REVIEW: Auļi “Sit, Jānīti!” – nra.lv

This weekend, the Valmiermuiža ethno music festival will take place, the main “nail” of which will be the performance of the drum and bagpipe music group “Auļi” on Saturday, June 18, showing the audience their latest Midsummer song program, the album “Sit, Janis!” (don’t forget to put a comma!). The album is available on all streaming sites, including the modern version of Dolby Atmos – Kaspars Bārbals, the leader of Auļi, has always been at the forefront of music technology.

The program was created and the songs were arranged by the members of the group “Auļi” Kaspars Bārbals, Mārtiņš Miļevskis and Edgars Kārklis. The choir “Pa Saulei” (conductor Marta Ozola), as well as several local musicians were invited to the recording: folklore studio “Banga”, singers Asnate Rancāne and Anna Patrīcija Karele, also men from the folklore groups “Trejasmens” and “Vilkači” Andrejs Planders, Eduards Plankājs and Edgars Zilberts. “Everyone present [festivālā] will be able to refresh their knowledge of Midsummer songs. The lyrics will be displayed on the screen, and we hope that the festival visitors will sing with us. The album is already available on various streaming platforms, but for the first time the whole program will be performed in Valmiermuiža, ”says Kaspars. A total of a dozen compositions.

PAR. The talents of the musicians of “Auļi” as an arranger are amazing – again this time they have created folklore works of art from songs, in which, of course, the main role is played by drums and bagpipes, but vocal parties are not neglected either. In this area, the most prominent songs with the participation of “triads” (“Jānīts ride all year round”, “Sanācieti, Jānis children”, “I saw Midsummer night” and “Midsummer fields, Ligo meadows”), as well as those where Asnate Rancāne (“The Sun Shines in the Mist”, “Oh, John, Son of God”) has added a voice. However, they are all interesting and unique, they will definitely bring variety to the often monotonous repertoire of Midsummer celebrations. Of course, also at the Valmiermuiža ethno music festival.

AGAINST. The biggest and only disadvantage of this album is its theme – the songs of Midsummer and Midsummer, as well as all the musical offer around them will be heard only on the festival itself (if you want to hear it at all…) and maybe a day after, but the rest of the day after they have no traction.

Sandris Vanzovičs

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