ZODIAC RETURNS / group farewell tour
16 September 6pm
Daugavpils Culture Castle,
92 Smilsu street
The Festival “Daugavpils ReStArt” will be opened by band “Zodiaks”
September 16th at 6pm in Daugavpils Culture Castle (92 Smilsu street). The 12th Music and Art festival "Daugavpils ReStArt 2023" will be opened by band “Zodiaks’s” farewell concert.
Musicians of the legendary band Zodiaks have experienced their return to stage this summer. Composer Jānis Lūsēns has reunited the once popular duo – Zigfrīds Muktupāvels and Maija Lusēna - and the guitarist Aivars Gudrais. 45 years after establishing the band, cosmic instrumental music will be performed on a single programme for the last time (”Pacific”, “Rock on ice”, “Provincial Disco”, “Zodiac”) and the popular songs („Taisnība”, “Vējš”, “Tēvu zeme”, “Manas mīļākās puķes”, “Pūt, vējiņi”, „Mirušais gadsimts”, “Dziedi jel”, “Bohēmieša dziesma”, “Viegls rokenrols pa radio” u.c.). The concerts are the band’s musicians big THANK YOU to their fans and followers.
The founders of the Soviet electronic music – Latvian band Zodiaks started their musical experiments with cosmic sounds already in the 1970s, performing the unusual for that period electronically synthetical music. They got their inspiration from such performers as J.M.Jarre, Space and Kraftwerk. Band’s musical experiments gained the support and love of their followers not only in the Soviet Union but also in Japan, Austria, Finland and in other countries. The recording “Disco Alliance” became No.1 in the USSR in 1980, and with its contemporary and precise melodies the album was on the same level as Western pop music hits. The album experienced a huge number of recordings, as more than 20 million copies were sold.
“We lived in the times of developed socialism and it wasn’t easy to play rock music. Contradicting the cannons of the Soviet stage music, the genre already in its beginnings had a dissident hue in the Soviet Union”, remembers the composer Janis Lusens. “After “Pērkons’s” scandal with the demolished train, the restrictions were more severe and it was necessary to find ways to pretend loyal to the Soviet regime. I decided to change the band’s name to Zodiaks (the Latvian ending ks), owing to the huge success of the first album the new name did not cause any suspicion of anti-state mood. Though it did not change the beliefs. The main soloists became Maija Lūsēna un Zigfrīds Muktupāvels. With its inspiring, patriotic, professionally written songs “Taisnība”, “Tēvu zeme”, “Mirušais gadsimts” Zodiaks became one of the leaders of the Song Revolution in the 80s. In 1987 and 1989 in the famous festival “Liepājas Dzintars” Zodiaks was awarded “Grand Prix” – as a nice recognition of their contribution. In 2023 these songs will definitely sound differently but the message remains the same. Voices of Maija and Zigfrīds will cause a pleasant thrill – similar to one hearing the first music sounds from the TV show “Labvakar, Latvija”.
The joy of reunion expresses Maija Lūsēna whose talent, brightness and artistic qualities were at their highest level in the gold times of “Zodiaks”. “I am grateful for being able to return to my beginnings after a long way of many attempts to find my voice in the music, putting the vibration of the soul in first place. The beginning of this road was Zodiaks”, emphasizes Maija.
Since the end of active performances in the 90s, there were only a couple of times when the band came together to perform and each time it turned out to be a memorable event in the life of music.
In the summer tour Jānis Lūsens, Zigfrīds Muktupāvels and Aivars Gudrais will be accompanied by Kristens Kupčs (guitar), Jānis Lūsēns jun. (bass), Harijs Gūtmanis (drums), Uģis Upenieks (percussions) un Sarma Liede, Austra Kozuliņa, Toms Kalderauskis (back vocal).
Tickets: Daugavpils Culture Castle Booking office (every weekday 4pm-7pm) and Booking office of Biļešu paradise and on internet (www.bilesuparadize.lv). Price 15-30 euros.
XII Music and Art Festival Daugavpils ReStArt 2023 is organized by:
Daugavpils state city municipality establishment “Vienibas Nams”, Daugavpils Culture Support Association, Stanislavs Broks Daugavpils Music Secondary School, Daugavpils Culture Castle. Supported by Daugavpils state city municipality.
The events of IX Music and Art Festival “Daugavpils ReStArt 2020” are photographed and filmed for the publicity and historical needs of Cultural Department.
Information: www.daugavpilsrestart.lv, www.vnfestivals.lv, www.vienibasnams.lv, www.daugavpils.lv
