Aija Andrejeva is a popular contemporary Latvian singer. Also known by her stage name, Aisha, she is mostly a pop singer, and most of her music is in Latvian. According to her website, “Aija has been called a little bomb—her energy, cheerfulness and lightness of spirit on the stage hypnotizes and literally takes everybody’s breath away.”
Born in Ogre, Latvia, in 1986, Andrejeva was immersed in the world of music from early on. Her father, Oļeg Andrejev, was the lead singer of the Latvian hard rock band Opus Pro, which was active from 1986 to 2011. He has recently begun performing again, sometimes with his daughter. Andrejeva began singing when she was only 5: her first big success was coming in second place in the youth music competition Calis ’91.
Aija’s career started around 2004, when she joined the TV show Musical Theater Factory (Fabrikas muzikālais teātris) and performed in a musical that next summer. She then began touring with her father, and from then on embarked on a heavy schedule of recording singles, performing in musical theater, and giving concerts. In 2006 she released her first album, Tu un Es (You and I), a collaboration with her father. Her first solo album, Viss kārtībā, Mincīt!, appeared in 2008.
Andrejeva has released four albums to date, with her most recent, Mazais princis, having appeared in 2016. Other highlights of her career include her participation in the New Wave Music Festival (a festival for young up-and-coming alternative musicians popular worldwide; until recently it took place at the Latvian seaside town Jūrmala), where she came in fourth place and won the audience favorite award. She also represented Latvia in Eurovision 2010. (She did not advance to the finals.)
“Coffee Cup” (“Kafijas krūze”), 2012:
Lyrics for “Kafijas krūze”:
Bet es neparko, tos neadotu,
Tos vienkāršos Ritus, mūsējos.
Bet es neparko, it nepārdotu,
it kafijas krūzi, tavējo.
R. Tā jau Ilgi Stav these plauktā,
Tā jau Ilgi atpūšās.
Tā jau Ilgi gaida tavus brīžus,
Vienkāršos un nesteidzīgos,
Pierastos un nesavtīgis.
Bet nu vairs neko,
Mums jāpārdzīvo.
Tos virntuļos mirkļus, pelēkos,
Es visu atdodtu,
Lai tik redzētu,
it kafijas krūzi, pielieto.
R. Tā jau Ilgi Stav these plauktā,
Tā jau Ilgi atpūšās.
Tā jau Ilgi gaida tavus brīžus,
Vienkāršos un nesteidzīgos,
Pierastos un nesavtīgis.
“Black Corset” (“Melnā korsete”):
Lyrics for “Melnā korsete”:
Ir vakars vēls,
un apraso kā glāze,
nāk mēness glaudīt,
naktī melno ādu,
bet čaklām rokām izmisums,
sāk sirdī stādīt
melnus sāpju stādus.
Es smoku nakts melnajā korsetē
un dīvainākais, ka tu esi te.
Es smoku nakts melnajā korestē,
un dīvainākais ka tu esi te.
Prāts iemeslus meklē,
kā sēņotāji sēnes,
bet dvēselei ir acis cieši sietas,
spīd sārts un pilnasīgs mēness,
tik nekautrīgs un nekust ne no vietas.
Es smoku nakts melnajā korsetē,
un dīvainākais, ka tu esi te.
Es smoku nakts melnajā korsetē,
un dīvainākais, ka tu esi te.
Cik sabiezēts,
cik smacīgs,
samta gaiss.
Un bēniņos cik dobji pulsē zvans,
cik teatrāls šis izmisums es teiktu,
cik uzspēlēts, ja nebūtu tas pants,
cik teatrāls, ja nebūtu tas pants.
