The project # 100decents to Latvia in digital, tactile, audio-visual and sign language, the Latgalian sign of the Balvi region, the folklore group “Vīteri” and the video story “Teika par Rēzeknes rozi”, a book and a music album for children, won the Latgalian Culture of the Year Award for their achievements last year. “Vuškeņa iz pļovys”, group “Latgalīšu reps” with album “Cyta dzela” and videos, radio readings of Ilze Sperga’s collection of stories “Dzeiveiba”, collection of poems by Marijis Dzeislys “Vysta smierts”, writer and editor Ilze Sperga, navigation application “Waze” Latgalian and the first breakout room in Latgalian “Pīci pantsi”.
The organizers of the ceremony – the team of Latgale Embassy “Gors” – emphasize that they are really happy about both the year 2021 rich in Latgalian culture and the opportunity to hold this year’s award ceremony in person, meeting with the audience in “Gora”.
The award ceremony was led by comedian Jānis Skutelis. The groups “Without VAT”, “Muosys”, “Jakob Noiman Band”, “Varang Nord”, “Summoners”, musicians Ūga, Patrisha and Dināra Rudāne, as well as in the concert “Celīs bruoļ!” Entertained the audience live and live on TV. the ensemble, which unites recognizable Latgalian musicians.
Recipients of the Latgalian Culture Annual Award “Boņuks 2021”:
Folklore group “Vīteri” and video story “Tale about Rezekne rose”
Rezekne children and youth folklore group “Vīteri”, searching for opportunities and various activities during the pandemic, have created a video story of Latgalians about the legend of Rēzekne Rose. Video story can be viewed here.
Annele Slišāne’s project “# 100 decades for Latvia” in digital, tactile, audio-visual and sign language and collection of stories “Tuoraga stuosti”
The project “# 100deces to Latvia” includes audio stories in digital, tactile, audio-visual and sign language, as well as allows Annele Slišāne’s one hundred unique boy to get to know both the blind through the first Latgalian book published in Braille and the deaf in a sign language video book. The collection of stories “Tuoraga stuosti” collects 13 short stories about cottage cheese and women in modern society. Together, they form a unified message about a woman’s path to herself and her essence.
The group “Latgalīšu reps” with the album “Cyta dzela” and videos
On March 19, 2021, the Latgalian hip-hop group “Latgalīšu Reps” released the second studio album entitled “Cyta dzela”, compiling 13 new songs. The name “Cyta dzela” signifies the group’s vision – “Let’s take a step up in both quality and performance. We never know what awaits us in life, but as long as the stones do not fall out of the air, everything is fine, let’s just go ahead, regardless of whether we have has succeeded. “
Radio readings of Ilze Sperga’s collection of stories “Dzeiveiba”
From 7 to 11 December, every evening at 22.05 The first radio readings in Latgalian – stories from Ilze Sperga’s collection “Dzeiveiba” were broadcast on Latvijas Radio 1. The artistic creator of the radio readings is Kristaps Rasims, but the main voice of the listening version of the stories is the actress of the Latvian National Theater Inga Misāne-Grasberga.
Marijis Dzeislys collection of poems “Vysta smierts”
With a collection of poems – poetry “Vysta smierts” enters Latvian literature with a new, self-confident and loud voice – Marija Dzeisla. It is a pseudonym that does not have to look for a personality, but a flowing identity that changes depending on the message and is able to move even in time! An author who wants to keep his personality a secret poetry focuses on being here and now.
Book and music album for children “Vuškeņa iz pļovys”
The new book of poems for children “Vuškeņa iz pļovys” contains poems by Ilze Sperga, supplemented by colorful and lovely illustrations by Līga Romančuka. Seven new songs with Ilze Sperga’s poetry for children have been created by Kristaps Rasims and sung by the group “Rupuči”.
The award sign is Latgalian
In 2021, a historical event was observed in Balvi region for the presence of the Latgalian written language in the public environment – for the first time in the history of Latvia, a nationally agreed regional sign was placed. Until now, the placemarks have been an initiative at the municipal level, but the Balvi district sign is the first to be awarded at the national level.
The first breakout room in Latgalian “Pitch Articles“
The first and so far the only break-out room was opened in Upīte, in the closed school building of Balvi district – a game in Latgalian, which is called “Pīci panti”. It is dedicated to the local historian, poet and folklorist Anton Slišāns (1948 – 2010). There are five tasks to complete a breakout. Each task has a poem by Anton Slišan, which leads the players in the right direction.
Navigation application “Waze” in Latgalian
In the spring of 2021, overcoming the obstacles posed by the pandemic and the twists and turns of international communication, the Latgalian version of “Waze” became freely available to anyone who travels further with a smartphone. In less than a year, the Latgalian version of “Waze” has received countless positive reviews.
Literature and editor Ilze Sperga
Ilze Sperga, a writer, publicist and project manager, is a bright and productive personality in Latgalian culture. In 2021, Sperga was the editor of Valentīns Lukaševičs’ collection of poetry “Pādi nava svāti” and Oskars Seiksts “Vokora vuordi draugam”, as well as Valentīna Lukaševič’s collection of essays “Casnāgu maizeitis”, which was published in the beginning of 2022. There is also a poetry book and a song album for children “Vuškeņa iz pļovys”. One of the most significant events of the year was the transformation of Ilze Sperga’s collection of stories “Dzeiveiba” into a radio reading format, as well as an excerpt of the previously unpublished Sperga story as a text of the fifth dictation of the world in Latgalian written language.
Audience Award “Bigmaar’s Records”
The record studio “Bigmaar’s Records” became the recipient of the public sympathy voting prize, which was organized by the Latgalian culture news portal lakuga.lv and the Latvian public media portal lsm.lv and in which anyone could vote for their sympathy.
Lifetime Achievement Award – conductor Jānis Gruduls
Jānis Gruduls is one of the most visible representatives of the Latgale men’s choir movement, choir conductor, teacher. Born in 1946 in Stirniene Parish, Madona District, he graduated from the choir conducting department of Rēzekne Music High School in 1971 and started his teaching career at Rēzekne Secondary School No. 1, continuing them at Jānis Ivanovs Rēzekne Music College. In 1991, he obtained a higher education diploma in music at the Daugavpils Pedagogical Institute. In parallel with his work as a teacher, he has been a conductor for many choirs in Latgale, toured parts of Europe with choir groups, and was a chief conductor at the Latgale County School Youth Song Festival, Latgale County Song Festival, and the 6th gathering of Latgale County and Latvian boys’ choirs.
“One of the brightest moments in the conductor’s career is the victory of the men’s choir” Olūts “formed by Jānis Gruduls and led for 20 years in the XXII General Latvian Song Festival Choir Wars, which was a surprise, a discovery, even a sensation for many, but a huge and well-done work for the singers and conductor. “During this festival, the choir also received an award for the best performance of Jāzeps Vītols choral song,” stressed the organizers of the award “Boņuks”.
Jānis Gruduls has returned to Stirniene’s homeland since 2000, conducts the Stirniene Sacred Music Choir “Reversium”, is the conductor of the Assumption of Our Lady of Aglona every year, and was the conductor of the Latgale congregations during Pope Francis’ visit to Aglona. The conductor is still happy to give advice and encouragement to the new generation of musicians. He has spent the seventy-fifth year of his life in worship services, rehearsals, psalm chants, “Crossroads” and “Bitter Pain” audio recordings in Stirniene Church, has actively followed all cultural life processes and continues to take care of preserving and enhancing the highest values of life. “With the raised hand of conductor Grudula, Latgalians stand up, aware of their belonging to the land of Mara and God!” stated the organizers of the prize.
This year, 109 applications were submitted, which were evaluated by the jury, which included the recipients of previous years’ prizes, media representatives, representatives of the prize organizers, public activists of Latgalian culture and invited experts in the respective fields, whose daily life is not related to Latgalian culture. The criteria for evaluating the applicants again were the quality of the applicant’s performance, activity throughout the year, resonance in the region, country or on a larger scale, Latgalianism and / or carrying Latgale cultural values, the applicant’s sustainability – impact on Latgalian cultural processes in the future.
Nominees for the Latgalian Culture Annual Award “Boņuks 2021” (in alphabetical order):
- # 100 decks for Latvia in digital, tactile, audio-visual and sign language
- 20th Open Olympiad in Latgalian Written Language and Cultural History and 21st Stage Speech Competition “Vuolyudzani”
- Annele Slišāne’s collection of stories “Tuoraga stuosti”
- Bigmaar’s Records Recording Studio
- The award sign is Latgalian
- Folklore group “Vīteri” and video story “Tale about Rezekne Rose”
- Book and music album for children “Vuškeņa iz pļovys”
- Group “Without VAT” with the album “Bezgaleibys”
- The group “Latgalīšu Reps” with the album “Cyta dzela” and videos
- Varang Nord with the album “Pārķiuņa uomurs”
- Igors Pličs and Pēteris Korsaks edition “Photographers of Latgale”
- Radio readings of Ilze Sperga’s collection of stories “Dzeiveiba”
- “Jakob Noiman Festival Band” with the album “Jezups djo waltz”
- 20th anniversary of Latgalian love poetry and song festival “Upīte Uobeļduorzs”
- Latgale Planning Region event “Latgale Day 2021”
- Content of Latgale regional television in Latgalian
- Latvian International Ceramics Biennale and Martinson Prize
- Literature and editor Ilze Sperga
- Marijis Dzeislys collection of poems “Vysta smierts”
- Contemporary Latgalian literature recording “Puslopys”
- Navigation application “Waze” in Latgalian
- Collection of poetry and short stories by Oskars Seiksts “Vokora vuordi draugim”
- Portal lakuga.lv and news of Latgalian culture in video format
- Ten-year anniversary concert of the post-folklore group “Rikši” at the Latgale Embassy “Gors”
- The first breakout room in Latgalian “Pīci pantsi”
- Program “Cytaidi Latvian”
- Director Mārtiņš Eihe, Rezekne Theater “Joriks” and performance “My Neighbor is a Jew”
- Thematic exhibition “For Politician, Teacher and Social Worker V. Seilei 130”
- Traditional singing group “Callers” with the edition “Nature”
- Collection of poems by Valentin Lukashevich “Feed the Navy”
The Latgalian Culture of the Year Award “Boņuks” was presented for the first time in 2009, but since 2013 the award has been organized by the team of the Latgale Embassy “Gors” in cooperation with the association “Score”.
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