Jōra - "Eima, eima"
Jōra describes itself as a Scandinavian/Baltic post-folk group. Its repertoire focuses on post-folk interpretations of Latvian folk music as well as Scandinavian-inspired compositions. Jōra was formed in 2020 and consists of four musicians: Dārta Drava (violin, voice), Lauma Matule (kokle, overtone flute, wooden flute, voice), Ivars Štubis (guitar, bass, voice) and Kalvis Vītols (percussion, voice). Drava and Matule have studied ethnomusicology in Riga, Štubis grew up in an Australian-Latvian family and moved to Latvia relatively recently, and Vītols is a member of a large family of folklorists from Vidzeme in central Latvia. Jōra means ‘lake’ in the Livonian language, and this name symbolises the waters that connect various geographical areas and regions, just as Jōra does through its music. The group’s music features traditional melodies from various nations, which are combined in a unique sound and touch on themes such as the solstices, the interaction between humans and nature, and the human life cycle and interrelationships, while its instrumental pieces are based on dance melodies.
The song “Eima, eima!” (Let’s go, let’s go) is from the group’s first full-length album, titled Tatata (2023). It takes the listener on a musical journey through a Latgalian homestead accompanied by a song composed by our ancestors. The piece is based on the melody and text of a Latvian folk song and features two voices, guitar with effects, bass, violin and percussion.