With bicycles, acoustic musical instruments, and songs in tow, since 2012, K\u0101rlis Kaz\u0101ks and his like-minded friends have set out\u00a0on the \u201cVelom\u016bzika\u201d or bicycle music\u00a0tour across Latvia every summer. Over several days, the musicians travel to various locations, giving concerts to locals in the evenings.<\/p>\n
For the sixteenth time, the \u201cVelom\u016bzika\u201d musical journey created by K\u0101rlis Kaz\u0101ks is setting out along Latvia\u2019s country roads, trading music for a place to stay.<\/p>\n
This summer, the route will take them through Vidzeme, stopping at places where the \u201cVelom\u016bzika\u201d travellers have not yet visited in the past 15 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cAround Christmas, I posted on social media that we wanted to trade music for a place to stay in Vidzeme, and then I had to choose from about 100 applications. There are places like Degumnieki, for example, where they let us stay at the community centre in exchange for music. There are private homes, like our first night in S\u0101viena, and then there\u2019s a vacation spot in St\u0101\u0137i. The bakery \u2018\u0136elm\u0113nu maize\u2019 is hosting us \u2013 in short, there\u2019s a variety,\u201d says K\u0101rlis Kaz\u0101ks, the creator of the \u201cVelom\u016bzika\u201d concept.<\/p>\n
Only acoustic instruments are brought along on the bikes \u2013 guitar, mandolin, ukulele, bass ukulele, melodion, and various percussion instruments \u2013 which will be used to perform K\u0101rlis Kaz\u0101ks\u2019 songs. This year, the tour leader will be joined by longtime companions on these trips \u2013 Maija U\u0161\u010da, bass guitarist for the band \u201cSt\u016br\u012b z\u0113vele\u201d; actress Kar\u012bna Tatarinova; actor Kaspars Zv\u012bgulis; and musician Anete Kalni\u0146a.<\/p>\n