LMIC radio

Tautumeitas

For already five years Tautumeitas have given audiences a peek into a young woman’s thoughts and dreams. With the album Songs from Auleja released earlier this year, they introduced the world to sixteen songs from the village of Auleja in Latvia. These songs, based on recordings found in archives, were also unfamiliar to most Latvians. In fact, it is this repertoire of songs that brought Tautumeitas together in the fi rst place. The traditional form of a cappella multipart singing on this album, known as bolsi, is linked with specifi c times of the year or special celebrations. The texts tell about various natural phenomena as well as events and activities in people’s lives. The springtime bolss is about nature waking up aſt er a cold winter. It is a time of great potential and aspiration. These multipart songs were traditionally sung outdoors, the singers actively interacting with the environment. “Panama” is from Tautumeitas’ upcoming album, which, like the group’s self-titled debut album, features vocal-instrumental music. According to this song, a young woman’s most beautiful and powerful giſt is her voice.