Jānis Lusens is one of the most prominent and influential musicians and composers in Latvia. He entered the history of the Soviet Union as a pioneer of electronic music, and he entered the history of Latvia as a cultural figure, philanthropist and one of the best representatives of his country.
April 7, 1959 is the day when Jānis Lūsēns was born in the city of Liepaja, Latvia. In 1975 he graduated from high school, after 4 years - Higher School of Music. Emil Melngail in the direction of musical theory. In 1983, he became a graduate of the Latvian Conservatory in the composition class of Janis Ivanov. Member of the Union of Composers since 1987. From 1999 to 2002, he served as director of the music department at the Liepaja Theater.
The beginning of the creative path
While still studying at the conservatory, in 1979, he and his friends founded an ensemble of experimental music, which was first called Arka, and then received a name that thundered throughout the USSR - Zodiac. Disco Alliance sold worldwide in excess of 20 million copies. The band received a new sound in 1999, when the single Pacific was released. The work attracted the attention of companies from Poland and Japan. The international collaboration led to the fact that in 2002 the single ReLoad won leading positions in the charts of England and Ireland. The sound and tune of the Zodiac, Janis as a composer - all the secret of success. In 2010, another composer international debut took place. At the Eurovision Song Contest, Aisha from Latvia performed with his song What for? Unfortunately, then the participant was not able to break into the final according to the selection results.
In 2013, in an updated image and composition, Zodiac returned to the stage, ready to amaze and win the hearts of listeners.
Music and theater
Theater music always occupied a special place in the heart of the composer. Jānis writes for all major theaters in Latvia. Two operas for children debuted on the stage of the Latvian national opera. The “Puppet Opera” of 2008 and the “Opera of Birds” of 2000 are still shown on the stage. Separately, it is necessary to note two more operas. The Sphinx, which was shown on the stage of the national theater 86 times, and Kaupens, my dear, is a rock opera recognized by the canon of Latvian culture.
From a song of words ...
The most important role in the work of Janis Lusens is assigned to the songs. The concert tour A little while before ... received a special response from the audience. He writes solo, choral songs and tracks for groups. Among them are symphonic works. This is “Cantata LIIV”, “Magnificat”, the symphonic choir In Deep Breath. As in the opera, in the song creativity Janis found a place for works for children. He composes songs, song cycles, musical theatrical performances, organizes charity events.
The composer's cultural contribution is highly valued in the homeland. In 1996, Lucens was awarded the Latvian Theater Prize as the best composer for the Santa Krusa theater performance, and in 1999 for the opera Cowpens, my dear.
About the signs of the "Zodiac"
Janis Lusens and the Zodiac were together from the very beginning. The defining moment in the history of the group was the meeting of the composer with the sound editor of the Melodia branch in Riga, Alexander Griva. It was during the first recording that Alexander considered the talent of the performers and was able to help realize his potential by acting in 1980 as a producer for the first Disco Alliance album. This year was also significant for musicians because, participating in the writing of musical accompaniment for the film "Star Palette", they personally met with Soviet space explorers.
The 1982 album Music in Universe added voice and guitar solos to the synthesizer. Undoubtedly the influence of the then popular styles of funk and disco. The author of all compositions was Janis Lusens.
The third album was released in 1989 and was called In Memoriam. In it, the composer returned to instrumental music. The leitmotif of the whole album: from space to the beautiful nature and architecture of Latvia. The sound engineer was the former bass player of the group Ivars Pilka. And the vocalists Maya Lucena and Siegfried Muktupavels (cello) joined the composition.