Ojārs Raimonds Pauls (born 12 January 1936) is a Latvian composer and a pianist who is well known in the Baltic countries and Eastern Europe. He was the Minister of Culture of Latvia from 1988 to 1993.

His songs were performed by such popular singers as Alla Pugacheva, Valery Leontyev, Laima Vaikule, Jaak Joala, Roza Rymbayeva, Svetlana Loboda, Nora Bumbiere, Viktors Lapčenoks and others.

Biography

Raimonds Pauls is the second child of Iļģuciems' glass blowing factory worker Voldemārs Pauls and seamstress Alma Matilde Brodele. His father Voldemārs, began his career at the age of 15 years, when he joined his father (Raimonds Pauls' grandfather, Ādolfs Pauls) at the factory. Meanwhile, Voldemārs' mother, Aleksandra, respectively Raimonds' grandmother, hired an assistant at her shop – Alma. In 1932, Voldemārs and Alma celebrated their wedding. Unfortunately, their firstborn son, Gunārs Voldemārs died from meningitis at the age of four months.

As Raimonds' father has played drums and his grandfather – violin, Voldemārs decides that his son should also play a musical instrument. Equipped with an old violin, Raimonds got into Riga's Institute of Music kindergarten branch. As it was decided by the teachers that he was too young and "his fingers were unfit" for playing violin, Raimonds started with piano lessons.

In 1943, Raimonds began his studies at Riga's 7th Elementary school, while, in parallel, continuing to take piano lessons with the professor Valerijs Zosts and teachers Emma Eglīte and Juta Daugule.

In 1946, Raimonds was admitted to the Secondary Musical School of Emīls Dārziņš, combining his studies at the elementary school for three years. At the age of 14, Raimonds gained experience playing piano at restaurants and clubs with a violin and saxophone virtuoso, Gunārs Kušķis. In 1949, he finished his studies at Riga's 7th Elementary School. During this time, he independently developed a liking for playing jazz by studying and imitating various jazz records.

Awards

  • August 1967 – Celebrated Servant of Art
  • 1994 – Laureate of the Big Musical Award (for the poetic performance "" ('Every Tree You See By God is Given Thee'), the concert ('It's Time for Swing') and the CD ('In Christmas'))
  • 2013 – Order of Honour (Armenia)
  • 2020 – Order of the Rising Sun 3rd Class, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (Japan)
  • 2025 – decorated with the Order of the Three Stars (1st class)

Major works

Musicals

  • (Lovers Who Get It) (1976)
  • (Sister Carrie) after the Theodore Dreiser novel (1978)
  • (Come to the Boys) (1982)
  • (A Matter of the Devil) (1987)
  • (Forest Swans) (1995)
  • (The Legend of the Green Maiden) (2000)

Ballets

  • (Melodies of Cuba) (1963)
  • (Rhythms, Rhythms) (1979)
  • (Stained Glass Panels) (1979)

Theatre performances

30 theatre performances, including:

  • (A Short Instruction in Love)
  • (The Ingenious Nanny)
  • (Sherlock Holmes)
  • (Brand)
  • (John Neiland)
  • (Elizabeth – Queen of England)
  • (The Count of Monte Cristo)
  • (Paradise of Ladies)
  • (The Melancholic Waltz)

Puppet shows:

  • (The Belly Tomcat)
  • (The Two Imps)
  • (The Fourth Vertebra)

Films

Music for more than 30 movies, including: Before the 2002 elections he joined the People's Party and was elected on its party list in 2002 and 2006. Pauls ran in the 1999 presidential election and received the highest number of votes, but below the required majority. He chose to decline the post.

After Latvia re-established independence, Pauls continued his musical work, most notably working with , the most popular children's group in Latvia at the time. In 1996, he went on a tour with singer Laima Vaikule, which included concert locations in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and New York City.

Works

As of 2004, Pauls has composed music for six musical films and musical theaters, three ballets and over 50 movies and theater performances. CDs with Pauls' music have been released in several countries outside Latvia, including Russia, Finland, and Japan. In 2006 he recorded a double album of jazz music, My Favourite Melodies/So Many Stars – a long-awaited venture by the pianist into the jazz genre.

References

  • Official site