Traditional 1930's music from Latvia
The worlds only Anglo-Latvian Zydecajun Ceilidh Band
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Check out the new Schlagerlouts album Kā saukt daudzpusīgu muzīkālu grupu kura spēj izlaist ēterā Cajun Zydeko raitās ritmas, ar vietējo liriskumu izdziedāt angļu tautas dziesmas, vilkt vieglu valsi, pumpēt polku un vēl ar kaislīgu tango tricināt klausītāju sirds stīgas? Grupas vārds mainās ar mūzikas žanru ko tā izvēlas spēlēt: Ock’n’Dough, Doughboy Zydecajun un, jaunākais nosaukums, Schlagerlouts! Tieši Schlagerlouts nosaukums atspoguļo grupas pievēršanos latviešu 1930.gadu šlāgeru dziesmām. Grupas vadītājs, Jānis Zaķis un viņa māsa, Dace Fisher, uzauga Anglijā, kur latviešu ‘trimdīšu’ ballītēs šīs meldījas un dziesmas iesūcās viņu asinīs un atmiņās. Grupa sastāv no vadītāja Jāņa Zaķa (akordions, dzied), no Jo Zaķes (saksafons), Daces Fisher (perkusijas instrumenti), Bob Fisher (ieviņas, ģitāre un dzied) un Robin Hillman (vijole). Šī iecienītā grupa ir ļoti pazīstama un pieprasīta savā apgabalā, Northamptonšīrē, bet ir krietni daudz arī ceļojusi spēlējot festivālos, svinībās, ballēs un ir arī turnijā izbraukājusi Latviju. |
The Schalgerlouts – Re-creating the authentic sound of a 1930’s Eastern European dance hall in Latvia, with a Cajun twist. Expect Perky Polkas ,Whirling Waltzes and Tempestuous Tangos. Another incarnation of popular Northamptonshire folk group Ock ‘n’ Dough are the the Schlagerlouts. When the Ock’n’Dough boys and girls aren’t singing traditional Northamptonshire material or appearing in their Cajun/Zydeco guise – Doughboy Zydecajun- they are getting it down with the Latvian community playing at parties and balls all over the UK as well as touring Latvia. Why? Because band members and brother and sister, Janis and Dace, are from a Latvian ethnic background and the rest of the band have been sucked into this rich cultural tradition. Schlager music (schlager from the German for ‘hit’ hence ‘hit song’ or what us Brits would call ‘pop music’) is characterised by sentimental lyrics and lilting melodies (some would say cheesy!) which were easy to dance to, typically waltzes and polkas. Popular throughout Germany, northern and eastern Europe, the accordion is the instrument most readily associated with this music style. In Latvian schlager music much inspiration was taken from German songs, translated into Latvian but there was also a melding of Latvian folk music into the schlager style. At its’ peak in the inter war years, during the first period of Latvian independence (1920 – 1940) schlager music was brought to Britain by Latvian refugees post Second World War. This is the music that Janis and Dace grew up with, with its’ sentimental waltzes, passionate tangos and exuberant polkas. The music remains popular in Latvia and if you visit restaurants and bars in Riga or listen to the national radio stations you will still hear it being played after all these years! So come and transport yourselves to the romance of the 1930s, swirl across the dance floor and lose yourself in another age.
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