Daugava Ragas 2025

On September 29th at 19:00, you are invited to the VEF Culture Palace for the music project "Daugava Ragas"

Daugava Ragas is an unexpected synergy of music - contemplative and meditative.

At the concert, we will experience live the compositions from the album “Daugava Ragas” released at the beginning of the year, created by Latvian musicians Biruta Ozoliņa (vocals), Indriķis Veitners (clarinet), Vigo Račevskis (percussion), Ernests Medenis (kokle) together with the distinguished sitar master from India Shri Subrata De (vocals, sitar, tampura). 

“Daugava Ragas” is a unique music project – the Folk Song from Latgale (traditional chants from Upper Daugava) and the Raga from India (Hindustani classical raga music) resonate together in their pure and authentic form, marking the meeting of two distinct musical cultures.

Biruta Ozoliņa, the conceptual author of this work, explains: “This idea came to me suddenly, when, after listening to ragas for a long time, I inadvertently started singing along with ancient Latgalian chants. A moment of conviction flashed, and I clearly knew that the music was already complete in the heavens, it just needed to be materialized. This was followed by exchanges of thoughts and recordings with my Friend and Guru in India - Subrata De. As well as many rehearsals with my like-minded friends in Latvia. We repeated, modeled phrases hundreds of times, listening to both the samples sent by Subrata and the century-old recordings of Latgale storytellers. Sometimes I marvel at my audacity, but I do not regret organizing Subrata De's solo concerts in Latvia in 2023. Because in this way we were able to realize my dream - our studio recording.”

Shri Subrata De (New Delhi/India) represents the Hindustani Bishnupur Gharana  classical music school, which is rich in traditions and genre diversity. He is endowed with the talent to create an expressive musical image, crafting a rich palette of colors and moods. Subrata De often tells his audiences in many countries that his instrument is a canvas, and his hands are brushes with which he paints landscapes and creates stories.

In the ancient songs of Latgale, he has perceived similarities with Indian traditional music - in elements of the Dhrupad singing style, microtonal intonations, scale similarities, phrase formations, in non-tempered scales, and in concise, speech-like phrases. But, most importantly – both are united by the human heart's desire to find lightness and respite for the spirit in songs, creating a deep, personal experience.

The event will feature the ancient, monophonic chants of Southern Latgale. Their style is closer to Lithuanian than Latvian folklore. They are characteristic of the Upper Daugava region - Auleja, Nierza, Izvalta, Andrupene, and other inhabited places where 100 years ago Anna Bērzkalne recorded the voices of storytellers on wax cylinders.