Category: News

Singer Signija Taranenko with a stage name SIGNIA at the end of last year surprised with “Musical Advent Calendar” when she posted 24 Christmas song cover versions on her YouTube channel. Last week Signia presented her first original song “Where Are You”.

New singer from a small town works in a pharmacy as a pharmacist’s assistant for a couple of days a week, the rest of her time she spends singing. Currently active in a group “Carnelian” and sings as a back vocalist to Atis Auzans. Participates in a variety of musical projects and charity events cooperating with Pipars.lv and Palidzesim.lv.

About the song Signia says: “I wrote this song 2 years ago and then I was asked – who is it about? I said it certainly wasn’t about me. Time has passed, circumstances and events have changed my life a lot, and now I can associate this song with myself and finally sing it really out of my heart.”

The song is about love we’re waiting for, searching for and finding if we get lucky. If we don’t, we keep waiting and looking for “the one”. About dreams that we all want to come true, we give them up when it gets hard, and then believe them again meeting the right people. The song is about those who are searching. About You too. Whatever you’re looking for – love, happiness, inspiration or yourself – this is the story of not giving up.

The author of words and music is Signija Taranenko herself. In the recording work the points on “i”’s were placed by producer Kaspars Ansons, but producers who worked on it were Arturs Palkevics and Gaitis Lazdans. Video made by Eriks Saksons. Costume design – Ilze Kasa.

Pacific K offers the first single “Tranquil State of Mind” from their first full-length studio album “Light Between Oceans” to be released in autumn 2019.

The song tells a story of a man deep in the woods drifting between different worlds and different inner selves. It’s a mix of pure emotions, telluric energy and deep calm. The song opens up the world of the new album, leaving one curious for what’s to come. The band recorded and worked on the album with the sound engineer Talis Timrots at Mints Music Studio in Riga that has previously worked with artists such as Damien Rice, Ludovico Einaudi, as well as several Latvian bands, including Brainstorm, Satellites LV among others.

Playing together since 2016, the Latvian four-piece released their debut EP “Blue Fall” in April 2017 which gained them praise from careful listeners, as well as some local industry people. Inspired by artists such as Fink, Ben Howard, Nick Cave, The Barr Brothers, Sigur Rós among others and driven by the powerful songwriting of the frontman Kristaps Bedritis, Pacific K deliver captivating live performances. As reviews say:

“The original music of the band works as a magnet, leaving no one in the audience indifferent. It has an emotional grasp, mixing melancholy with rich, intense progressions.” – Berga Bazars Summer Festival

The band currently has 40+ gigs under their belt, including major festivals in Latvia (Positivus, Laba Daba, Playground, Piens Fest), shows in the Baltics and a few appearances at the global live concert series Sofar Sounds. In 2017 they opened for one of their influences – the British band Fink and have started 2019 with an appearance at a late-night show, as well as a couple of shared gigs with the British band Eyre Llew.

“I don’t know” was written in the period, when I got completely lost. To me personally, it is not just another break up song. It is more.

 “I don’t know” is about freedom. Freedom to be who you are, and freedom to accept yourself. Some time ago, I would only accept myself when I was winning. Would only love my body when I was in the best shape. Would only like my photos taken from a special angle, so that my face looks good, with make up on, building a perfect picture of a dream life for the outer world… So life taught me lessons. Failure after failure, which led to constant anxiety and frustration. I became a person, who couldn’t be loved or respected  by the “old me”.

So, when I had no other choice, I’ve learned my lesson. I’ve learned, that I actually deserve love and respect not for my success, or not because I look good at a certain picture, but because I am me. I don’t have to always win to be loved. Don’t have to satisfy everyone. I can actually love myself for nothing, even when I make mistakes, even when I don’t know what to do next, where to go.   

With “I don’t know” I want to mark the end of this chapter of frustration, and start a new one, a chapter full of freedom and self acceptance.  From now on, I do things not because of pressure I put on myself, not because “I am useless, so I have to become at least “someone”… Faster!” I do sports, because I love it, I sing and write songs, because I love it. I spend time alone, because I love it. I work with people who I like. I do all that, because I love myself and respect my needs and wishes. I deserve to be happy. I deserve love, as do you.”

Podruga, electropop project of singer Alise Stefanoviča and guitarist Ričards Dauksts, offers their latest creation – summery and sultry single „Make It Stop”.

The song is a call to stop limiting oneself, and to experience adventures, love and all the good things that come into life with real awareness of your desires instead. “The creation of the song itself was letting go of my old patterns of songwriting and production – it is evident in unexpectedly uplifting sound. Also, after a 10-year break, I have taken up flute again, which you can hear in this piece,” says Alise Stefanoviča. “We believe that „Make It Stop” will become a great soundtrack for summer adventures!”

Music video was created by audio-visual artists Diana Lelis and Marija Mickeviča (MNTHA). The song was recorded and engineered at studio “401” in collaboration with the well-known hip-hop producer Tablis (Toms Horsts).

Podruga began her musical activities in 2016. So far, three singles and a mini-album “YPA!” have been released, as well as many concerts have been performed, including at major Baltic music festivals

In the heat of the summer tour around the Baltic States “Very Cool People” together with the Latvian soul singer Kristine Prauliņa, releases a new single, “Come Along”, from the band’s new album “Caution! Contains Words!”

“Come Along” is the forth single from the band’s latest album “Caution! Contains Words!”. Prior to that VCP had already released “We Should Dance” with Kristīne Prauliņa; the second single from the album – “Pa Apli” – got into the Top 15 at the Latvian National Radio music poll “Muzikālā Banka 2018”, it was in the Top 20 of the most influential commercial radio in Latvia (Radio SWH) and has more than 450k views on YouTube at the moment; and the third single “This Mess” featuring Evilena Protektore.

“This is definitely the most summery song from our new album and it could definitely become a summer soundtrack for those who are planning to go on romantic trips or to attend the summer festivals” says VCP leader Elvijs Grafcovs 

The song – “Come Along” also features an animated lyric video made by the artist Raitis Kalniņš, who also created the group’s newest album “Caution! Contains Words!” visual design. 

The album “Caution! Contains Words!” features many guest appearances & blends together a sparkling cocktail of funk, soul, jazz, rock & hip-hop. Ten out of the album tunes were written by the band members themselves, and two are cover songs – “Let the Music Take Your Mind”, a tribute to the legendary R&B group “Kool & the Gang”, & “Going Down Slowly”, a homage to the great late music legend from New Orleans Allen Toussaint, who has inspired & influenced VCP.  This is the band’s sixth album so far: 2009 – self-titled debut, 2012 – Cruising In The Trolley, 2015 – Funkology, 2017 – Heya Some Kind Of Fish!…, 2018 – Snowman’s Express.

Latvian indie rock trio Carnival Youth release a new single and video “Only the Moon Can See the Sun” a week before the release of the new album “Good Luck”.

Carnival Youth member Emils Kaupers reveals that the song is about procrastination: “I believe everyone has those little things on their mind that you can’t get rid of and they prevent you from being truly happy. You want to deal with these things and resolve them but it’s easier to put them off again and again. This can drag on forever. It’s difficult to finally take the first step so this song serves as an encouragement to be brave”.

 The music video was shot in Aluksne, Latvia by directors Ieva Aleksejeva and Peteris Viksna. Peteris describes the video as follows: “The video plays on the connection between dreams and reality using the lyrics as a point of reference. We interpreted the lyrics of the song both literally and through various abstract associations of the words and the symbols hidden within them”. This is the second music video that Carnival Youth have filmed in Aluksne and this time biathlete from Aluksne Andrejs Rastorgujevs is in the video as well.

The upcoming album “Good Luck” will be available in CD and double vinyl. Limited edition vinyl will also be available. The album was recorded last summer in Red Bull Studios in Sao Paulo, Brazil and is produced by the band’s long-time collaborator Gatis Zakis. The album was mixed by Grammy winning producer Nicolas Verhnes and the master was done by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound in NYC.

Musician Chris Noah releases a new song called “Inside Out”, which is the last of the three-song set, which has been developed with the British produced Kristofer Harris.

The British producer visited Latvia in May of last year and in collaboration with the musician and companions recorded three songs. The first one published was “River”, which has been listened to more than 370 thousand times, the second one – “Fall Through” was the first single who also had a music clip. This song has gotten awareness not only from Latvian radio stations, but also from many foreign music bloggers and it got many fans in the Baltic radio tops.

The song “Inside Out” differs from the previous two, because the song has been in the making for many years – the main part of the song was written more than two years ago, but the rest was produced with Kristofer Harris in May of 2018. “Sometimes it happens like that – you develop a seemingly perfect melody for a song, but the rest of it does not come out naturally. In this case I had to wait for the right moment to get the inspiration to finish it.” Says the musician Chris Noah himself.

About the contents of the song Chris Noah says: “The song is about relationships with a person, who changes what he says, what he thinks and even denying what he said earlier. Everyone of us, at least once in our lives, meets a person like this with whom it is difficult to make plans with, because you never know what might happen tomorrow.”

Song co-author and co-producer is Chris Noah friend and musical companion Marcis Jukumsons-Jukumnieks. Also people who have been a part of the recording are guitarist Janis Kalnins, and drummer Jekabs Zemzaris.

The band’s new album is a mix of funk, jazz, soul, hip-hop and rock that still sounds like “Very Cool People”. There is no shortage of energy, joy of life, catchy riffs and melodies. Their new album consists of 12 compositions, of which only one is instrumental. That also explains the ironic title of the new album “Caution! Contains Words!”.

Ten out of the album tunes were written by the band members themselves, and two are cover songs – “Let the Music Take Your Mind”, a tribute to the legendary R&B group “Kool & the Gang”, & “Going Down Slowly”, a homage to the great late music legend from New Orleans Allen Toussaint, who has inspired & influenced VCP.

Very Cool People:  Oskars Ozoliņš – trumpet;  Māris Jēkabsons – tenor sax;  Laura Rozenberga – trombone.  Kristaps Lubovs – baritone sax;  Elvijs Grafcovs – guitar;  Māris Vitkus – organ, rhodes piano;  Valters Sprūdžs – bass;  Andris Buiķis- drums, percussion.  

The record features many guest appearances: Kristīne Prauliņa – vocals, Evilena Protektore – vocals, Ralfs Eilands – vocals, Maija Sējāne – vocals, MC Edavārdi – vocals, MC ansis – vocals, Hannah Horvath – vocals, Erika Székely – vocals, Andris Kauliņš – moog & synth.

The album is produced by the leader of the band and guitarist Elvijs Grafcovs, co-produced by Valters Sprūdžs. The album is mostly recorded at “Sound Division Studio” in Riga by Ivars Ozols, additional recordings were made in other studios in Latvia and Romania. Mixed & mastered by Jānis Kalve at Labo Ierakstu Studio (Riga, Latvia), except We Should Dance mixed by Jon Evans. Design & artwork by Raitis Kalniņš.

This is bands sixth album so far. In 2009 – self-titled debut, 2012 – Cruising In The Trolley, 2015 – Funkology, 2017 – Heya Some Kind Of Fish!…, 2018 – Snowman’s Express.

In 2019 summer VCP will be on the tour around festivals in Baltic States & Germany: 18th of May “Museum Night” (Liepaja, Latvia), 25th of May “Görlitz Jazz Festival” (Görlitz, Germany), 1st of June “Gaujas Svētki” (Ādaži, Latvia), 6th of July “Bliuzo Naktys”(Varniai, Lithuania), 13th of July “Tintes Svētki” (Valmiera, Latvia), 16th of July “Saulkrasti Jazz” (Saulkrasti, Latvia), 27th of July “Positivus” (Salacgrīva, Latvia), 2nd of August Augustibluus (Haapsalu, Estonia), 3rd of August Summersound (Liepaja, Latvia), 24th of August “Siauliai Jazz” (Siauliai, Lithuania).

Rigas Ritmi festival is the most loved improvisation, jazz and world music happening in Latvia at the very beginning of July. The stages are located at different spots in Riga featuring concerts by both – world-famous and young musical talents. It is already 19th year of the festival and this time it will celebrate 100 years of jazz in Europe.

“This year Rigas Ritmi celebrates 100 years since jazz arrival in Europe because in 1919 for the first time here performed Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Sissle & Blake Duo and Southern Syncopated Orchestra from New Orleans,” says artistic director of the festival Maris Briezkalns. “That was the beginning of jazz invasion in Europe. We are celebrating the century of jazz in Europe inviting great artists from New Orleans – Jon Cleary and Jamison Ross. They will not only perform but will hold master-classes as well. Everyone will be able to feel the aura which rules in the place where the jazz was born.”

So far on festival stages performed more than 550 artists from around the world. Rigas Ritmi is attended by more than 170 000 people thus festival has gained the status of a state-importance cultural event. Initially the festival took place once a year during the first week of every July, but in the last eight years it has expanded to additional Winter and Spring concert sessions.

Rigas Ritmi festival is a musical celebration in the very middle of Baltic States with performances of outstanding artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Diane Reeves, Take 6, Richard Bona, BBC Big Band, Patti Austin, Freddy Cole, The Yellowjackets, Victor Wooten, Buika, Jojo Mayer, Medeski Martin & Wood, Robert Glasper, Diane Schuur, Adam Ben Ezra as well as the greatest Latvian musicians and new talent from all around.

The idea of an international contemporary jazz and improvisation music festival in Riga in 2001 was initiated by Latvian jazz musician and producer Maris Briezkalns, who currently holds the position of the festival’s artistic director. Among the cornerstones of the festival are master-classes and seminars for young musicians held by world renowned masters. Every year young people, music teachers, journalists as well as others attend these happenings. One of the festival’s main objectives is to educate, both the audience and young musicians. Besides diverse concerts the festival also features jam sessions and workshops, where world-known musicians share their knowledge and experience to new talent, serving as inspiration and is the turning point for many young musicians in their careers. On this year’s festival the main acts will held the master-classes also, including the ones by Jon Cleary, Jamison Ross, Judith Hill, Paloma Pradal and Jonah Nilsson.

The main events of the festival will take place at the Riga Congress Hall including performances by the three-continent union of musicians “Freedoms Trio”, the prestigious Grammy prize holder from New Orleans Jon Cleary, amazing young talent and the winner of prestigious Thelonious Monk contest Jamison Ross, stellar powervocalist Judith Hill, French Flamenco artist Paloma Pradal and the new pride of Swedish music Jonah Nilsson. Special attention requires on 19 year old piano supertalent from China – winner of this year’s international young jazz artist contest “Riga Jazz Stage” A Bu also.

There will be free festival concerts available at the open-air venues “Egle” and “Origo Summer Stage” as well as jazz club “Trompete”, but everyone can enjoy great festival concerts at “VEF Jazz Club” and “OlainFarm Jazz Nights” happening at the club “Kalku varti” in the old town also.

We should stick to the traditions we like a lot. The organizers of the UNESCO-acknowledged International Jazz Day absolutely agree to this statement and keep on organizing the celebration for the sixth year in a row to make it happen in Latvia as well. In spite of the fact that the Jazz day itself happens on April 30th, in Latvia it will be celebrated from April 29th to May 2nd with a pre-party on April 18th.

According to what has already become a tradition, the first concert will be held in collaboration with A/S “Pasažieru vilciens” in a train. This time the selected train will go from Riga to Jelgava at 15:17 and from Jelgava to Riga at 16:29. You don’t need to buy the tickets for the concert, the concert is included in the ride with an ordinary train ticket. The trip will be made way more exciting by Evilena Protektore on vocals, Svens Vilsons on guitar and Artūrs Sebris on drums, playing, singing and telling the stories about jaz, hopefully joined by some other musicians as well.

Jazz Day in Latvia will for the first time be opened by a thematic photo exhibition of Arthur Dimenshtein “Jazz Faces” on April 29th at 20:00 in a musical bar-restaurant “Trompete” on Peldu street in the Old Riga. The same evening will feature a jam session with Edgars Rugājs trio. Dimenshtein has been doing photography for the last 20 years, and during the last 7 has captured Latvian jazz musicians as well. The artist is using a black and white film, which is yet better corresponding to the jazz world aesthetics. The exhibition will be open until the end of June.

The Jazz day always focuses on education, so on April 30th at 18:00 we’ll be invited to a concert at the Latvian Academy of Music — united big band of the aforementioned Academy and a Riga Dome Cathedral School with an Italian guitar player Francesco Guaiana soloing. The united big band features the best students of jazz departments of both educational institutions, and it’s lead by a saxophonist, flutist and composer Dāvis Jurka. Francesco Guaiana is an internationally acknowledged Italian guitar player, who has lived in the US for many years, actively playing and teaching at a prestigious Berklee college in Boston, but has returned to his homeland Italy and became one of the most sought-after guitar teachers in the country. The tickets cost 5 euros, and they can be bought by the entrance.

On April 30th at 19:00 “VEF JAZZ CLUB” series invites for the main concert of the Jazz day at the VEF Culture palace. One of the most bright Latvian bands “Jazzatomy” will be performing there together with a Danish-American charismatic double-bassist and vocalist Kristin Korb. She has surprised the jazz world with her non-typical nowadays romantic, light and danceable style of playing, as well as a crystal-clear voice. “Jazzatomy” is a modern Latvian jazz band, which sometimes performs in a full huge line-up, and that’s always based on its founders and composers Artjooms Sarvi (pianist) and Evilena Protektore (singer). In this concert the classical jazz combo line-up will be joined by a string quartet, turntable musician or DJ, as well as a hip-hop musician who masters Chilean ethnic instrument. Last year “Jazzatomy” released a CD “Colors of Summer”, which was nominated for the Latvian National Music Record award “Golden Microphone” as the best jazz, blues or soul album of 2018. The tickets to this concert are available at “Biļešu paradīze” ticket offices or bilesuparadize.lv.

One more concert on April 30, this time with a free entry, will be held in the Vecauces palace. A patriotically-harmonic performance of the program “Tautasdziesma” will start at 19:00 and played by the National Armed Forces orchestra big band. The new concert program was made by one of the leading Lithuanian jazz arrangers Rimantas Giedraitis, and it consists of Latvian folk songs.

On May 1st in the Kanepes Culture centre on Skolas street 15 in Riga a free workshop of a jazz double-bassist and vocalist Kristin Korb will take place, and at 20:00 it will be continued by a free jam session with a saxophonist Artūrs Sebris, pianist Artjoms Sarvi, drummer Krišjānis Bremšs and other musicians. Kristin is an active, traveling the world jazz artist and teacher, who was earlier on coordinating the vocal jazz education at the South California University, and has been a director of the jazz department in the Central Washington University. Now she resides in Copenhagen, Denmark.

And finally on May 2nd, at 19:00, at “Kinfield cafe” on Kr.Barona street 66/68 a jazz trio concert will be held, featuring a French-Tunisian saxophonist Yacine Boulares, Latvian pianist Krists Saržants and American double-bassist Rob Duguay. Boulares currently lives in New York and is an official endorser of brass instrument creator “D’Addario” and “Lebayle” mouthpieces. He isn’t limiting himself to jazz music only — for example, he has participated in the album recording of Placido Domingo!

Krists Saržants is a bright modern composer, inspired by jazz, as well as classical and cinema music. He has performed outside Latvia a lot, studied at the Latvian academy of Music and Aalborg, Denmark, last year was nominated for the Nic Gotham award for his contribution to Latvian jazz music. Born in Canada and grown up in USA, Rob Duguay now lives in New York, gives private lessons to young bassists and regularly performs together with musicians from all over the world, including Latvian artists as well. Table reservation by calling 24776096, 10 EUR for two persons; the entrance is free.

International Jazz Day became a UNESCO-acknowledged culture event in 2011. Its goal is to emphasise the importance of jazz genre and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the world. Jazz day events in Latvia are organized by “Wise Music Society”, an association that helps audience to discover new music, promising that it’s WISE or really good, and helps musicians to find some use to what they’re doing and to attract a wider audience to their art.