A moment after his birthday on March 7, one of Latvia’s leading guitarists Aivars Hermanis arrives for a talk on the show “Happy Birthday, Jubilee!”, Which takes place at the music house “Daile”. “This place can be called my second home, because at least 50 concerts have been played here – mostly together with colleagues Mārcis Auziņš and Kaspars Zemīte,” Hermanis shares in a happy mood. The joy is enhanced by the gifts provided by Latvian Television – Sigmund Freud’s reflection “Artist and Fantasy”, as well as albums by Johann Walter and Leo Swemph. “Oh, Swamp! And Walter!” Hermanis is happy about our painting classics. “Special thanks to Freud’s philosophy, because, you know – I’m caught up in literature of a philosophical and psychological nature,” laughs Aivars, and also gives Andrejs Volmars, the host of the show, a collection scented after the printing house: “Here is my newly published songbook“The collection contains opuses performed by Igo,” Dzeguzīte “, Aija Vītoliņa, Ojārs Grinbergs,” Remix “,” Putnu balle “, Žoržs Siksna, Ieva Akuratere and others.
“Quick questions” for Aivars Hermanis2min
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Concert for Ukraine and Philip
Starting to look at the wide range of archival material prepared for the interview by the show’s creative team, the first and most recent is an excerpt from a section dedicated to supporting Ukraine. concert pie Congress us, in which so many musicians wanted to give their support to the war – torn people, that the concert lasted almost six hours. “We each sang only one song, but it can be said that we all, including the audience, agreed on one song together. The famous French and German music channel Arte broadcast an excerpt of the concert for an hour and a half. This was an unprecedented event. CNN also showed excerpts. and many other world – leading news companies, as this was one of the first and largest art projects in support of Ukraine, “says Hermanis, who is not only a musician but also a concert producer.
In a concert dedicated to Ukraine, Aivars performed with Igo, who performed Herman’s song “Soldier” (1989). It was once in the repertoire of the legendary band Remix. “This song was written as a rock ballad during the Awakening. This, like all my songs – around 100 in total – is the result of poetry that has appealed to me.
If the poetry is good, the tune will come to me pretty quickly. There is an impulse of inspiration, I take the guitar and the song comes.
If I’m not lucky, I give up, put the guitar aside – until another time, “the composer shares in the creative process.
Among the many archive materials is an excerpt from the 2003 children’s program “Big Stories for Little Ones”, in which Aivars Hermanis reads a fairy tale to his grandson Philip, who was 8 years old at the time: “He is a professional soldier in the Latvian army,” comments Grandpa.
Collector
In his once popular television game “Know or Mini”, Herman admitted to collecting smiles. “Well, it is perhaps more related to the time when I was involved in the production of music events and concerts, when I had to get to know a lot of different sons and daughters of nations,” laughs Aivars, “and those contacts are very important in the production work. time is a learning process –
you know how different people can be, how different they look at the world, and you have to know yourself. “
Aivars Hermanis
Photo: Jānis Deinats
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Liepaja and restaurant “Sea”
“Liepāja was my city until I was an adult – until I was 21, but as Imants Kalniņš sings -” the wind doesn’t break the roots in the city where the wind is born “, right?” tells the wind native of the city, which, of course, is also born in the tradition of Liepaja music. At the age of 13, Aivars went to his first electric guitar, which his father made for him – also a musical person who played the accordion. Unfortunately, the parents divorced quickly, and Aivars started earning money himself. “I play music in different places in Liepaja, but most often in the restaurant” Jūra “, which was the most prestigious pub in the city. Aivars remembers school time. “But since I wasn’t unsuccessful and I was even excellent in music, the school turned a blind eye to my delay.”
Liepāja musical soil3min
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Hermanis started working in the restaurant “Jūra” when he was almost a teenager, because he was able to play music on an equal footing with adult musicians. “When I started working in a restaurant, I was seventeen years old, and under Soviet law I was not allowed to do so. All the other musicians were at least ten years older than me, with a good experience as pub musicians and everything related to it,” laughs Aivars. “You have to play absolutely anything to make money in a restaurant. And our manager, Mr. Karl Hoon, had thick folders A, B, and C that had at least 200 pieces in one folder. And then he said, for example: Folder C, 173! It was decided, put down and had to be played in. Because someone has ordered it, and no one asks if you can or can’t do it. ” Hermanis remembers the times of the restaurant. “You already remember the pieces you play most often, but if a sailor comes and orders, for example, a romance, then take a book and look in your hand – in the A, B or C folder.”
The music was mainly ordered by deep-sea fishermen, who, when they came ashore, received money and came to enjoy it. The second part – officers, army people:
“We earned well, but of course my dream wasn’t about wanting to play in a pub. My dream was to be in good groups and conquer the world.”
“Remix”
Photo: From a private archive
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Maestro, Riga and top groups
“I have a time with Raimonds Pauls after 21 years, then I went to Riga,” Hermanis recalls. “But the first meeting we had was in Liepaja, on the stage of” Pūt, vējiņi “. It was 1974, when I received the award for the best guitarist from his hands. And I became known throughout the Soviet Republic as a boy in the village, “Aivars ironizes. “As a result, I was invited to work as an artistic director in the Ādaži collective farm orchestra. We went to concerts all over the Soviet Union, and the main thing everyone wanted to hear was Paul’s “The Last Page” (ed.). “
After a while, Imants Paura, a composer and keyboardist, took over Stabulnieks. The group also got a new name “Tip-top”. “And after a while I was invited to the group” Modo “by Zigmars Liepins,” continues Aivars Hermanis. “Modo” Zigmar had taken over from Paul and gave it a new name – “Opus”. It was a time when we were making a revolution in the Philharmonic, because we received only a tenth of the concert revenue. We walked away demonstratively, “recalls Aivars, but the talent went ahead of him, he did not have to work without a job for a long time.
“I met Paul on the street, who, as we all know, always cares about the brothers in the office. I started working with Pauls in the Latvian Radio recording studio, “recalls Hermanis.
About the city where the wind is born4min
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“Remix”
Having worked in radio for half a year, Herman remembers another legendary conversation that opened a new page in the history of Latvian light (as it was then called) music: “We walked up the radio, and Paul almost passed me, as if turning back by the way – Aivar, maybe you can collect the best musicians, then if I get the currency, we’ll buy the instruments, and then we can make one group for a younger audience. That’s how “Remix” started. “
“Remix” was once the best concert band in Latvia, where the brightest musicians played, but initially, in the first concert – only instrumental music. “I remember, in the first concert, we realized that we would have to put some name on the subtitles. And then in 15 minutes, all standing together, we decided what it might be. mix? Or remix ? Is there anything like that? It seemed like a great name to the rest of us! “
“Remix”
Photo: From a private archive
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The band’s hits were heard throughout the Soviet Union, and the records were released in half a million copies. “We were known everywhere and we knew music, we could drive and perform in big stadiums and sports halls. A costume consultant, by the way, we had [Elita] Patmalniece, so, as you can see in the old records, the costumes were bright and exclusive. For example, I had a shirt with a bouquet, bright white, with a large neckline, “recalls Hermanis.
80s, television and music clips
“With ‘Remix’ it was – call them, need to film another new clip on television! They answer – no new songs yet. But – when is filming?” Jānis Rušenieks, the leading television music clip director of the time, characterizes the professional approach of the group and the ability to react quickly.
“From among the musicians, the idea for the clip was generated between the three of us – me, Marhil (Uldis Marhilevich – ed.) And Igo, who had studied directing and was actually a creative leader. It was usually clear to us, then Jānis Rušenieks joined in, and a filming script was developed in seconds, which, incidentally, was not a common thing at the time. “The woman, who was also aired on the Russian air by the guys of Moscow ‘s progressive program” Vzglad, “but at the time it was something special. The Soviet officials cut it out, reassembled our clip.”
Accurate and birthday wish
The creative group of the show has prepared a surprise for the jubilee Herman: a special congratulation from Ieva Akuratere, performer of many Aivars songs and a good friend. Ieva begins her greeting with a romantic four-line from the musical “Ronja – The Robber’s Daughter” by Valta Pūce and Kārlis Vērdiņš:
“If a silver fish jumped out of the river
And ask: what do you want?
I would like every night
Fall asleep as happy as you woke up this morning! “
Then Eve generously describes Hermann’s artistic talent: “Aivars Hermanis is a good friend, a wonderful composer, a fantastic guitarist. mathematically minded, he easily succumbs to the wonder of artistic inspiration, which is why his songs are so naturally colorful and fluffy, romantic, what else do I really like?
With Aivars you can philosophize about spiritual, psychological, existential topics. He has discovered a great deal. And that’s why: the smarter a person gets, the more they can afford to wonder about the world. “
Aivars Hermanis is pleased that everyone would have greeted him after such a gorgeous greeting, but he doesn’t laugh in words, “Look, am I not getting wings on my back?”
Photo: From a private archive
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What he feels is best heard when he holds a guitar that has stood next to Herman, supported against a chair, throughout his conversation. Hermanis takes it easily with a familiar movement and, making sure a little over it, gently touches the strings. The blue and silent stage light of the music house “Daile” is permeated by an intimate and truly romantic sound, to which the creative group of the show writes sincerely with a restrained pencil on one side: “Congratulations, Master! Congratulations, Aivar Hermani!”
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