Kulakovs, Juris (1958)
Biography Works
Juris Kulakovs was born on May
20th, 1958, in Līvāni. He finished the 1st High School of Līvāni
and the Children’s Music School (1975) were he learned to play the
accordion and, as an elective, he learned to play the trumpet.
After that he specialized in the accordion at the Jāzeps Mediņš
College of Music (1979). At the Latvian State Conservatory, he
graduated the wind and popular orchestra director and conductor
class (1984, Raimonds Pauls and Alnis Zaķis, instructors) and
studied composition with Pēteris Plakidis (1985–1990).
He is a multi-instrumentalist, and he is self-taught on the
great majority of musical instruments that he plays. As of 1978, he
has been playing in the
ensemble Menuets. At the end of the 70s,
he formed the instrumental jazz-rock
group Arka. In 1981, he founded the rock
group Pērkons, who became of the most
beloved groups of the youth, and one of the most loathed groups by
the Soviet cultural bureaucracy. Characterising the rock music work
of Juris Kulakovs, Klāss Vāvere wrote: "In his heart he is always a
convincing showman. He persistently balances his songs and the
performance manner of Pērkons between theatrical extroversion,
socially grotesque irony, and a true musical experience"
(Liesma, 1989, No. 12). Foretelling the
Reawakening Period in Latvia, a nationalistic breeze could be felt
in the work of Pērkons. As opposed to
the majority of Latvian
groups, Pērkons’ lyrics were not
written by the band, but mainly were written by respected
contemporary progressive
poets. Pērkons was also known for
unusually loud music for Soviet times, noisy behaviour, and were
one of the first groups in Latvia that used pyrotechnics. Young
listeners at Pērkons’ concerts felt
free, rose to their feet, and openly expressed their emotions.
These facts were the reason that militiamen stood guard while the
band was performing, Juris Kulakovs was repressed – in the Ministry
of Culture the composer was unable to find work, and it was even
suggested to him that he emigrate from Latvia. Twice (in 1983 and
1985) Pērkons was prohibited from
playing. Even until 1987, the group played underground. The first,
self-released Pērkons albums came
in 1983, Mākslas darbi (Works of
Art) (1981) and Zibens pa dibenu
(Lightning to the Behind) (1982) – the songs were
recorded on cassette tapes and copied innumerable times, achieving
an enormous circulation. The album Vēl ir laiks
(There is Still Time) was released in Germany
(1984, Cultural Rescue Society). Klusā daba ar
perspektīvu (Still Life With Perspective) (1985)
and Labu vakar (Good
Evening) (1987) were released and sold out in the
United States (1989, the American Latvian Youth Association),
and Latviskā virtuve (Latvian
Kitchen) was released in France
(1991, Pērkons self-release).
As a keyboardist, Juris Kulakovs took part in the singer Ieva
Akuratere’s and actor Edgars Liepiņš’s solo programs, being
involved in many different rock music projects (the Kristaps Grasis
group, and others). He performs as a piano accompanist and forms
popular musical arrangements, and works with the three tenors
Miervaldis Jenčs, Nauris Puntulis, and Guntars Ruņģis. He also
works as a producer of recordings. With the
group Menuets he has given concerts
in Poland, the German Democratic Republic (1979), and
with Pērkons in the United States,
Canada, France, Sweden (1989-1998), with Ieva Akuratere in France
(1994), with Edgars Liepiņš in Australia (1995), with the Three
Tenors in the United States (2002).
The composer has played synthesizers and electric organ at
symphonic music concerts, has worked together with many notable
conductors, including Vassily Sinaisky, Aleksandrs Viļumanis, and
Normunds Šnē. He conducted the recording of the
musical Latvijas karalis (King of
Latvia) at Latvian Radio, the recording of the
album The Beatles. Neaizmirstamo melodiju simfonija
(The Beatles. Unforgettable Melody Symphony), and the
performance of the comical cantata Artūrs –
jūrasbraucējs (Artūrs – Seafarer). He performed the role
of Eduards Veidenbaums in the television
film ...Bet vilciens brauc (...But the Train is
Leaving) (director Arvīds Babris). Doubling the
actor Jānis Kaijaks, he played the role of the African-American
pianist in the William Saroyan play Tavas dzīves
laiks (The Time of Your Life) (director Juris
Rijnieks, National Theatre)
In the history of Latvian music, Juris Kulakovs is the first
composer, to whose fountain pen belong a passion (Mateja
pasija [St. Matthew’s Passion]) and a video opera
(Debešķīgā nepieciešamība [Heavenly
Necessity]). He received an awarded for best musical
performance in dramatic theatre in the 2001/2002 season (the
musical Mazais princis [The Little
Prince]) and was recognized as the best composer of the
2002/2003 season at the Liepāja Theatre. As of 2002, Juris Kulakovs
is a member of the Latvian Composer’s Union.