about us | shop | history | friends | contacts | the port of cultures

home -> The Port of Cultures

• Porta 2011
• News
• Calendar
• Press
• Gallery
• Video
• Bands

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein

PROJECT “THE PORT OF CULTURES”

01.11.2009. – 01.12.2010.

« THE PORT OF CULTURES » is a joint project between Latvian, Georgian, Moldavian musicians and dancers, and this possibility is ensured by collaboration of Latvian, German, Estonian, Moldavian and Georgian concert organizations.

There are three different joint activities included in the main project «The PORT of Cultures ».

 

1. Latvian – Georgian co-project “ME TOO”

Latvian composer Valts Pūce and Georgian ethno-jazz group “The Shin” met in Latvia in 2008 at the 9th annual “Porta World Music Festival”. This initial meeting led to an exciting and emotionally saturated partnership. The concert programme and album Es arī (Me, Too) is the material result of this collaboration. 

The programme was created over the three week workshop in the summer of 2009 at Valts Pūce’s house on the Baltic coast.

Me, Too is a unity of opposites, a harmony of contrasts, and a wonderful example of how the North can become the South, and vice versa.  

In the project, seemingly incompatible elements are blended together: Baltic composure and directness with the emotional spontaneity of the Caucasus. The crystal-clear voices of Latvian women with the lacy designs of Georgian men’s polyphonic singing. The simple design of Northern rhythms with the polyrhythms of the South. 

In the live concerts, all these elements will be seasoned with spirited - measured, cheerfully - pensive, Baltic - Caucasian dance! 

 

Musicians:

ZaZa Miminoshvili – guitar (Georgia)

Zurab J. Gagnidze – bass, vocals (Georgia)

Mamuka Gaganidze – vocals, percussion (Georgia)

Valts Pūce - accordion, vocals, (Latvia)

Kristīne Kārkle – vocals (Latvia)
Ilona Hanina - vocals (Latvia)

 

The Shin (Georgia)

The Shin is at the moment internationally most acclaimed Georgian world-jazz band. After successful performance at the WOMEX showcase in 2006, The Shin brought they programme to enthusiastic audiences more than in 30 countries. The Shin musicians Zaza Miminoshvili (guitar), Zurab Gagnidze (bass, vocals) and Mamuka Gaganidze (vocals, percussion), who live for several years in Germany, belong to Georgian music elite. They have been scripted works for productions at the Tbilisi State Theatre and for numerous film, television, and radio projects in Georgia and around the world. The musicians take part in numerous international projects,  cooperating with great musicians such as Chaka Khan, Oky Temiz, Randy Brecker, Giora Feidman, Jorge Pardo, Ivo Papasov, Jatinder Thakur, Theodosii Spassov and many other. In 2009 The Shin became the winner of theCreole World-Music National Competition in Germany.

Valts Puce and band (Latvia)

In Latvia, Valts Pūce is famous for his unique ability to combine the substance and stylistic nuances of academic, folk, and rock music, thus providing an opportunity for modern people living in highly urbanized environments to become acquainted with extraordinarily diverse and deeply human qualities.

In his vital, philosophically poetic, dramatically refined, and playful arrangements of folk music, the composer has revealed a deep understanding of traditional Latvian culture.

2. Latvian – Moldavian co-project

The second joint activity is a collaboration of Latvian and Moldavian musicians - ethno-jazz trio TRIGON and Latvian composer Valts Pūce, jazz singer Intars Busulis and Kristine Karkle-Purina.

TRIGON is an ethno- jazz band from Moldova. The group was created in 1992 and debuted at the Chişinău Jazz Festival in 1993. Leader Anatol Ştefăneţ born into a traditional lautari family is known for his virtuoso viola skills, especially its Moldovan traditional version, the "bratsch". His solos are featured on several other albums and projects, including the "Black Sea Orchestra" and the "Lăutari".

Trigon released their first CD "Moldavian Wedding in Jazz" in France (SILEX) and immediately received the French music award "Grand Prix du Disc". Their second album, "Oglinda" wasreleased in Germany (Jaro). The group toured Europe, Japan, New Zealand and the ex-USSR countries extensively always to a critical acclaim.

The latest incarnation of the band includes Anatol Ştefăneţ (alt), Dorel Burlacu (keyboards), Alexandru Arcus (sax) and Garri Tverdohleb (percussion).

"Trigon's style encompasses elements of folk, jazz, rock and symphonic music. Brilliant improvisations and a keen understanding of musical forms characterize their jazz compositions. Trigon is undoubtedly a phenomenon in modern jazz music in its highest intellectual expression." (L.Osipova, Vice-president of the Russian Composers Union)

4. Documentary “The port of cultures”

All the video material of the project, taken during the process of preparation work and during the performances, will be collected, edited and made into 3 short film documentaries "The PORT of Cultures", which will be presented in the XI World music festival PORTA (Latvia), in November 2010.

The aim of this activity is through confronting diverse mentalities, cultural experiences, to create new cultural value oriented to new and growing European society.

As well as the possibility to join together Eastern and western cultures, as a thrilling challenge we regard the intention to show the approaching of Northern and Southern countries of the old continent. The meeting and cooperation of persons sharing the same views and values will take place in the port of cultures. This project will unite the people from the spacious areas from viking lads to Caucasus mountains, from level ground of the Baltic’s to metropoles of Germany. The cultures are so different, and its energy is based in traditions. The project will be realized with the intention to remark the different and common values and through it to create absolutely new and powerful cultural value – New European person. Everyone of us, with our dreams and passion, with hopes and searches we can full fill and join the space where the possibilities to communicate and create are neverending.

In frames of Port of the cultures two different mentalities will join in the project Me too, but the cooperation of Latvia and Moldova, in dance/music/theatre performance.

In the changing universe allthe valuable is created through the power of thought and action.

The DVD will be distributed in acceding countries of the project - Latvia, Georgia, Moldova, as well as in Estonia and Germany.