Fomins & Kleins
Encyclopedia
The Latvia
n rock band
Fomins & Kleins was founded at the end of 2002.
Its members Ivo Fomins and Tomass Kleins were already accomplished and recognized rock musicians
. Both are from the western Latvian port city of Liepāja
, which is famous for its rock music traditions - many famous Latvian rock musicians have come from there. Liepāja can be considered Latvia's own Liverpool
, thanks to many musicians and famous festivals, for example, "Liepājas dzintars" (Amber of Liepāja).
Both have worked together previously, in Soviet
times forming the underground
group "Saldās sejas" (Sweet Faces), which also featured well known Latvian musicians Zigfrīds Muktupāvels and Guntars Račs — with whom a creative relationship continues to this day, since Račs himself is the author of the lyrics
to all of Fomins & Kleins' songs.
Singer Ivo Fomins, also educated as a chef
, has taken part in many musical projects in Latvia, performing together with the band "Liepājas Brāļi" (Brothers of Liepāja) and as a solo artist, performing in Russia
, Poland
, Austria
, Denmark
and elsewhere in the world, including the "Big Apple" festival in the United States
. At the Jurmala Young Pop Singer Competition Ivo reached 3rd place in 1989 and received the viewer's choice award. Ivo's older brother Igo ((:lv:Igo)) is one of the most popular Latvian singers and is well known throughout the Baltic countries
and Russia due to his work with the maestro Raimonds Pauls
, which led to the formation and massive popularity of the band Remix. That is why it can be said that singing is a Fomins' family affair. Ivo grew up without his mother. His father, who was a taxicab driver, taught him to look at life realistically and accept it the way that it is. The singer's influences are Robert Plant
(Led Zeppelin
), David Coverdale
(Deep Purple
, Whitesnake
) and Steven Tyler
(Aerosmith
).
The group's guitar
ist, as well as the author of all the group's music, is the very experienced musician Tomass Kleins. In his time, he has formed many groups and has played in the famous group "Neptūns" (Neptune), led by "Zodiaks" (Zodiac) producer and composer Jānis Lūsēns. By playing in the most famous Latvian rock band "Līvi
", Tomass gained great experience and recognition. The musician grew up in a traditional Gypsy family, where singing and musicianship is already in the blood. While studying the guitar, Tomass learned much from AC/DC
, Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne
and Pink Floyd
.
At the end of 2002, the group signed a contract with the largest local record company "Mikrofona Ieraksti" (Microphone Records), which is the representative of EMI
in the Baltic states and whose artists include Prāta Vētra/Brainstorm
, Raimonds Pauls
, and many others.
At the start of 2003, the first song that they recorded together, "Sniegs" (Snow), brought the group success at radio station
s, as well as winning 3rd place at the LNT Music Video Competition. The next single "Solījums" (Promise) is often played on many Latvian radio stations, and the song's video
is frequently shown on television and was nominated for the Best Music Video Award at the Latvian Music Awards.
In July, the musicians participated in the international festival "Baltic Song Contest" in Sweden
and achieved fourth place. The festival itself is shown on Swedish television as well as Polish television.
The group's debut album "Muzikants" (Musician) was released in 2003, and the album's title track became a huge hit after the duo successfully performed at the Latvian National Eurovision Competition and gained a convincing second place. That year it was the only song to be performed in Latvian and the public was on its feet during the performance.
In 2004, history repeated itself and, after the release of the group's second album, "Dzimis Latvijā" (Born in Latvia), they again found themselves singing the only Latvian-language song in the country's Eurovision pre-selection. This time they won, and the song "Dziesma par laimi
" was duly selected as Latvia's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
in Istanbul
. The group were largely praised for swiftly dismissing any suggestions of switching to English
-language lyrics for their performance in Turkey
. Due to the poor result of the previous year's Latvian entry on home soil, Fomins and Kleins had to take part in the novelty of a Eurovision semi-final, in which they failed to achieve the top-ten placing needed to advance to the grand final. Nevertheless, they subsequently remained upbeat about the experience, and about Latvia's future in the contest.
The group frequently gives concert
s and the halls are always full, as people have been longing to hear true and live music.
As the musicians themselves say, they play "lyrical rock'n'roll" and they have no competition in this genre in Latvia.
Together with Ivo Fomins and Tomass Kleins, the group is rounded out by bass guitar
ist Egils Mežs, drummer
Valery Inutin and keyboardist
Jānis Lūsēns Jr., talented Armenian Nellija Bubujance, who skillfully learned drumming with her teacher, legendary drummer Tālis Gžibovskis (Eolika, Sīpoli, and others).
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Fomins & Kleins was founded at the end of 2002.
Its members Ivo Fomins and Tomass Kleins were already accomplished and recognized rock musicians
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
. Both are from the western Latvian port city of Liepāja
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
, which is famous for its rock music traditions - many famous Latvian rock musicians have come from there. Liepāja can be considered Latvia's own Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, thanks to many musicians and famous festivals, for example, "Liepājas dzintars" (Amber of Liepāja).
Both have worked together previously, in Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
times forming the underground
Counterculture
Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
group "Saldās sejas" (Sweet Faces), which also featured well known Latvian musicians Zigfrīds Muktupāvels and Guntars Račs — with whom a creative relationship continues to this day, since Račs himself is the author of the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
to all of Fomins & Kleins' songs.
Singer Ivo Fomins, also educated as a chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
, has taken part in many musical projects in Latvia, performing together with the band "Liepājas Brāļi" (Brothers of Liepāja) and as a solo artist, performing in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and elsewhere in the world, including the "Big Apple" festival in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. At the Jurmala Young Pop Singer Competition Ivo reached 3rd place in 1989 and received the viewer's choice award. Ivo's older brother Igo ((:lv:Igo)) is one of the most popular Latvian singers and is well known throughout the Baltic countries
Baltic countries
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
and Russia due to his work with the maestro Raimonds Pauls
Raimonds Pauls
Raimonds Pauls is a Latvian and Soviet composer and piano player who is well-known and respected in Latvia and the former Soviet Union.-Music:...
, which led to the formation and massive popularity of the band Remix. That is why it can be said that singing is a Fomins' family affair. Ivo grew up without his mother. His father, who was a taxicab driver, taught him to look at life realistically and accept it the way that it is. The singer's influences are Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
(Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
), David Coverdale
David Coverdale
David 'Jack' Coverdale is an English rock singer, most famous for his work with the his own hard rock band Whitesnake which achieved massive commercial success.-Early life:...
(Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
, Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
) and Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
(Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
).
The group's guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, as well as the author of all the group's music, is the very experienced musician Tomass Kleins. In his time, he has formed many groups and has played in the famous group "Neptūns" (Neptune), led by "Zodiaks" (Zodiac) producer and composer Jānis Lūsēns. By playing in the most famous Latvian rock band "Līvi
Livi
Līvi is a Latvian hard rock band, that was influential in forming the Latvian rock music culture. Their signatures are poetic lyrics and guitar solos....
", Tomass gained great experience and recognition. The musician grew up in a traditional Gypsy family, where singing and musicianship is already in the blood. While studying the guitar, Tomass learned much from AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
.
At the end of 2002, the group signed a contract with the largest local record company "Mikrofona Ieraksti" (Microphone Records), which is the representative of EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
in the Baltic states and whose artists include Prāta Vētra/Brainstorm
Brainstorm (Latvian band)
Brainstorm is a Latvian pop/rock band. The band became popular internationally in 2000, when they finished third in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 with the song "My Star"....
, Raimonds Pauls
Raimonds Pauls
Raimonds Pauls is a Latvian and Soviet composer and piano player who is well-known and respected in Latvia and the former Soviet Union.-Music:...
, and many others.
At the start of 2003, the first song that they recorded together, "Sniegs" (Snow), brought the group success at radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s, as well as winning 3rd place at the LNT Music Video Competition. The next single "Solījums" (Promise) is often played on many Latvian radio stations, and the song's video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
is frequently shown on television and was nominated for the Best Music Video Award at the Latvian Music Awards.
In July, the musicians participated in the international festival "Baltic Song Contest" in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and achieved fourth place. The festival itself is shown on Swedish television as well as Polish television.
The group's debut album "Muzikants" (Musician) was released in 2003, and the album's title track became a huge hit after the duo successfully performed at the Latvian National Eurovision Competition and gained a convincing second place. That year it was the only song to be performed in Latvian and the public was on its feet during the performance.
In 2004, history repeated itself and, after the release of the group's second album, "Dzimis Latvijā" (Born in Latvia), they again found themselves singing the only Latvian-language song in the country's Eurovision pre-selection. This time they won, and the song "Dziesma par laimi
Dziesma Par Laimi
"Dziesma par laimi" was the Latvian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, performed in Latvian by Fomins & Kleins....
" was duly selected as Latvia's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. The group were largely praised for swiftly dismissing any suggestions of switching to English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
-language lyrics for their performance in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Due to the poor result of the previous year's Latvian entry on home soil, Fomins and Kleins had to take part in the novelty of a Eurovision semi-final, in which they failed to achieve the top-ten placing needed to advance to the grand final. Nevertheless, they subsequently remained upbeat about the experience, and about Latvia's future in the contest.
The group frequently gives concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s and the halls are always full, as people have been longing to hear true and live music.
As the musicians themselves say, they play "lyrical rock'n'roll" and they have no competition in this genre in Latvia.
Together with Ivo Fomins and Tomass Kleins, the group is rounded out by bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist Egils Mežs, drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Valery Inutin and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Jānis Lūsēns Jr., talented Armenian Nellija Bubujance, who skillfully learned drumming with her teacher, legendary drummer Tālis Gžibovskis (Eolika, Sīpoli, and others).
Radio singles
- "Sniegs" (Snow) - 2002
- "Solījums" (Promise) - 2003
- "Muzikants" (Musician) - 2003
- "Kur esi tu" (Where are You) - 2003
- "Tālu prom" (Far Away) - 2003
- "Man vairs nav vienalga" (I No Longer Am Indifferent) - 2004
- "Aizejošās dienas" (Departing Days) - 2004
- "Nekas" (Nothing) - 2004
- "Dziesma par laimiDziesma Par Laimi"Dziesma par laimi" was the Latvian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, performed in Latvian by Fomins & Kleins....
" (Song of Happiness) - 2004
Videos
- "Solījums" (Promise) - 2003
- "Tālu prom" (Far Away) - 2003
- "Dziesma par laimiDziesma Par Laimi"Dziesma par laimi" was the Latvian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, performed in Latvian by Fomins & Kleins....
" (Song of Happiness) - 2004