Māra Eglīte speaks emotionally about Raimonds Pauls leaving Latvian Radio
Radio Theatre head Māra Eglīte has shared her thoughts on Raimonds Pauls' departure from Latvian Radio, saying their years of joint work and friendship meant a great deal to her. It remains unclear whether their informal meetings will continue.
Māra Eglīte, who heads Latvian Radio's Radio Theatre, spoke to the magazine "Privātā Dzīve" about composer Raimonds Pauls' decision to leave the broadcaster. Eglīte and Pauls have been linked for many years not only as colleagues but also as close friends, making the news of the Maestro's departure a personal matter for her.
The Radio Theatre head said she does not want to speculate on the reasons behind Pauls' decision, but stressed that their joint work at Latvian Radio has been highly significant. At Pauls' initiative, the two created several programs together, the most recent being "Sirds tāda nemierīga," based on motifs from Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš's play "Jo pliks, jo traks."
Eglīte recalled that Pauls had another idea, which she suggested carrying out this autumn, but he replied that time would tell. She expressed gratitude to Pauls for their shared work, conversations, ideas and jokes over the years.
An informal tradition
The relationship between Eglīte and Pauls extended beyond work. She has previously spoken of a so-called "club of intriguers," which also included colleague Māris Briežkalns, who shared an office with the Maestro for fifty years. The trio used their meetings to discuss all manner of news and developments.
Now that Pauls is leaving Latvian Radio, Eglīte says she is uncertain whether these informal gatherings will continue. In her words, only time — and health — will tell whether the tradition endures. A fuller account of the conversation has been published in the latest issue of "Privātā Dzīve."
