 1.8 million stamps were printed in Austria.

The pope, known earlier as Karol Wojtyla, was born in 1920 and died in April of this year. He served as pope from 1978 until his death.

First day covers and cancellations will be available Aug. 14 at the Basilica of Aglona in Latgale province, coinciding with the culmination of the annual pilgrimmage to Aglona by Catholics and others from throughout Latvia.