The Latvian Blues Appreciation Society was established in 2008 as a non-profit NGO with aim to promote blues and blues influenced music. Current chairman of the board is Normunds Kalniņš. Starting from its incorporation the Society created and successfully promoted several jazz and blues related projects. Each project is well documented, has a dedicated website as well as accounts in social media:
2008 - ... Mobile jazz & blues photo exhibition Epson Roots and Fruits. Besides a numerous exhibits in Latvia, the exhibition was demonstrated in several events in the Baltic States, including Int'l Klaipeda Jazz 2009 (LT) and Int'l Blues Festival Augustibluus 2010 (EST). This is still the only travelling photography exhibit available in the Baltics that is solely dedicated to blues and jazz artists. The year 2016 will see the 3rd edition of the project. It will feature the photo collection depicting the history of development of blues and jazz in the Baltic region. More info can be found at www.rootsandfruits.lv
2010 - ... Int'l Sigulda Castle Blues Festival established in 2010 in picturesque Sigulda town it is still the only annual outdoor blues event. The festival is promoted in cooperation with Sigulda Municipality. Besides the concerts the event features blues masterclasses, open-air photo exhibition, Blues movies hall, as well as local food and craftsmen market. In addition to the regular performances of the artists we encourage and support them to create and perform in different international line-ups. This year the visitors will witness a new and unique project created by our frequent guest Austrian organ player Raphael Wressnig and his band together with Latvian musicians. Since 2013 the concerts are webcasted in HD quality in real-time, reaching wider audience in Latvia and abroad. Since it's inception along with the local and Baltic bands the festival hosted many foreign artists: Raphael Wressnig (AT), Rob Tognoni (AU-TAS), Red Mount Quartet (IT), The Juke Joints (NL), Bert Deivert (SE), Krissy Matthews (UK), Peaches Staten, Vivian Vance Kelly, Texas Slim, Brian Templeton, Jimmy Z & The Z-Tribe (US) to name a few. More info can be found at www.bluesfest.lv
2010 - ... Latvian Blues showcase. The Society continuously works on promotion of local blues artists. During the last years each band was professionally filmed and the Latvian blues video showcase “Explore the Blues from Latvia”, representing the whole Latvian blues scene was created. All the expenses were covered by the Society. More info can be found at www.youtube.com/latblues
2011 – 2014. National Blues Contest. Annual long-term event during February – July, joining together the local bands wishing to get more exposure abroad. The winner participates in the European Blues Challenge, promoted by European Blues Union. More info can be found at www.bestblues.lv
2014. 4th European Blues Challenge. Annual European blues contest featuring national contest winners from EU countries. Besides blues performers contest, the event consists of European Blues Union General Assembly and Blues Market, gaining together 400+ participants and visitors from Europe. The Society was the promoter of this event under licence of EBU and at our own budget. More info can be found at www.liverigablues.lv
Membership
Since 2011 Latvian Blues Appreciation Society is an Active Member of European Blues Union. More info can be found at www.europeanbluesunion.com
In May 31, 2015 during the Baltic Blues Conference in Riga, the participants from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland voted for to incorporate the NGO Baltic Blues Brotherhood with headquarters in Riga. This event was organized by The Society. The Society is also a founding member of the newly established NGO. The incorporation is in the progress now.
