On 18 November, we will celebrate the 108th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia in Brīvības Square with a grand celebratory concert, “Landscapes of Freedom”, followed by a light show.
The central motif of the concert “Landscapes of Freedom” is the majestic tree: a symbol of the Latvian state, nation and culture. Just as a tree takes deep root in the ground, withstands storms and continues to grow, so too has Latvia, throughout its history, demonstrated its ability to overcome difficulties, preserve its values and renew itself.
“The concept and repertoire of the concert are based on the eight landscapes of the Latvian Cultural Canon, revealing the diversity created by the interaction between Latvia’s nature and its people. Through lighting, video projections and scenography, the majestic tree will transform into various representations of Latvia’s natural landscapes. “The tree will become a unifying symbol, bringing together places, people and generations across Latvia,” says Sandis Kalniņš, the concert’s director.
The concert will feature Aija Andrejeva, Asnate Rancāne, Dagnis Roziņš, Rihards Mačanovskis, the vocal group “Neaizmirstulītes” and the trio “Oranžās”. The concert will be accompanied by Gundars Caune (keyboards), Raitis Aukšmuksts (percussion), Kristens Kupčs (electric and acoustic guitar), Rolands Stepanovs (bass guitar) and Artūrs Sebris (saxophone). The concert will be presented by actors Līga Zeļģe and Mārtiņš Brūveris.
This concert’s concept was devised and directed by Sandis Kalniņš, whilst Austra Sniķere co-authored the concept and was the set designer and video artist. The music producer is Uldis Timma, the stylist is Dace Grīnberga, the lighting designers are Jānis Pētersons and Rihards Kauliņš, and the sound engineer is Mārtiņš Porters.
The festive concert will conclude at 20.00 with an address by the President of Latvia and the Latvian national anthem. Meanwhile, from 20.10 to 23.00, a light show will be on display in Brīvības Square; it will last four to five minutes and will be repeated every ten minutes.
The event programme at Brīvības Square on 18 November:
18.00 – 18.45 Concert by the folk group “Vilkači”;
19.00 – 20.00 Festive concert “Landscapes of Freedom”;
20.00 – 20.10 Address by the President of Latvia, and the national anthem;
20.10 – 23.00 Light show (the show lasts 4 to 5 minutes and is repeated every 10 minutes).
This is one of the events in Riga marking the anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia. You can find information about the national holiday events in Riga on the website www.kultura.riga.lv and by following the Riga City Council’s social media pages “Rīga” and “Rīgā notiek”.
Information was prepared by the External Communication Division of the Communication Department of the Riga local government, e-mail: mediji@riga.lv
