Imants Kalniņš facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Imants Kalniņš
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| Background information | |
| Born | 26 May 1941 |
| Origin | Riga, Latvian SSR (now Latvia) |
| Genres | Classical music, Choral music, Rock music |
| Occupation(s) | composer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1964–present |
Imants Kalniņš (born May 26, 1941) is a famous Latvian composer, musician, and politician. He studied classical and choir music. He has written many different types of music. This includes seven symphonies, several operas (like the first rock opera in the Soviet Union, Ei, jūs tur!), and music for movies and plays. But he is most famous for his rock songs. In 2021, he won the Grand Music Award for his amazing work over many years.
He was also a member of the Saeima, which is Latvia's parliament. He served there from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1998 to 2010. He represented the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK party.
Contents
Life and Music Career
Imants Kalniņš was born on May 26, 1941, in Riga, which was then part of the Latvian SSR.
Early Rock Music
In the 1960s, Kalniņš led a rock band called 2xBBM in Liepāja. People loved this band because of their heartfelt songs and free-spirited style. Kalniņš became a symbol for his generation's ideas and feelings. The band was even forced to stop playing by the authorities.
However, Kalniņš's music continued to be popular. Another very famous band, Menuets, played almost only his songs.
Return to Symphonic Music
In the 1970s, Kalniņš started writing more symphonic music again. In 1984, he created a rock oratorio called Kā jūra, kā zeme, kā debess (Like the sea, like the earth, like the sky). He worked on this with Juris Kulakovs and Juris Sējāns.
This oratorio was the first public performance for the band Pērkons. With Pērkons, Kalniņš returned to rock and roll. He wrote many new songs for them. These songs also led him to start his own band, Turaidas Roze, in 1985. However, this band did not become as famous as Menuets or Pērkons.
Role in the Singing Revolution
During the Singing Revolution, Kalniņš was very active in the Popular Front of Latvia. This group played a key role in helping Latvia become independent from the Soviet Union.
The Imantdienas Festival
The "Imantdienas" ('The Days of Imants') festival is strongly connected to Kalniņš. It was very popular during the Soviet times, so it was banned. The festival started again in 1995. Since then, it has happened every year, except for 1997 and 2009. It is still as popular as it was before.
Later Collaborations
More recently, Imants Kalniņš has worked with the well-known Latvian musician Ainars Mielavs!. They have released several albums together. These albums mostly feature Kalniņš's music. Some titles include Par lietām, kas tā ar' nekad nepāriet (About things that never truly go away) (1997), Es redzēju sapnī (I Saw in a dream) (1998), and I Love You (1999). Even with the English title, most songs on I Love You have Latvian lyrics.
In 2000, the music for the 1973 movie "Blow, wind, blow" was re-recorded. The Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and many famous singers performed it.
In 1973, Kalniņš composed the song "In the city where the wind is born!". This song became the official anthem of Liepāja in 1999.
In April 2015, after he translated the Quran from Arabic to Latvian, some news reports said Kalniņš had converted to Islam. However, Kalniņš himself later said these reports were not true.
Private Life
Imants Kalniņš has been married five times and has seven children. His third marriage was to actress Helga Dancberga, who passed away in 2019. They had three children: Dana Kalniņa-Zaķe, who leads a healthcare chaplain association; actress Rēzija Kalniņa; and pastor Krists Kalniņš. Since 1999, he has been married to Agra.
Musical Works
Orchestral Music
Symphonies
- No. 1 (1964)
- No. 2 (1965)
- No. 3 (1968)
- No. 4 with Soprano (1973)
- No. 4 (revised without singer)
- No. 5 (1979)
- No. 6 with Choir (2001)
- No. 7 (2015)
Concertos
- Concerto for Cello (1963)
- Concerto for Orchestra (1966)
- Concerto for Oboe (2012)
Other Orchestral Works
- Symphonic Miniature, Santa Cruz (2015)
Vocal Music
Oratorios
- October Oratorio (1967)
- The Poet and the Mermaid
- Morning Hours
Rock Operas
- Hello, Out There (Ei, jūs turl!) (1971)
- I Played, I Danced
Music for Theater
- The Prince and The Pauper
- The Three Musketeers
- Motorcycle (based on poetry by Imants Ziedonis) (1967)
Film Music
- Blow, Wind (Pūt, vējiņi!) (1973)
