Goran Gora

Imagine Chat Baker playing chess with Nick Drake somewhere down in Eastern Europe? Imagine someone with passion and a great talent to come from a country you perhaps have never even heard about? In a years time since debut in his home country, GORAN GORA (22), a Latvian singer-songwriter, has already performed in Stockholm, Sweden; London, UK; and at the SXSW Music Conference in Austin, Texas, USA. Goran Gora started to write music and to make innovative remixes of popular songs at his home in a small town of Baldone, Latvia, six years ago. Soon Goran started to collaborate with local bands Paravoice, Indigoflow, Feb30, Butterfly Street and Rydgal. In 2000 Goran debuted live on the Latvian club scene, as he played at least in three different bands at the same time. By then Goran has teached himself guitar and piano, and began to think about performing on his own. Gorans journey to the big stage started in 2003 at the Pajaat Rekords, a home based music and film company. There Goran made an album A Muadoil, a mix of electronic, rock, choral and jazz music. The next step was when the Pajaat Records management sent Goran Gora's records to the Radio SWH, the largest radio company in Latvia. Some songs from the A Muadoil made into the playlists in 2005 and found their audiences after all. In August 2005 Goran Gora played his first international show at the Baltic Sea Festival in Stockholm, Sweden. Following the success of his first radio single Slow Down in October 2005 Goran Gora had a few sold out gigs in small venues in Latvia, some of them with a special guest Swedish singer-songwriter Thomas Denver Jonsson. In October 2005 Goran Gora also supported the French lounge stars Nouvelle Vague in Riga, Latvia. Gorans second radio single Fools In Love was released in November 2005 by acclamation both by music critics and fans. On December 18 Goran Gora gave an one-off sold-out performance with a string quartet in front of 550 people at the oldest and most extravagant cinema house in Riga. The year 2006 came with the invitation for Goran to perform at the SXSW Music Conference in Austin, Texas, in March. Fresh from the SXSW experience Goran went to London and Stockholm for some club gigs. In the meantime Goran Goras first 7 EP 2 Hands/4 Songs came out, now available at www.roughtrade.com, www.normanrecords.com and www.tamizdat.org. Back home Goran began to summarize his impressions so far, which resulted in a number of great new songs. On July 6, 2006, Goran Gora supportted the Norvegian duo Kings Of Convenience in Riga, Latvia. Goran Gora spent most of the second half of 2006 recording his debut album Jetlag - out now. You can buy the album from the best music retailers in Latvia and at www.roughtrade.com.