Latvian voices new album “Rotā” features Baltic folk song arrangements

Latvian a cappella ensemble Latvian Voices have now, for more than fifteen years, been one of the premiere vocal groups actively working today. Performing throughout Europe and around the world, their singing talents and ability have earned them extensive praise and plaudits.

The group, led by soprano, composer and arranger Laura Jēkbsone, also includes Beāte Krūmiņa, Zane Stafecka-Tene, Paula Pērkone, Una Stade, and Jānis Strazdiņš (who, having joined in 2020, was the first male voice in the ensemble).

The group has also actively recorded, and their most recent album – their 11^th album overall – Rotā was released in 2025. Their 10^th album – SNIEGums – was released in 2024 and featured winter and Christmas songs.

Rotā features arrangements of Latvian and other Baltic culture folk songs, all by Jēkabsone. Jēkabsone’s composition and arrangement abilities result in multi-layered and nuanced interpretations of songs like ‘Vakarā kalnā kāpu’, where all the voices of the group are woven together to create a spirited and exultant performance that celebrates the power of song.

Themes of singing appear in many of the songs on the album, such as on the undulating and flowing ‘Es bij' liela dziedātāja’, as well as on the playful and rhythmic ‘Jo dziedāju, jo skanēja’.

The Latgale region of Latvia represented by two arrangements, the touching and heartfelt arrangement of the song ‘Muote dieleņu auklieja’, a song of a mother nurturing a son who will grow up to be a soldier, as well ‘Zvīdzi, zvīdzi sērmais zirdzeņ’, a which is about a young man who is desperate to avoid war, but the only one who will provide the funds to release him is his bride, who has to sell her bridal crown.

The majestic arrangement of the song ‘Rotā’ features the rich bass of Jānis Strazdiņš, and having a male voice in the ensemble adds additional dimensions and layers to the group’s sound.

The album also contains arrangements of not just folk songs from Latvia, but Lithuania (the bouncy ‘Titity, Tatatoj’) and Estonia (the energetically pulsating ‘Ilus Hääl’), displaying Jēkabsone’s arrangement skills with the songs of other nations

Enthusiastic and exuberant, the songs on Rotā, with their rich, layered arrangements, confirm again Latvian Voices’ place as one of the premiere a cappella ensembles active today. Jēkabsone’s arrangements, with their intricate structures and harmonies, allow each voice in the ensemble to shine and display their vocal skills and talents. The lustrous and radiant voices of Latvian Voices make Rotā a memorable entry in their discography.

For further information, please visit the Latvian Voices website.

Rotā

Latvian Voices

2025

Track listing:

1. Vakarā kalnā kāpu
2. Es bij' liela dziedātāja
3. Muote dieleņu auklieja
4. Zvīdzi, zvīdzi sērmais zirdzeņ
5. Jo dziedāju, jo skanēja
6. Titity, Tatatoj
7. Ilus Hääl
8. Ik vakara es dziedāju
9. Rotā
10. Mana dziesma neizdziedāta

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