"Galaktika" wins Latvian Schlager Poll 2011/12

[as78]

I don’t know whether is someone interested in it, but I will write a small article about one musical event that just happened in my country and it is remarkable enough.

Last evening we had final of Latvian Schlager-Poll (contest) 2011/12.
This is an annual event in which compete schlager music songs. There are participating both the new original songs and old songs covers with new arrangement or interpretation. Songs must be fulfilled in Latvian or in varieties of the Latvian language (one song was in Latgalian - Latvian language type, which is also my mother tongue).

12 songs compete in the finals - the top-3 of the 4 seasonal finals (summer, autumn, winter, spring). This year six entries (half!!!) were from my home region - Latgale.
The outcome of the competition is determined by televoting.

And so - 1. place was won by group "Galaktika" (translation - "Galaxy") with the song "Mans dzimtais novads" (translation - "My native region.") This band also comes from Latgale, particular Rēzekne, which is very near my home town Ludza.

Here is the video of this song (though not from the contest, but before):

2nd place was won by the duo Harijs Ozols & Santa Zapacka with the song "Ar saules elpu" ("With breath of the sun").

The third place [it was one of my favorite entries] - group "Ginc & Es" (also from Rēzekne) with the song "Esi Latgalīts" ("Be Latgalian") (directly this song was performed in Latgalian language). BTW this video is filmed in my home town Ludza.

 

[LalehForWD]

Neither are schlagers BMO. I would call the first and the last entries "dansband", which is a Swedish (or perhaps Scandinavian) genre. I don't know the accepted genre name in English. The middle entry is some kind of chanson, wouldn't you agree? The landscape and the cottages looks like Sweden.

The castle ruins you were talking about in another thread?
Black swans?

 

[as78]

Neither are schlagers BMO. I would call the first and the last entries "dansband", which is a Swedish (or perhaps Scandinavian) genre. I don't know the accepted genre name in English. The middle entry is some kind of chanson, wouldn't you agree?

Yes I agree.
This is a literal [direct] translation of the name of the contest. In Latvian it is - "Latvijas Šlāgeraptauja". [aptauja - poll, voting].
Withal the word schlager in different countries have slightly different meanings. But it is hard to find other proper representation of the word in English.

This contest brings together also the various musical styles, there are entered also country songs, chanson, etc. Sometimes Folk as well.

The castle ruins you were talking about in another thread?

Yea, they are the same.

Black swans?

Do you have no black swans in Sweden?

 

[LalehForWD]

Yes I agree.
This is a literal [direct] translation of the name of the contest. In Latvian it is - "Latvijas Šlāgeraptauja". [aptauja - poll, voting].
Withal the word schlager in different countries have slightly different meanings. But it is hard to find other proper representation of the word in English.

This contest brings together also the various musical styles, there are entered also country songs, chanson, etc. Sometimes Folk as well.

Yea, they are the same.

Do you have no black swans in Sweden?

Would you say this is Latvian mainstream music? Like Latvian top list.

No, I have never seen black swans in Sweden. Black Swan?

 

[as78]

Would you say this is Latvian mainstream music? Like Latvian top list.

I would not say exactly that.
Rather, it reflects to another contest - "Muzikālā Banka" ["Music Bank"], which is a regular radio show for pop and rock songs, with the TV show in the beginning of next year (usually January) for the finalists. Before it SMS voting and the jury votes for the songs (but not during the show, because the results are then already known to the organizers).

Here is the website:
Muzik?l? banka

Conversely, the show "Latvijas Šlāgeraptauja" is very popular in the older audience. These are mostly songs from the music styles mentioned above. Here, sometimes great popularity is obtained among the covers of very old songs. But this time, for example, band "Baltie lāči" ["Polar bears"] with the song "Lili Marleen" (with Latvian lyrics) remained only at 8th place.
The final (with live performances and televoting), which was on Saturday, has very high TV ratings and it is among the most watched shows.

 

[as78]

No, I have never seen black swans in Sweden. Black Swan?

So it must be imported swan.
I've seen it, but it looks naturally they do not nest here.

 

[LalehForWD]

OK

 

[as78]

By the way, all three major music events ("Music Bank", "Latvian Schlager-Poll" and "Eurosong" ["Eirodziesma"] - national ESC selection) in recent times is always hosted in the same city - Ventspils (nearest to Sweden). It is one of the richest municipalities, which sponsors all these events.
Its mayor is a controversial personality Aivars Lembergs, who likes to show off himself on TV screens. He is one of the richest people in the country (although with the recent decision of the Court his property was partially frozen). He is sometimes compared with Silvio Berlusconi. There are numerous court proceedings proposed against him, a few years ago he spent time in jail, but yet is always justified.

 

[Nikoreindeer1973]

Interesting.