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Dziesmu Kamoliņš // Garland of Songs

Arta Jekabsone

Label: Self Produced
Released: 2025
Duration: 00:47:00
Views: 34

Tracks

1.Man dziesmiņu nepietrūka // Never Was I Without a Song (2:12) 2.Caur sidraba birzi gāju // I Walked Through a Silver Grove (4:24) 3.Silta jauka istabiņa 02:54 // Warm and Cozy Room (2:52) 4.Lakstīgala 05:25 // The Nightingale (5:30) 5. Tumša nakte,zaļa zāle 05:49 // Dark Is the Night, Green Is the Grass (5:48) 6.Dieviņ,Tavu gaišumiņu! 05:47 // Dear God, Your Bright Light (5:48) 7.Ziedi, ziedi rudzu vārpa 02:46 // Bloom, Bloom, O Rye Spikelet (2:48) 8.Sēju rūtu, sēju mētru 03:09 // I Planted Rue, I Planted Mint (3:09) 9.Noriet saule vakarā'i 05:13 // The Sun Sets in the Evening (5:13) 10.Aijā žūžū! 05:27 // Aijā Žūžū! (5:27) 11.Dziesmu kamoliņš // Garland of Songs (3:26)

Personnel

Arta Jekabsone

vocals

Additional Personnel / Information

Arta Jēkabsone - voice, piano, violin, guitarlele, percussion, arrangements, original music & production Kengchakaj - synths & moog (Track 4) Leo Genovese - rhodes (Track 9) Edo Gur - trumpet (Track 6) Zosha Warpeha - viola & violin (Track 8 & 10) Julie Kim - cello (Track 8 & 10) Samir Langus - guimbre (Track 9) Jānis Rubiks - upright bass ( Track 10) Ike Sturm - electric & upright bass (Tracks 2 & 11) Sintija Grigorjeva - electric bass (Tracks 1 & 6) Keita Ogawa - percussion (Track 2,4,6,11) Federico Nelson Fioravanti - percussion (Track 1 & 10) Nizar Dahmani - percussion (Track 9) Krišs Veismanis - Mixing engineer Dave Horrocks - Master engineer

Album Description

Dziesmu Kamoliņš // Garland of Songs - a delicate blend of tradition and innovation, where Latvian folkloric melodies and timeless stories intertwine with contemporary artistry. Dziesmu Kamoliņš (Garland of Songs) is a collection of Arta Jēkabsone's 11 original arrangements of traditional Latvian folk songs and original music inspired by the folk music is a deeply personal and poetic offering, blending centuries old melodies with a vibrant, modern jazz and global music sensibility. Dziesmu Kamoliņš is not only a musical tribute to Latvia’s cultural heritage, but it’s also an invitation to experience Latvian folk songs through a new and borderless lens. With arrangements and original music that range from intimate to expansive, from whispered prayer to dynamic improvisation, the album offers a unique blend of tradition and invention. Liner Notes by Anna Veismane – Latvian Composer and Latvian Radio "Klasika" Producer. Singer and composer Arta Jēkabsone weaves her album Dziesmu kamoliņš ("Garland of Songs") as an inviting story, guiding the listener through a silver birch grove, across forests, meadows, and fields, into a warm room filled with the gentle light and tenderness of Latvian spirit. The nature and symbols of Latvia are inseparable from Arta’s creative essence, something she has come to feel with particular intensity during the past decade while living in New York City. What may seem self-evident to those living in Latvia – language, culture, tradition – becomes something precious to be nurtured and preserved from afar. This is why Arta’s music offers a sense of renewal and comfort through soundscapes deeply rooted in Latvian identity. The musicians involved in Arta’s projects are always kindred spirits and close friends, making it all the more captivating to hear how they, often from different cultural backgrounds, have interpreted Latvian folk heritage and mentality through their own musical lenses. Folk melodies serve as a springboard for imaginative flights, where jazz breathes alongside world music, with undertones of classical music, rich choral harmonies, and the colorful textures of a string quartet. Jazz elements such as scat singing and improvisation echo the ornamentation found in traditional Latvian song. Contemporary rhythmic grooves bring the music closer to younger audiences, allowing these timeless folk songs to resonate across generations. The title track, placed at the very end of the album, feels like a crowning moment, a luminous, tender and poignant reflection that evokes veiled longing for home. Dziesmu kamoliņš is perhaps Arta Jēkabsone’s most personal work to date: a carefully crafted and heartfelt original creation that will resonate not only with Latvian listeners. Its poetic and abstract nature allows it to transcend borders and speak to the world.

Album uploaded by Arta Jēkabsone