Latvian alternative music groups “Nesen” and “Nielslens Lielsliens” are joining forces for a series of joint concerts in March. The collaboration will feature songs from both groups’ award-winning albums, as well as tracks from “Nesen’s” new record, “Gatavs.”
The pairing of these two prominent acts signals a vibrant moment for Latvia’s alternative music scene, offering fans a unique live experience.
Kugrēns, Žolude, and “Nielslens Lielsliens” are set to participate in “Vadātājs” (The Guide) in Madona on May 25, 2025. This event is part of a traveling festival and museum tour. The Madona stop, held at the Madona Regional and Art Museum, is inspired by the historical fact that Madona once boasted the tallest wooden radio towers in Europe in 1932.
Organizers have dedicated this particular event to “messengers” – specifically museums, which they describe as delivering news from history to our minds.
A review of “Nielslens Lielsliens’” album, “Negaidīti varoņi” (Unexpected Heroes), published September 19, 2024, describes the group as “an unusual association with an unpronounceable name and even stranger music.” The album was released in the somewhat nostalgic format of an audio cassette, following the release of singles “Ēzelis” (Donkey) and “Vijciema lāči” (Vijciems Bears), and a sold-out concert at the Gertrude Street Theatre. The review similarly highlights the song “Kokosi” (Coconuts) as “a heartfelt story about hunger, deceit, mocking people and forgiveness.”
According to the review, the song’s narrative unfolds as follows: “You are in the south. You are starving in a dugout, in a large river. A grocery store is days away. On the opposite bank of the river where you are sailing in a boat, there are coconut palms. Tall palms with large bunches of juicy coconuts. And you start rowing in that direction. Having rowed, you jump ashore and see that you are not the first. Monkeys are banging nuts on the palm leaves with joy. You jump ashore, grab and collect coconuts. So carried away with coconuts that you do not notice what the monkeys are doing. They have taken up the next mischief – they have taken your boat and are already far away in the large river. You acquire angry at first, then realize that happiness is a matter of attitude, and you start to appreciate what you have. You have sun, warmth, many coconuts and an incredible story to tell friends and everyone you meet. When you eat and drink, what’s next? All that remains is to dance to the accompaniment of balafons and other African instruments.”
