Hey USA! Hey Virginia! Hey Harrisonburg!

This is my new home and I am excited to be surrounded by the beautiful people and nature here.

We started our life in the states by expanding our family. I have a smart little puppy that fills my days with love and licks now.

I have been quiet for a while and I’d like to tell you what I’ve done and who I’ve met over this past year.

To come to the US was a lot of paperwork and over 15 months we changed three countries that we called home. From Japan to Latvia and finally here. Leaving Japan was a big step and I miss the people I left behind. I miss the music that we created there. But soon you will hear about “Uzmanību”, my Latvian folk band CD release. We managed to record a few songs before I had to go and you will be able to find it on Amazon and iTunes on October 25th. Akiko Mizoguchi owns a Latvian goods store SUBARU in Kobe, Japan, and together with her husband Shinichi Hada they created “Uzmanibu”. Then I joined and we kicked off with some great folk melodies and arrangements. She plays the Latvian folk instrument kokle. Shinichi Hada is an Arabic music violinist and then we found a great percussionist Aki Tanaka. We had a great time mixing and matching all our influences. It is a recording filled with good times and wonderful memories. I am glad it will be out there soon.

While in Latvia I was working with Laima Jansone, the Latvian kokle player and the one and only DJ Monsta. Definitely check them out. We had a tour around Japan which was a crazy 20 day journey bearing unforgettable fruit. They are both very special to me and their music is very special to the world. Such an interesting approach, so much creativity and self expression. Find, like and follow their work. Hope you get to hear them live sometime.

I also managed to make two of my dreams come true. First, participating in Saulkrasti Jazz Festival, which is a great place to hone your skills and hear the best from European Jazz.

The second being meeting the great singer, now a good friend of mine, Jolanta Gulbe Pashkevich and her husband Deniss Pashkevich. I was lucky enough to get a lot of singing advice from Jolanta and musical advice from Deniss. If you go to Latvia, and I hope you do, don’t miss out on Pashkevich Jazz Club. It opened recently and it is the place to hear the cream of the crop of Latvian and European Jazz.

While in Latvia I used my time to learn about my roots. Amazing folk artists, singers, kokle players gave me so much advice, so much material to work with. I thank them wholeheartedly. I only ruined one of their books with some late night wine. Very fruitful research. Pun intended. I am currently working on a Latvian folk program to hopefully present to you very soon. It doesn’t stop surprising me how much you get to know about your own country, your own self, while being away. Some questions are just never asked if you stay still. That being said, I am ready to settle down. Though with my passion of travel and excitement, who knows what will happen.

Over the past few years I have gathered a lot of information on singing, technique, voice habits and performance. I have used them all and played so many great gigs using all that new knowledge. Here in Harrisonburg I will be continuing and expanding my vocal coaching job and hopefully meeting lots of great singers. You will be hearing more from me about voice and singing.

Cheers!

Oh WOW!! I am just blown away about what is going on in September! Latvia in Japan is going on!

So here I am, after a bit of silence, where have I been?

I have been preparing some crazy things to happen in September in Japan, Osaka and Kobe. I cannot even believe it is happening.

So some awesome Latvian artists, that I am just blown away to have met, are coming to Japan!

Laima Jansone is one of the leading players of the Latvian traditional instrument called the kokle. And she is bringing DJ Monsta with her. He is an amazing musician that has a sweet spot for traditional music, and let me tell you, both of them together are making Latvian traditional music shine in a whole new spotlight. Laima is preparing a traditional meditative part of her program and then a kick ass bit together with a well known and amazingly talented drummer Eric Wiegmann.

Then vocal group Framest is coming to introduce the long singing traditions we Latvians have and you will hear their jazzy arrangements too. They have been touring Europe and China and recording with the Latvian celebrity maestro Raimonds Pauls, who is also famous in Japan with his song Million Roses (百万本のバラ). Maybe, THE most famous Latvian in Japan.

Anyway, how many times did I say “amazing” already?

So about the schedule:

• First Laima’s and DJ Monsta’s performance, you will be able to hear on the 20th of September at the Osaka History Museum at 11:00 during KMC (Kansai Music Conference) live.
• Following that, if you want to participate in a kokle workshop (bring your instrument whether it is kokle or kantele or some other fun thing you can play), reserve your time from 15:30 to 17:00 at the same History Museum.  IT IS ALL FOR FREE! More information and registration here: http://www.kansaimusicconference.com/latviawksp.html
• Then the 23rd of September, Osaka, Breeze Breeze department store, BALTIC FESTA LIVE at the new café verde CHIOSCO on the 4F. From 13:30 to 15:00. Laima & DJ Monsta, Framest and the new Latvian post-folk trio Uzmanibu will be having music fun. 2000 yen with specially made Latvian sweets (my mom’s recipe) by bakery LOLO from Higashikawa, Hokkaido. Please register. There are only 30 seats for this concert:info@nordicgarden.jp

Also, Baltic Festa in Breeze Breeze will be having a MARKET from 19th to 27th of September. So the whole week you will be able to participate in workshops and see and buy, taste and enjoy different things from Baltic states.

This time the main theme is Latvia. This is the first event like this ever and may never happen again, so this might be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Don’t miss out:

• GRAND EVENT: September 24th, Kobe, Higashi Nada Kumin Senta - Uhara Hall. Doors open from 17:30. LATVIA DAYS, LATVIA MUSIC CONCERT. This is the culmination of the Latvia events in September. Presentation about Latvia, Latvian music all around and more. FREE ENTRANCE!! Bring friends, family, coworkers, neighbors. Do you talk to people on the streets?Register here:ratobia.biyori@gmail.com (send your name, surname, number of people).  

Thank you everyone for all the help. I am hoping this will be a great chance for all of us to enjoy the beauty and music from my country, Latvia!

Yoroshk!

Ending my May with a live show at Sentan 4 in Kobe

Heyo, Una Ulla here.

I had the great opportunity to play together with Robin Eve (shakuhachi), Ronald Mason (guitar), Yasumas Koide (base) at Sentan 4 in Kobe. They are well seasoned musicians and great people. What a pleasure.
Here find their performance on NHK.

Sentan 4 is a  neat little place and the owner is the nicest guy. The atmosphere is great, then there is also a little Japanese garden outside. It is very homey. Nice place to wind down. 

Here is their blog and pictures from our show.

Nedaudz vēsture un džezs

Vēsturiski Japāna bija noslēgta valsts, un savas ostas atvēra tikai 19.gs beigās. Viena no lielākajām un nozīmīgākajām ostām atradās Kobē, Kansai reģionā. Citu tautu ēdieni, māksla, mūzika, arhitektūra un neskaitāmas citas lietas Japāna iepazina tieši caur Kansai reģionu. Un šoreiz stāsts par džezu. Arī džezs izplatījās visā pārējā Japānā, tieši no Kansai reģiona. Un joprojām Japānā pazīstamākā vieta, kur džeza mūzika sit augstu vilni, ir Kansai (Kobe, Osaka un Kyoto)

Man ir mērķis apmeklēt pēc iespējas vairāk mūzikas bāru un kafejnīcu šeit. Un šoreiz bija lielisks iemesls dieties uz Osaku. Japāna kā medus pievelk cilvēkus, un kā gan var tai pretoties. Jau neskaitāmo reizi Japānā viesojās Cathy Segal Garcia un Phillip Strange. Man bija tas gods viņus noķert iekš' JAZZ ON TOP. Nevaru beigt priecāties par šo tikšanos, lielisko atmosfēru un elpu aizraujošu priekšnesumu!

Cathy uz Japānu brauc vienu, divas reizes gadā, un viņas programmā ir koncerti un vorkšopi, vokālās privātstundas un tikšanās ar jauniem un seniem draugiem. Viņa ir skaista, talantīga un jauka, kas ir nenoliedzami uzvarošā kombinācija. Es biju gaidījusi šo tikšanos jau ilgi, jo izmantoju viņas grāmatu un videoklpus trenējoties vokālu. Cathy ir arī labi pazīstama vokālā pedagoģe un viņas mīlestība pret mūziku staro katrā skaņā, vardā un smaidā.  Viņa neliedz noderīgus padomus, un, liekas, no visas sirds rūpejas par saviem studentiem, un ar prieku dalās ar savu pieredzi.  Šeit arī viņas mājas lapa.

Phillip Strange ir vienreizējs pianists. Koncertā izpildīja arī dažas savas kompozīcijas. Meistarīgi melodiski un emociju bagāti skaņdarbi. Vēl man bija prieks pirmo reizi redzēt un dzirdēt Kodama Yuriko. Lieliska, jauna džeza dziedātāja.  Pa vienam, divatā, pēc tam trijatā, viņi sniedza dinamisku, emocionālu un neatkārtojamu priekšnesumu.

Jazz on Top ir jauks džeza bārs, ar pilnu programmu, gandrīz vai katrai mēneša dienai. Džeza bāra īpašniece pati ir dziedātāja, un uzstājas regulāri. papildus notiek pasaulē slavenu mākslinieku koncerti mājīgā gaisotnē. Gandrīz katru mēnesi notiek vokālās nodarbības meistaru un viesmeistaru pavadībā. Bārs ir pilns ar džeza platēm un leģendāriem ierakstiem, kā arī pulcē daudz un dažādus vietējos un viesmūziķus.

Nekas nespēj pārspēt dzīvos koncertus, tādēļ šis svētdienas vakars bija patiess baudījums. Labāk nemēdz būt. Ķeršu Cathy nākamo reizi Japānā. Lai dzīvo mūzika, lai dzīvo džezsssssssssss.

KMC Vibes with Liu Wei, hulusi and singing...

Kobe is a place where many cultures come together. Some time ago on KMC Vibes we had the pleasure to talk to Liu Wei, musician with Chinese and Mongolian background, playing a traditional flute, called "hulusi". I was totally mesmerized with the sound of hulusi and Liu Wei's singing. Give it a listen here.

ようこそ！

私のブログへようこそいらっしゃいました。

うな・うらと申します。ラトビア出身で、シンガーソングライターです。

このブログでは、日本で生活しながら、音楽の活動、アドヴェンチャー、ニュースについて書きたいと思います。

今は新しいCDを作り始めて、その経験についてもちょこちょこ書きたいと思います。役に立つ情報となれば大変嬉しいと思います。新しい知識楽しみにしています。

よろしく～～～

うな・うら

Hello!

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Here I will write about my adventures, experiences and news in music from Japan.

I am on the way to produce my first CD here in Japan. How will I do it and how does the music market work here in Japan? I will write about exactly that and on the way will definitely learn a lot. I hope this experience will be useful to you too.

See you!

Una Ulla