In the song “Žēl man bija”, a poignant story is told of a young girl leaving to join her husband and parting from her beloved friend. The story is brought to life by the ethno group “OGAS” and guitarist Armands Alksnis. “Žēl man bija” is the second single from the group’s upcoming third album, expected at the end of the year. The album is being released with support from the project “Rokam roku”, organized by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation.
As part of the “Rokam roku” project, the ethno group “OGAS” creates arrangements of traditional Rucava songs in a rock music style, preserving the local dialect and highlighting the lives and experiences of the people of South Courland.
In the song “Žēl man bija”, several region-specific word forms can be heard, and the story conveys that—no matter how good a husband may be—true girlfriends are always irreplaceable.
The song was once recorded at the Latvian National Library’s Art and Music Center recording studio by Aigars Lielbārdis, a researcher at the Latvian Folklore Repository, as performed by the Rucava Ethnographic Ensemble. This recording is one of the sources that inspired the repertoire selection for the “Rokam roku” project. The emotional message of “Žēl man bija” is brought to life through Ilze Jurjāne-Lapkovska’s heartfelt vocals and Armands Alksnis’s distinctive guitar sound, creating a powerful synergy between folk and rock music. “Working on the songs for the Rucava project is a big challenge,” says Armands Alksnis. “Each folk song is so different—it’s like a real gem—and it takes time to find the right musical colors.”
The arrangement of the ballad “Žēl man bija” was created by the group’s musician Ilze Jurjāne-Lapkovska. Recording and mixing were done by Artūrs Uškāns (Ethnic Sound Laboratory), and mastering was carried out by Kaspars Bārbals (Lauska).
The guitar was recorded at the Armandsound studio.
Speaking about the overall sound of the song, musician and arranger Ilze Grunte says: “The ethno group “OGAS” successfully continues their approach to arrangement, blending the timbres of traditional folk instruments with the power of rock music to create a striking message. The story is given a special sense of drama through the vivid instrumental section. It’s fascinating to hear the interplay between the voice and the diverse instruments, which leads to an emotional experience.”
Listen to the song “Žēl man bija” open.spotify.com
The song was created with the financial support of the Liepāja 2027 Foundation and the Latvian Ministry of Culture.
Igeta Ozoliņa
Phone: +371 29256670
Email: ogas.worldmusic@gmail.com
On Monday, 6 October at 16:00, a memorandum of cooperation will be formally signed at the Liepāja Museum (Kūrmājas prospekts 16/18) between the Liepāja 2027 Foundation, the British Embassy in Latvia and the British Council in Latvia. The agreement will strengthen collaboration in the fields of culture, community engagement and civic activity.
Last weekend, on 27 September, Ambassadors of the 2027 European Capital of Culture initiative from across Latvia convened in Liepāja. The purpose of this gathering was to initiate the process of sharing insights on the programme of events that have been developed for 2027. These insights included discussions on the suitability of these events for various target audiences.
From September 23 to 25, Liepāja 2027 welcomes guests from Japan and the Netherlands, who represent the international network of arts organizations “Port Journeys”. The network brings together port municipalities from around the world to build relations based on cross-cultural exchange and to engage in creative community development, cultural facilities, and artists.