Saucējas - "Kiukoj, Uoru Dzagiuzeite"

Saucējas is an ensemble for which the exploration of traditional singing is an important part of the creative process. The singers, all women, have recorded albums in various dialects, and their most recent major work is a double album and study of traditional singing environments, titled Dabā (In nature). The members of the group share the common goal of learning and promoting Latvian traditional singing styles and techniques. Saucējas specialize in traditional polyphony, and their repertoire includes various types of Latvian traditional polyphony, from the oldest examples of drone polyphony to songs of more recent origin. The group builds its repertoire by working with audio recordings as well as written sources in which traditional songs have been recorded.

The song “Kiukoj uoru dzagiuzeite” (The cuckoo’s song) is from Dabā, which provides a unique and broad insight into Latvian traditional vocal music. Up until the first half of the 20th century, the main environment for this type of singing was outdoors in the natural landscape, the conditions of which significantly influenced the content, form and performance of the songs. A video has also been made for this multipart song from Kārsava, capturing the Saucējas singers outdoors in a verdant Latvian summer.