Artūrs Uškāns releases joint song “Tāls radio” with Ieva Akuratere and Leons Sējāns
Musician Artūrs Uškāns has released the song “Tāls radio”, recorded with Ieva Akuratere and Leons Sējāns. The release comes as he prepares an anniversary festival in Rēzekne, Valmiera and Ulbroka.
Artūrs Uškāns has released a new song, “Tāls radio” (“Distant Radio”), recorded with singer Ieva Akuratere and guitarist Leons Sējāns.
Uškāns says he finished the lyrics and music about ten years ago, when he lived in the Pļavnieki “nine-storey district”. Even then he suggested singing it together with Akuratere, who had been a guest at his previous anniversary concert at the Latgale Embassy Gors. The studio recording had to wait: the three agreed that the song finally had to be recorded backstage at a concert in support of Ukraine.
According to the musician, “Tāls radio” is a post-punk-flavoured song about loneliness and a slight ache for what has been lost, yet its main message is optimistic: “Rock and roll is still alive, so everything will be fine.” The song began taking shape when radio still felt distant and people listened to Voice of America and the BBC on shortwave.
The recording features Akuratere's voice and Sējāns's guitar. Uškāns sings, plays bass guitar, piano and synthesizer, and programmed the drums. He is also the composer, lyricist and producer, as well as the originator, producer, director and editor of the music video. Both the audio and the video were made at the studio Etnisko skaņu laboratorija.
Anniversary festival this autumn
The song appears as Uškāns prepares a large anniversary festival taking place this autumn in Rēzekne, Valmiera and Ulbroka. He will be joined on stage by friends and colleagues: singers Ieva Akuratere and Brigita Reisone, actress Raimonda Vazdika, musician Juris Ostrovskis, the guitar trio A3, the ethno group Ogas, the band Laimas muzykanti, the ethnographic ensemble Vabaļis and the Riga Stradiņš University mixed choir Rīga. Accompaniment will be provided by an instrumental band led by Matīss Uškāns.
The programme includes songs from the LTV show “Pārdziedi mani!”, premieres and surprises, including a long-planned duet with Raimonds Vazdiks. Uškāns describes the musical range as a journey from choir and opera music to hard rock. Audiences will hear Bizet's “Habanera” and Raimonds Pauls's song “Latgalei”, as well as the author's own songs and folk song arrangements.
Tickets are available through the Biļešu paradīze network.
