Defenders of Riga (Rigas sargi) is a 2007 Latvian drama film. Latvia submitted it to the 2007 Academy Awards for consideration for Best Foreign Language Film, but it was not nominated. The film is based on the book Clock in Reverse (Pulkstenis ar atpakaļgaitu) by Andris Kolbergs, who also contributed to the screenplay. The film […]

The Summer of Saingalė (Sangailės vasara) is a Lithuanian drama film from 2016. Lithuania selected it as its entry to the 2016 Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. It did, however, receive many other international awards. The film tells the story of two young women, Saingalė and Austė. They meet at an air show: Saingalė wants […]

Aminata Savadogo (she often goes by just Aminata) is a Latvian contemporary singer. Her music is influenced by her multiethnic roots—Russia, Latvia, and Burkina Faso—and displays a sound refreshing and unusual in today’s Latvia. She sings mostly in English, sometimes in Russian, and rarely in Latvian. According to her official biography, “her strong and unique […]

Golden Parazyth is a Lithuanian band that first appeared in 2005. Their genre is pretty broad, encompassing electronica, pop, classic rock, and alternative rock. Its current members are Giedrius Širka (GP; producer, lead vocals, electronic instruments, guitar) and Aurimas Vilkišius (Keta or K@; producer, backing vocals, electronic instruments, keyboards). They sing in Lithuanian and English. GP […]

Leon Somov & Jazzu is a contemporary Lithuanian band. They refer to themselves as pop/electronica, but their music has a deep, soulful edge that transcends and defies those genres. They sing in both Lithuanian and English. The group was created by Leonas Somovas (Leon Somov) and Justė Arlauskaitė (Jazzu) in 2007. Somov is the band’s leader and […]

Antis is a Lithuanian postmodernist rock band that’s been around since 1984. The name literally translates as “duck,” but in Lithuanian it also refers to… fake news!—or more accurately, “a false mass media sensation,” as the band puts it. This had a lot of resonance when the band first formed, at the end of the Soviet […]

Dagö is an Estonian folk/ethno band. They formed in 1998 and have been active on and off to the present day, though their main popularity and success came in the early 2000s. The band’s name is taken from the historic (German/Swedish) name for Hiiumaa, an island off the northwest coast of Estonia. The founding members were Lauri Saatpalu […]

Windward Land (Tuulepealne maa) is an Estonian television miniseries that tells the story of some of the most dramatic years in Estonia’s history. Its 12 episodes, each about an hour long, aired in 2008. A 13th episode aired in 2013. The series takes place from World War One through World War Two, encompassing Estonia’s war […]