Ojars Raimonds Pauls (born Minister of Culture of Latvia (1989-1993), People's Artist of the USSR and Laureate of the Lenin Komsomol Prize.
He is best known for such songs as "A Million Scarlet Roses", "Business - Time", "Vernissage" and "Yellow Leaves".
There are many interesting facts in the biography of Raymond Pauls, which we will talk about in this article.
So, here is a short biography of Pauls.
Biography of Raymond Pauls
Raymond Pauls was born on January 12, 1936 in Riga. He grew up in the family of the glassblower Voldemar Pauls and his wife Alma-Matilda, who worked as a pearl embroiderer.
Childhood and youth
In his spare time, the head of the family played drums in the Mihavo amateur orchestra. Soon, father and mother discovered the son's ability to music.
As a result, they sent him to the kindergarten of the 1st Music Institute, where he began to receive a musical education.
When Pauls was about 10 years old, he entered a music school, after which he became a student at the Latvian State Conservatory.
During his studies, he reached great heights in playing the piano. At this time in his biography, he worked as a pianist in various amateur orchestras.
Soon, Raymond became seriously interested in jazz. Having studied many jazz compositions, he began playing in restaurants.
After graduating from high school in 1958, the guy got a job in the local pop orchestra at the Latvian Conservatory. Soon he began to perform not only in his homeland, but also abroad.
Music
In 1964, the young Raimonds Pauls was entrusted with leading the Riga Pop Orchestra. In this position, he spent 7 years, after which he became the artistic director of VIA "Modo". By that time, he was already considered one of the most talented composers in the country.
During that period of his biography, Pauls became famous thanks to such songs as "Winter Evening", "Old Birch" and "Yellow Leaves". The last composition brought him all-Union popularity. In addition, he was noted for the publication of the musical "Sister Carrie" and many other projects, for which he repeatedly received music awards.
From 1978 to 1982, Raymond was the conductor of the Latvian Radio and Television Orchestra of Light and Jazz Music. In the mid-1980s, he worked as the chief editor of Latvian radio music programs.
Being one of the best composers in the USSR, Pauls began to receive offers of cooperation from the most famous artists. He wrote a lot of songs for Alla Pugacheva, among which "A Million Scarlet Roses", "Maestro", "Business - Time" and others became real hits.
In addition, Raymond Pauls has successfully collaborated with such stars as Laima Vaikule and Valery Leontiev. The song "Vernissage", performed by this duet, still does not lose its popularity. In 1986, on his initiative, the International Youth Festival "Jurmala" was founded, which existed until 1992.
In 1989, the man was entrusted with the post of Minister of Culture of Latvia, and 4 years later he became the adviser to the head of state on culture. Moreover, in 1999 he ran for the post of President of Latvia, but later withdrew his candidacy.
In the new millennium, Pauls, together with Igor Krutoy, organized the New Wave International Competition for Young Pop Music Performers, which still remains popular today.
In subsequent years, the maestro often performed as a pianist, playing in symphony orchestras or accompanying pop artists. Over the years of his creative biography, Raymond Pauls wrote a lot of musical works.
The music of the Latvian composer can be heard in about 60 films, including "Three plus two" and "Long road in the dunes". He is the author of 3 ballets, 10 musicals and about 60 compositions for theatrical performances. His songs were performed by such stars as Larisa Dolina, Edita Piekha, Andrei Mironov, Sofia Rotaru, Tatiana Bulanova, Christina Orbakaite and many others.
Raimonds Pauls pays great attention to public affairs, being the owner of the center for talented children. In 2014, the premiere of the musical "All About Cinderella" took place, the music for which was written by the same Pauls, with the participation of the rock group "SLOT". Recently, the maestro has been actively performing in recitals in Latvia.
Personal life
In 1959, during a tour in Odessa, the composer met the guide Svetlana Epifanova. Young people showed interest in each other, after which they never parted.
Soon, the lovers decided to get married by signing in Pardaugava. An interesting fact is that the spouses did not even have witnesses, as a result of which they became a registry office employee and a janitor. Later, the couple had a daughter, Aneta.
In an interview, Raymond admitted that in his youth he had problems with alcohol, but thanks to his family, he was able to overcome the craving for alcohol. In 2011, he underwent heart surgery, which was very successful.
Raymond Pauls today
In 2017, Pauls wrote the music for the play The Girl in the Cafe. After that, his composition sounded in the film "Homo Novus".
Now he periodically appears at major concerts in different countries. It is possible that in the future the maestro will delight his fans with new works.
Photo by Raymond Pauls
