Janis Mazeiks, the European Union Ambassador to Chișinău, will release a rock song in the Romanian language, featuring the lyrics of Grigore Vieru, on the occasion of the Romanian Language Day.
In a video that previews the premiere, the ambassador recounts the history of the original song, “Dzimtā Valoda,” composed in the 1990s by a band from Latvia, which used the Latvian translation of Grigore Vieru’s poem “În limba ta” (In Your Language).
The diplomat mentions that in his homeland, everyone knows this song, which became a winner in a music contest in 1986 and is considered one of the symbols of national revival.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=6504133803007688
“This was a milestone and a unifying point. Let’s remember that in 1986, there were still many limitations imposed by the Soviet occupation, both on the Latvian language there and on the Romanian language here. So, the opportunity to sing in the mother language represented a means of discussing the major issues people were facing at that time. It was one of the factors that led to the national awakening a few years later,” says Mažeiks.
The Ambassador performed the original lyrics in the Romanian language to the music of the Latvian band Līvi, with the support of the copyright holders.
He confessed that he had been singing in a choir and a folk group since the age of 3, but this was his first experience recording in a studio and performing a rock song.
The song recorded together with the Angry Band will be released on August 31st on social media platforms.