Author: macha

On the 21st of March, jazz-funk band “Very Cool People” together with MC’s Edavardi, Ansis and the Latvian soul music diva Kristine Prauliņa are releasing a new album – “Koncertprogramma Pa Apli”.

In Tamsta VCP will perform music from their new album, as well as tracks from their previously released albums “Caution! Contains Words”(2019) & “Heya Some Kind Of Fish!…”(2017). In October 2019, the last time Very Cool People played in Tamsta, the club was packed &  there were 9 musicians on stage at once, but this time there will be 13 musicians on Tamsta’s stage: Edavārdi – MC, vocal;  Ansis – MC, vocal;  Kristīne Prauliņa – vocal;  Elvijs Grafcovs – guitar;  Māris Jēkabsons – tenor sax;  Kristaps Lubovs – bariton sax;  Laura Rozenberga – trombone;  Oskars Ozoliņš – Trumpet;  Māris Vitkus – keyboards;  Andris Kauliņš – keyboards;  Jānis Olekšs – bass; Andris Buiķis – drums & special guest MC – Jama (Lithuania).

“As we are the two last nations from the Baltic Language group we should start to understand each other better & I believe it can be best achieved through music. In this concert you will hear Latvian, Lithuanian, English & most likely some Spanish coming from the stage & the most important unification tool – music! Currently, hip hop in national languages is on its way to conquer Europe. Good examples include the Ukrainian hip hop queen Alyona Alyon and the all-female Icelandic band Reykjavíkurdætur.”, says Elvijs about the upcoming concert.

With a solid backbone in jazz, funk and soul, incorporating influences from surf, klezmer, rock and hip-hop, Very Cool People have been putting jazz & funk back on the dancefloor since 2007. Hailing from Riga, Latvia, the band has lit up clubs and festivals from Estonia to Romania, from Spain to South Korea. Always open to new experiments, Very Cool People have collaborated with plenty of guest artists from a bunch of countries. Even if they are a live band more than anything else, they have six studio albums behind their belt, well-received critically and nominated for awards as well.

The band will present the album in Riga on the 28th of March with a grand concert in Riga’s new hottest concert hall “Hanzas Perons”. A special guest from Lithuania – MC Jama – will join VCP in Riga, so the Latvian audience will get a chance to hear hip-hop in Lithuanian as well. A performance by the scratch master DJ Aspirins will be VCP’s opening act in Riga.

25-year-old Latvian artist Chris Noah, who gracefully combines indie-rock with catchy pop, released a new EP “Distance”. His silky timbre, gripping melodies and relatable lyrics have made him highly popular in his homeland, but now he is ready to conquer the world.

Chris has been surrounded by music from an early age – his father is a musician and mother a singing tutor. One could say his future was set in stone before he could even walk. But when Noah was younger he didn’t care much for music, and focused more on sports. At the age of 17 he re-discovered the guitar.

By the time he was 20, Chris and his brother had recorded his first single “Had It All”, which became an instant hit on the Latvian radios. A year later, his second single “You” won an award from Latvian Authors Society for one of the most played tracks of 2016.

Today, Chris Noah released his new EP “Distance”. It contains four tracks, produced in collaboration with London-based producer Kristofer Harris. According to Chris this album is special: “For the first time, not all the songs are about my own life, I have observed more – my friends and other people surrounding me”, he explains.

“When we had the basic production done for the tracks, Kristofer flew to Riga and we started to record and finalize the songs. I was writing lyrics as we were producing the tracks, and it was the most challenging thing I’ve done in my career so far. We recorded four tracks in 11 days, and I am also really glad that all my bandmates have played on this EP,” Noah adds.

The first single off the new EP, “The Line”, was released on January 17th and got an  impressive radio airplay in Latvia. The song was written together with Noah’s keyboardist Marcis Jukumsons-Jukumnieks, whose partnership Chris greatly appreciates: “Marcis has a completely different approach to creating harmonies than I do. It’s a very creative process when his harmonies meet mine.”

Spring is finally here even though it took a different turn this year, and singer Markus Riva marks the arrival of the season with new music. From April 9, his new single “Vienmēr” (Always) is available on all streaming platforms, the result of a fresh musical collaboration.

“Spring is my favourite season ­– I always feel a huge rush of energy, which gets my creative juices flowing. This year is no exception; on the contrary, there is more time than ever for creative endeavours. As a result, an uplifting spring song in Latvian was born; I hope it will be a source of positivity in these troubled times,” says Markus.

The song “Vienmēr” was created in collaboration with Roberts Pētersons who is also the author of the song and initiated this partnership. Work in the studio wrapped up before state of emergency in Latvia was declared, and both musicians swiftly found a common language and are very happy with the result.

Roberts Pētersons: “When I was writing this song, I quickly realized that Markus Riva would be a perfect fit for it, and I was extremely pleased he agreed to work with me. Markus knows what a good pop song needs – he brought his own ideas to the recording session and truly made the song his own. I am convinced that listeners will enjoy it, and it will be a great addition to Markus’ repertoire in Latvian.”

Just like his colleagues, Markus is currently looking for new ways to be next to his fans during social distancing ­– with virtual conversations and support for those in self-isolation, online gigs, musical surprises in Latvian and Russian, and special streaming playlists. He continues to work on on-going projects, and it is already clear that the song “Vienmēr” won’t remain the only musical collaboration this year.

A new fashion collection by Markus Riva, inspired by car racing, is out too. It is devoted to Markus’ grandfather whose life went hand in hand with this sport ­– the new arrivals are already available online at luckyonestore.com.

While real face-to-face parties are off limits, partying online has never seemed like a better idea – Markus Riva invites all party animals to the PURE POP DISCO global party! Join us tomorrow, April 24, LIVE from FANTADROM.

Dance hits, an interactive live chat, unique go-go dancers, tips for choosing the best drinks and snacks for the night, special guests from around the globe, a chance to vote for the best dance, contests, prizes and impressive technological solutions – join, dance, watch, relax!

Everyone will keep a safe distance at the event. The event will be hosted in Latvian, English and Russian.

Tickets to “MARKUS RIVA INVITES – PURE POP DISCO VIRTUAL PARTY” are available at Biļešu Serviss ticket store online – ticket prices start from 5 EUR. Join us LIVE on April 24 at 19:00 here.

PURE POP DISCO live stream is brought to you by  “UNTITLED originals” in cooperation with “Markus Riva Music” and conference hall Fantadroms.

The Latvian Soul, r&b band “Kristine Praulina & The Soulful Crew” in collaboration with Riga Gospel choir releases a single called “Mountains” and a video of it’s recording process. It’s the first single of their upcoming album. “Mountains” is now available on all the major music streaming platforms.

In 2018 Kristine Praulina’s dream of her own music came to life as she created the band that is now called “Kristine Praulina & The Soulful Crew”. The band has five members – Toms Mikāls (piano), Jānis Kalniņš (guitar), Valters Sprūdžs (bass), Kaspars Kurdeko (drums) and Kristine Praulina (vocals) and it performs original soul, r&b, singer songwriter, blues influenced music.

“Mountains” is the first single from the  band’s upcoming first full-length album. The song tells a story of a search for Light in the time of darkness, the power of faith and the beauty that comes from a heart filled with gratitude. Kristine says: “I wish that this song would be an encouragement in these peculiar and trying times – to stop for a moment and listen to the inner quiet, to hear your own voice and the voice of God. It is this eternal perspective and peace of heart that can give us true and lasting joy in our everyday lives and as the song says – it can “move mountains inside our souls”.

“Mountains” was written specifically for Riga Gospel choir for Kristīne has been a part of the choir since 2003 and is currently it’s musical director. Riga Gospel choir is where Kristine’s musical journey began. Kristine about her love of gospel music: “I fell in love with gospel music at the age of 12 and it still moves me deeply every time I sing or hear it. We (RGC) have been dreaming of our own music for some years now and this is our first leap in that direction. I couldn’t be more excited about this release for it unites my two main musical passions – soul and gospel music and let’s our work with The Soulful Crew and Riga Gospel choir flourish”.

“Mountains” (music and lyrics, vocal and choir arrangements) was written by Kristine Prauliņa and these are her first steps songwriting in gospel music genre. The instrumental arrangement was created together with the band. The song was recorded in “Mint” studio in Riga, Latvia in January 2020. Studio and mixing engineer – Toms Lisments. Mastered by Tom Woodhead (GBR). Video made and edited by Reinis Janulis.

Kristine Praulina has been on the Latvian jazz music scene since 2013 when she won the International Jazz Vocalist competition “Riga Jazz Stage”. She has been actively working as a soloist in Latvia and abroad with bands like the Latvian Radio Big Band, funk band “Very Cool People”, “Alaska Dreamers” and many more ever since. She has recorded two studio albums with the legendary Latvian Maestro Raimonds Pauls. In 2018 “Kristine Praulina & The Soulful Crew” was born. That same year the band released an EP called “A Warmer October” with four freshly written songs. In 2019 they released a song in Latvian called “Kopā”, along with a video.

Riga Gospel choir is an active perfomer in the Latvian music scene since 2006. The choir has performed all over Latvia and in Norway, Estonia, Great Britain, Germany and other European countries, as well as the USA (Chicago, New York, New Orleans and more). Riga Gospel choir performed with the Grammy winner, gospel super star Donald Lawrence in Riga, Latvia in 2019. They’ve had collaborations with Karen Gibson (creator and musical director of Great Britain’s “Kingdom Choir”) and gospel greats Cynthia Nunn, Malcolm Williams, Walter Owens and Terry Moore for the USA. Riga Gospel choir has won two gold medals in the World Choir games.

Classical music hooligans DAGAMBA, in collaboration with the talented emerging singer Patrisha, releases a new single and video Stāvēt Tuvāk. It is a story about boarder abolishment, mutual unity un humanity against each other, that is especially important during social and physical distancing because spiritual values come first.

The leader of DAGAMBA and author of the music, Valters Pūce, tells: “To be honest, musical framework was created approximately one and a half year ago, and the initial idea was to depict the charm and uniqueness of coexistence of different cultures. Patrisha’s contribution allots topicality to our collaboration during self-isolation era, when it is more important than ever not to lose mutual humanity against each other.”

The video, directed by Dace Pūce, focuses on the same idea – even though we are asked not to go outside our homes without necessity, life goes on, musicians perform at home with their families, and  dream about the time, when empty streets will be filled with everyday hustle again and the world will return to its usual rhythm.

“This song was created at a strange time, when physical being around each other is forbidden, but is also  crucial to all of us. The message of “Stāvēt tuvāk”, just like the world around me, changed rapidly during its writing, but it seems that now it has become especially relevant. I am very happy and honored for this beautiful collaboration with DAGAMBA,” explains Patrisha.

Song available on digital streaming platforms

Along with blossoming cherry trees, “Audrú” wants to delight the audience with an upbeat song – “Mother Love”.

The song starts out serene, then becomes uplifting and creates an inspiring mood. Friends who have already heard “Mother Love” say that it talks about everything that is important. Maybe that’s why the song is a perfect soundtrack for these sophisticated times. It reminds us that we can always choose to see the good or simply not to notice it.

The song also has a video that captures moments from the adventures shared together in the recent years – inspiring trips, fun birthdays, rehearsals, walks in the rain and picnics by the sea. The video is like a journey through heartfelt memories while all we can do is wait until we can meet again.

Currently, the band is also working on their debut EP called “The Lighthouse Trilogy”. One of the songs from the album – “Over”, is already available to listeners.

“Audrú” – a bunch of friends – Ieva, Gita, Jurģis and Artūrs have been playing together for more than 3 years. Since then the band has crafted their own sound, for which they, jokingly, have coined the term “May-flower Grunge”. It features elements of indie-rock, indie-pop, American folk and vibes from music of the 90’s.

“Mother Love” was recorded and mixed at Hodila Records studio in Valmiera, Latvia, in the beginning of 2020. You can listen to other Audrú songs on the most popular music streaming sites.

Frontiers Music Srl is proud to announce that Latvian hard rockers Bloody Heels will release their new album, “Ignite The Sky” on July 10, 2020. Today, the band has premiered the first single and video from the album, ‘Criminal Masterminds’.

“”Ignite the Sky” has some pretty heavy songs, but at the same time there’s plenty of melodic stuff, harmonies and big choruses. I like to call this album “Dark AOR”, haha! We managed to blend everything we love about music, to be honest. But one thing is for sure, we’ve never felt such a strong connection with the songs before,” says singer Vicky White of the upcoming album.

Regarding the first single, White continues, “”Criminal Masterminds” is definitely one of our heaviest songs to date. It was also one of the last songs we wrote for the album, just a month or so before we headed to the studio. Me and Harry were waiting on the other guys in our rehearsal room, messing around with some different guitar tunings and came up with the main riff. Then Gus and Gunn came and the rest is history. It’s one of those songs that came together in just a couple of hours. We wanted to release this song as the first single because I think that it captures what Bloody Heels is about now. It’s a bit heavier and more in your face, but still quite melodic, with a big chorus and lots of harmonies. It’s quite different from anything what we’ve done before, but doesn’t abandon who we are.”

Latvian hard rockers Bloody Heels recently joined the Frontiers label’s rapidly expanding pool of young talent and one listen to their debut album will easily explain why the label HAD to sign them up. With nods to the great ‘80s hard rock scene, but also bordering on heavy metal (listen to those kicks drums on first single ‘Criminal Masterminds’), this band is a delightful mix of catchy and driving. With a great whisky-soaked sounding throat, vocalist Vicky White provides the perfect voice for the thunder and lightning that guitarist Harry Rivers, bassist Gunn Everett, and drummer Gus Hawk are raining down upon us.

Formed in 2012 in Riga, Latvia, Bloody Heels have a musical style that could be best described as a sort of missing link between Crashdïet and Crazy Lixx, with heavier elements like early W.A.S.P. and Kissin’ Dynamite. The band  have already made a name for themselves with the EP  ‘Summer Nights’ (2014) and the album ‘Through Mystery’ (2017). They’ve played shows all around Europe including Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, and the Baltic States.

The first ‘DELFI digiConcert” will take place on Wednesday, 20th May at 21:00 (EEST Time) and will offer a live performance from “Carnival Youth”. The show will be available via Bilesu Paradize website.

The band has prepared a special programme for the live broadcast, calling it “Reconnected”. The show will be around an hour long and after the performance, Latvian hip-hop artist Eduards Gorbunovs aka Edavārdi will join the musicians for an informal chat.

Tickets to the online show can be purchased via “Bilesu paradize” online shop. Pre-sale tickets (until 19th May) cost 6 EUR, but tickets purchased on the day of the event (20th May) will cost 8 EUR. One ticket is valid for one connection to the broadcast via one smart device. If you purchase a ticket for 9 EUR, you will get access to the live broadcast as well as a recording of the show that you can watch 72 hours after you activate your unique code.

The concert is organised in response to the national and global restrictions on live shows, festivals and other events. Artists are now sharing their work free of charge via social networks, so “Delfi” calls on the public to take a step forward and remember, that social distancing is not a reason to demand free of charge high quality culture in which knowledge, creative energy and time has been invested.

“Carnival Youth” comment: “The state of emergency was announced around the time when we were preparing to leave for our European tour, hence we had to cancel all our shows. This will be a great opportunity for us to reach the fans that we were supposed to see during our spring tour as well as a good encouragement to those who are longing for live shows. The name of this online show is “Reconnected” – it’s a reunion after a lost connection. As the show is intended for fans everywhere in the world, the program will mainly be in English, but we will definitely play a song or two in Latvian as well. Let’s stay together through a virtual touch!”

“Carnival Youth” is an indie rock band from Latvia, which made its debut in 2011, gaining recognition both at home and abroad. The band consists of twins Edgars (guitar, vocals) and Emīls (drums, vocals) Kaupers, Roberts Vanags (keyboard, vocals) and Kristiāns Kosītis (bass). Carnival Youth debut album “No Clouds Allowed” was released in October 2014 and was awarded as the best debut at the Latvian Annual Recorded Music Awards “Golden Microphone”. The band have received “The European Border Breakers Award” at Eurosonic 2016.

The concert is created in cooperation with sound and light rental company “GaCo”, LED screen rental company “VPT Group” and live broadcasting company “No Limits”.

Tickets