International Festival of Improvisation, Jazz and Global Music “Riga Rhythms 2021” will take place for four days and in several places in the capital at the same time, starting on June 30. –
LR3 “Klasika” has invited the festival’s artistic director Māris Briežkalns and the founder of the publishing house “Jersika Records” Marek Amerika to a conversation, because on July 2 the festival will also host the Latvian jazz music publishing house “Jersika Records” “Jersika Records Stage” art center “Noass” on the AB dam.
Liene Jakovļeva: The time of concerts and even festivals has resumed in Latvia, and this week the festival “Rīgas ritmi 2021” will be hot, lively, attractive and saturated in the whirlpool of several festivals. Māris, what will make this festival special? Maybe just because it will happen at all?
Maris Briežkalns: Yes, also with the fact that it will happen at all … In addition, the festival was prepared in record time, because a couple of weeks ago the information changed from one ditch to another, but we hoped … Last year we still held the festival – Latvian musicians played and there were many concerts . Also this year, the festival will take place, and it will [jau atkal] will be international – there will be musicians from Lithuania, America, Spain and other countries.
Of course, for the organizers it is hard work and nerve testing, but the holiday will be!
And there will be both traditions and news. Has the genre label “Festival of Improvisation, Jazz and Global Music” always been with you? This time this combination is a bit surprising.
Maris Briežkalns: Yes, “global music” is a new term in the music industry. We have had these three words all along, only instead of global music world music. The world music genre has now become global.
Maris Briežkalns
Photo: Rūdolfs Briežkalns
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Does this mean that the spectrum is expanding?
Maris Briežkalns: Yes, the spectrum is expanding, and this is also a new trend that we quickly took over. Because the share of world music in the festival “Rīgas ritmi” is quite large. The concept of world music is probably narrower than global music. One of the stars of our festival, the band “Bokante”, directly shows this spectrum and genre of global music – musicians here are from Japan, France, Great Britain, America and Guadeloupe and Sweden. That is why we also have these three words:impro, jazz a global.
In turn, the number “21”, which is present at your festival this year, is also very, very impressive.
Maris Briežkalns:
Taking into account the previous festivals, which we have organized to the rhythms of Riga, in fact we have not had 26 summers …
Every summer is this experience. For the second year in a row, we have also received the European Festival Association Award. So let’s keep going.
At the moment I will ask Marek Amerika – “Jersika Records” will present their stage for the first time at this festival …
Mareks Ameriks: Yes, it is thrilling, pleasant, that the publishing house had such an opportunity to exhibit in this way so quickly. Thanks to Māris Briežkalns! For the first time in the 2019 festival “Jersikai” there was a small, cozy stand in the Congress House. This year we already have a stage in “Noah” – two days with artists associated with this leiblu and its atmosphere. So this is a holiday for us too – a small festival in the festival.
Mareks Ameriks
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July 2 and 3. How much space is there on the floating stage for musicians, and how much for vaccinated spectators and listeners?
Mareks Ameriks: The ship is quite large, it is a barge. You won’t even notice you’re boarding. It is quite a spacious hangar-like room with a stage, bar, terrace, greenery. Even if there is a little rain, the concerts will take place indoors.
Which artists will represent your publishing house? There will be not only music, but also cinema.
Mareks Ameriks: Yes, because we also try to express our activities in video language, which is a trend today – to cover everything in video language as well. Short documentaries have already been made, there will also be a premiere of a science fiction short film shot by French director Theo Ponce, inspired by Auziņš, Arutjunjan and Chudar’s mini-album “The Maze” – he was inspired by listening to this small record, specifically the B side. “Eve and Labyrinth” is the name of this 10-minute film.
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