Singer Ieva Akuratere revealed how her music career began in a conversation with the publication “Ievas Stāsti”. In its beginning, both the late Yuris Kulakovas and maestro Raimonds Pauls, with whom the relationship was not the best, played a big role.
She says that at the age of 16 she ran away from Riga to Liepāja, where the director Olgerts Kroders hosted future actors in the II studio of the Liepaja Theater. There she met the music author Jānis Lūsēnas, who, in turn, noticed Ieva’s musicality and recommended her to Kulakov, who formed the group at the time.
“Juris said that he likes my background, intellect, spiritual world, education as an actress, musicality. He was excited about my last name Akuraters, pronouncing it with the ending of the Latvian tense. Kulakov invited his piano teacher Raimonds Paula to the first trial concert of “Pērkona”. says Akuratere.
As it turns out, Paul was not thrilled with Akuratere’s performance: “After the concert, he said to Juri: “Well, you can keep that guy (Raimonda Bartasevič – aut.), but let that girl go! Juris did not obey and kept me. Kulakov was not only my friend, he valued me, trusted me, I was a close person to him.”
However, Paul also later created a very unpleasant situation for Akuratere: “Our paths crossed when I worked in Liepāja theater, I sang in Imanta Kalniņš’s rock opera “Hey, you are there!”, I also played in other shows. I wanted to become a singer and when Raimonds Pauls performed in Liepaja with the group “Modo”, I went to him for an audition. Paul accepted me in the group for a trial period.”
I returned to Riga, but after a month and a half, my voice went dry, and Paul threw me out of his group. I stood on the street corner and cried.
Later in life, however, both managed to find peace: “Several years ago, I met the Maestro backstage at a concert on Dome Square. We were alone. We spontaneously approached each other and embraced. Without words, we smoothed over the unpleasant situations that had arisen between us later, without getting stuck in petty bitterness. Mental we are different, but we have great respect for each other.”
Ieva Akuratere and Raymond Pauls. Photo: LETA
Tags: stood street corner cried relationship Ieva Akurateres Raimonds Paul strained
