The song speaks of the ancient Latvians who we’ve sort of neglected these days. Raimonds Tiguls and Nora Ikstena, Dod, Dieviņi (God, Give) Enjoy the musical journey! Arvīds Barānovs, Photographer and Videographer, Eaglewood Pictures They’re people whose day-to-day is telling Latvia’s story through music, words, pictures or personal passion. I asked some locals to share an iconic song worth listening to to help understand the context of Latvia and its people, and fit into a Latvian crowd. If you identify with the sentiment, are moving to Latvia or live with a Latvian, this post aims to provide insight through song. I was grateful to my local colleagues for taking the time to explain the tradition. At public events like the Carnaval de Binche in Belgium I was a mere bystander, an onlooker trying to make sense of what was going on around me.
While living abroad again, I experienced first hand how the lack of these shared cultural experiences can make it hard to feel like you belong. Of course, as we got older, music became something through which we bonded and found likeminded people. Through it all we learnt about the Singing Revolution and other key moments in local history. That cultural education sure helped adapt to life in the ‘Land that sings’* when we eventually moved when I was seven.Īt school in Latvia we sang to mark special occasions, compulsory choir was a thing and we’d pick apart lyrics to find their hidden meaning. Through music, films and stories they, my grandparents and wider community raised me to be and identify as Latvian. I was born in Australia to Latvian parents.
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