Vaikule, Laima Stanislavovna

Born March 31, 1954 in the city of Cesis, Latvian SSR (USSR). Father, Stanislav Vaikulis, was a worker. Mother, Ioannina Vaikule ^[3] , was first a saleswoman, and then the director of the store ^[4] .

“I sing only because my grandmother sang in the church choir. And the rest of my relatives are just workers, they have nothing to do with music. ” ^[3]

Three years later, her family - mother, father, two older sisters (one half and one sibling) and older half brother - moved to Riga .

At the age of 12, she first appeared on stage, taking part in a competition of young vocalists in the culture house of the Riga VEF factory. She received a diploma and began performing with a big band .

At the end of eight classes of high school, Lyme entered a medical school.

She dreamed of being a doctor. I really wanted it. I even went to the anatomist, so I wanted to learn to be a doctor, treat people, save them. But it didn’t work out ... I got into this show business and another life spun.

- ^[5]

At the age of 15, having passed the competition, she became a soloist of the Riga Radio and Television Orchestra under the direction of Raymond Pauls .

“It happened at the philharmonic. I was 15 years old. At that time I was studying music and singing with maestro Zakhodnik , and he worked with Raymond Pauls - he sang and put the voices of Raymond singers. Teacher loved me, believed that I was a good singer, and therefore led to an audition with Pauls. I remember how I sang in the dark philharmonic hall, it was probably about six in the evening, and suddenly a man came up behind me, patted my shoulder and said: “Baby, I’ll take you.” That was Raymond Pauls. ” ^[6]

From 1979 to 1984 she performed in the famous variety show “ Juras perle ” ( Latvian. Jūras pērle - “Sea Pearl”) in Jurmala . First she sang in a dance orchestra, then she became a soloist in a variety show , whose artistic director was Mark Gourman ^[7] . After that, from 1985 to 1986 she worked as a dancer and sang in the variety show of the cafe-bar "Melody" in the Riga hotel "Latvia".

In 1984 she entered GITIS in the directing department. In addition to the western repertoire and a number of modern songs, accompanied by VIA “LAIMA” she began to perform Latvian songs, in particular, R. Pauls “Verokoko” (in the Russian version it was sung by V. Leontiev - “Verooka”). During 1985, together with her group and ballet, she performed at the Mercury Club ( Hammer Center ) (she lived in the International Hotel) and the Central House of Arts .

The singer was noticed by the famous songwriter Ilya Reznik . He invited her to record a new song “The Night Bonfire” for radio recording; the singer got not only on the air, but also on the TV program “Song-86” in Vilnius.

Then, in 1986, at the Soviet-Italian concert of pop stars, Laima Vaikule sang the new song "Vernissage" (Pauls, Reznik).

By 1987, she recorded another song of the same authors - “It’s not yet evening”, offering her original interpretation.

In February 1987, the singer participated in the Pauls' evening at the Rossiya State Central Concert Hall ; after the television broadcast of the concert, she received all-Union fame.

The Golden Lira prize at the international festival in Czechoslovakia (Bratislava Lira) in May of the same year for the song "Vernissage" secured the success of the singer.

Simultaneously with studying at the faculty of stage director of GITIS , the preparation of a large solo program began, which premiered at the State Concert Hall "Russia" in early 1988 and which proved that the actress is subject to lyrical, characteristic, comic, grotesque images.

In 1989, being already popular, she performed in Sochi. She got a call from the Melody record company and was invited to Moscow to record songs with a performer from the USA. A few months later I received an invitation to move to the United States. Soon after the move, she was diagnosed with oncology, with which the singer coped thanks to the move. ^[eight]

One of the organizing founders of the contest of young pop song performers "Jurmala" .

She has recorded several successful music albums in Russia and Latvia, has sold over 20 million CDs in Russia, Europe and the USA.

She repeatedly performed in the countries of the former USSR , Europe , Japan and the USA .

A regular guest at the New Wave music competition, which was held in Latvia, as well as on radio and television, at holiday concerts.

She was regularly invited to the jury of the KVN Voting KiViN festival, which was held annually (until 2014) in Jurmala .

Since 2015, she has created and holds the annual international music festival in Jurmala “Laima Rendezvous Jūrmala” (“Laima Rendezvous of Jurmala”).

From April 1986 until the collapse of the USSR, she was a soloist of the Azkontsert as a soloist, and she lived in Baku for some time ^[9] .

In August 2018, during a tour in Odessa , Vaikul said she would not perform in Crimea “for any money”. ^[10]. However, later on the Rossiya-1 television channel , the singer explained that she was ready to visit Crimea, but only after lifting the sanctions. ^[eleven]

Cohabitant Andrei Latkovsky (born September 13, 1947) ^{[12] [13]} - producer of the singer, former bass player of her ensemble, grandson of the Soviet statesman Vikenty Kazimirovich Latkovsky (1899-1983). Andrei’s brother Vincent Latkovsky served as a waiter at Juras Pearl ^{[14] [15]} . With Laima Vaikule met in 1970, since 1978 they live in an actual marriage . No children, had two abortions. ^[16] In 2010, at the age of 56, Lyme was pregnant with in vitro fertilization , but she had a miscarriage. ^{[13] [17] [18]} I wanted to adopt a child, but her godfather (confessor) did not give her this blessing. ^[five]

- I beg you, girls, do not have an abortion! If you become pregnant and are afraid that you can’t do it yourself, it’s better to give the baby ... to me!

- ^[19]

She became the godmother of Pauls’s granddaughter Monique-Yvonne, who was born in 1994, and Igor Krutoy became her godfather. ^[sixteen]

Laima Vaikule is known as an active advocate for animal rights ^{[20] [21]} . She is a vegetarian for ethical reasons. ^[22]

Discography

• 1986 - The first season. Eighties.
• 1992 - I pray for you
• 1993 - Laima Tango
• 1994 - Honey, goodbye!
• 1996 - I went to Piccadilly
• 1996 - Viss nāk un aiziet ...
• 1998 - Latin Quarter
• 1999 - Mirror
• 2000 - Best Songs
• 2002 - Names for all time
• 2005 - What does the pianist play about?
• 2013 - Atkal Mājās
• 2019 - Leģendas

Filmography

• 1979 - Inspector Gull - singer in the club (episode)
• 1980 - The Rico Brothers - Singer (episode)
• 1985 - Dancing on the Roof - Singer (episode)
• 1984 - Need a soloist - vocals (in the frame - Mirdza Martinson )
• 1991 - In the Russian style - Anna, a chemistry teacher at a special school (main role)
• 1997 - Old songs about the main 2 - Mrs. Lyme (episode)
• 1998 - Military Field Romance - singer in a military camp (episode)
• 1998 - Old songs about the main 3 - cameo
• 2001 - Women's happiness - cameo
• 2001 - Old songs about the main thing. Postscript - Singer (episode)
• 2003 - The Snow Queen - The Snow Queen (starring role)
• 2007 - A very New Year's movie, or Night at the Museum - singer (episode)
• 2009 - Little Red Riding Hood - Red Riding Hood 's mom (lead role)

• 1987 - Grand Prix (Golden Lira) at the pop song contest Bratislava Lyra (Czechoslovakia)
• 1990 - honorary title “ Honored Artist of the Latvian SSR ”
• 1995 - honorary title “ People's Artist of the Republic of Latvia ”
• 2011 - Order of Friendship ( July 7, 2011 , Russia ) - for his great contribution to the development and strengthening of Russian-Latvian cultural ties, the popularization of modern Russian musical culture in the Republic of Latvia ^[23] .

• Lyme Vaikule. black moth // youtube.com
• Lyme Vaikule. Baltic coast // youtube.com
• Lyme Vaikule and Philip Kirkorov - an orchid in black // youtube.com
• Laima Vaikule and Alexander Revva - ice cream on a stick // youtube.com
• Lyme Vaikule // instagram.com