Pērkons (band) facts for kids

Pērkons (which means "thunder" in Latvian) is a famous rock band from Latvia. They became very popular in the 1980s and are still performing today. The band is known for its powerful music and songs that often spoke about things others were afraid to discuss.

The main members of Pērkons include Juris Kulakovs on keyboard and for writing songs, Juris Sējāns on bass guitar and vocals, and Leons Sējāns on lead guitar. Ieva Akurātere and Raimonds Bartaševics are also important vocalists, and Dainis Strazdiņš plays the drums.

The Sound of Pērkons

When Pērkons first started, they played two very different types of music. One was instrumental classical music. The other was wild rock'n'roll, sometimes even sounding like hard rock. The band became much more famous for their rock music.

Their songs quickly became very popular with young people. The lyrics often talked about feelings and ideas that no one else dared to mention publicly. This made their music feel special and important to many fans.

Challenging the Rules

Pērkons often faced challenges from the authorities in the Soviet Union, which controlled Latvia at the time. In 1983, the band was banned for no clear reason. Even though they were banned, they kept playing music. They performed as an ensemble from a "kolkhoz" (a type of collective farm) called "Soviet Latvia." They were careful not to use the name Pērkons during this time.

In 1985, after a concert in Ogre, some teenagers caused damage to two train cars. Even though Pērkons had nothing to do with this incident, the band was immediately banned again. This event, including the concert and the court trials that followed, was shown in a famous film called Vai viegli būt jaunam? (Is It Easy to Be Young) by Juris Podnieks. This film helped show how difficult it was for young people and artists during that time.

After a few more years, in 1987, Pērkons returned to perform at the "Liepājas dzintars" (Amber of Liepāja) song festival. They appeared as the ensemble of the fishermen's kolkhoz "Selga."

Music and Messages

The words in Pērkons' songs were often as rebellious as their music. Most of these lyrics were written by Māris Melgalvs, a well-known writer. One of their most famous songs is "Balāde par gulbi" (Ballad of the Swan).

The band has also performed songs by Carl Michael Bellman, a Swedish poet from the 18th century. This shows their wide range of musical interests and their ability to connect with different types of music and poetry.

See also

In Spanish: Pērkons para niños