New quiz tests how well readers can tell Pauls' and Brauns' songs apart

The Latvian news portal "la.lv" has published an entertaining knowledge quiz centered on some of the most recognizable songs in Latvian music. The task sounds simple but proves tricky: for each song, readers must guess which of two celebrated composers, Raimonds Pauls or Mārtiņš Brauns, actually wrote it.

According to the quiz's creators, both composers left behind such a substantial and, at times, strikingly similar musical legacy that correctly identifying the author becomes a genuine challenge even for passionate fans of Latvian music. The featured songs are so deeply embedded in everyday life that people sing them around campfires, hum them while driving, and belt them out at concerts.

The opening question

As an example, the quiz opens with the song "Saule, Pērkons, Daugava," asking readers to choose which of the two composers wrote it. In total, the quiz includes ten such questions, each requiring a choice between the two composers.

The authors note that only the most knowledgeable fans of Latvian music manage to answer every question correctly, since despite their distinct creative styles, the two composers' songs often blend together in listeners' minds as one shared, inseparable part of Latvian cultural heritage.