TKP

The TKP duo was born in the 3x3 culture camps in Latvia at the beginning of this century, performing exactly once a year and thus earning the name Tā Kā Pērn, or “just like last year”. As the musicians themselves have admitted, their ensemble represents the “average” Latvian, merging the calm Livonian character from the west of the country with the energy of Latgalians in the east, as well as Livonian perpetuity with the yearning of Latgale.

TKP was initially formed by two musicians, Julgī Stalte and Ēriks Zeps, but gradually the duo has grown to include other musicians whose paths rarely cross on a daily basis. Stalte leads the Latvian folklore group Skandinieki, while Zeps is the leader of Rikši, an energetic post-folklore group from Latgale. Both are ambassadors of traditional music and culture, inspiring others and promoting as well as enriching Latvia’s intangible cultural heritage. Both are strong yet sensitive singers; Stalte plays the violin and kokle, Zeps plays the accordion. They are joined by Ingus Grīnbergs on violin, Artūrs Jefremovs on bass, and Pēteris Narubins on guitars, mandolins and voice.

The symbiosis of the Livonian and Latgalian in TKP’s music exudes enthusiasm and energy but from time to time also alternates with tears and emotional experiences. Throughout it all, one feels the presence of folk wisdom – “all that is and remains immortal throughout the ages,” as the musicians themselves say. “And then it only takes one motif, one look, one line of melody and one chord to transform even the saddest song into an explosive improvisation.”

TKP was active in 3x3 camps in Latvia from 2015 to 2018. Their paths as folklore educators have also led them as far as the Latvian village of Augšbebri in Siberia, followed by concerts at Latvian educational institutions featuring Latvian traditional music linked with seasonal festivals as well as explorations of the differences in music between Latvian regions. Since 2021, TKP has been actively working with diaspora Latvians as part of the “Zumēšana” online course in traditional culture. A wider audience became acquainted with TKP at the 2019 Porta World Music Festival concerts in Riga and Rēzekne.

TKP has no self-initiated studio recordings but has produced various commissioned works. In 2018 and 2019, the group recorded music for Latvian Radio 1 and 2. TKP has also created dance music for choreographer Jānis Purviņš (“Zelta vija”, 2019; “Diksītis”, 2020; “Vidū jūras” – three dances for the Kurzeme Dance Festival, 2021). In 2022, it prepared a piece for the dancers at the Latvian Song Festival in Esslingen, Germany, titled “Meeting in Esslingen” as well as music for the “Balts” performance at the 2023 Song and Dance Festival. TKP’s song “Suņi” (Dogs) was included in the Sviests 9 ethno-music compilation (2022).

                                                                                                               Anete Stuce, 2022

photo Anrijs Požarskis