After Iceland, Latvia! We continue our reggae world tour. Apofeoz Orkestra is a cheerful band of seven people (not counting the dog), a motley brass band on the border of reggae, hip-hop and every idea that crosses their minds. The collective was born out of Apofeoz Sound System, which fifteen years ago brought together Puma (singer), Zara (singer) and a DJ, eventually replaced by musicians from various backgrounds. When Nikita, the third singer, joined the line-up, the collective took the name Apofeoz Orkestra.
When we meet them, it is 18 November, the national holiday in Riga. The Latvian capital is celebrating the anniversary of the proclamation of independence. A small Baltic state, Latvia has spent more time under German and Russian occupation than in full independence. It was with the fall of the USSR, in 1991, that the country was to know its first "real" independence, only 21 years ago.
A few minutes before our interview begins, the military parade passes in front of us. The elite of the Latvian army, the paratroopers, the marching in step and the display of weapons: we get the full works! The interview can begin.
Reggaefrance / There are a lot of you; how did you come to form Apofeoz Orchestra? Apofeoz Orchestra / Nikita: The birth of the band came from Zara, our Napoleon! He's the conductor, actually, and also the producer. At the start, he and Puma, our singer, were together in the Apofeoz Sound System and they only toured with DJs over existing riddims. (He turns to Zara) This guy had a dream, he wanted to bring together musicians from different worlds to make a special band, with particular harmonies. And he did it! We built ourselves up little by little to reach the current line-up: two male singers, a female singer and five musicians. Not forgetting our mascot, Killah (a sort of bulldog that follows the band everywhere, editor's note)! Puma: We met about fifteen years ago, but I think the band was born even before Zara was born. In fact, I think he was born to create this band!
How is the reggae scene doing in Latvia? Are you able to make a living from your music? Nikita: It's easy to play here, there are plenty of venues open to this kind of music and people like to smile, don't they? Reggae brings smiles, sunshine, when here there's little of it! Puma: It's true, the audience turns out for our shows. We play once a week all year round and twice a week in summer. The places aren't big, but the atmosphere is warm! Léo: Our audience is varied too. Like the musicians, they come from the world of hip hop, jazz and of course reggae. It gives us some interesting moments of sharing. Zara: But we can't really live off our music, there are too many of us. So we work on the side. What we earn from our gigs, we spend on equipment, software... Nikita: Besides, we're one of the only reggae bands around here, proof that it doesn't pay! There are a few artists in Estonia (James Plookie, Listonia, and some sound systems, editor's note), few in Lithuania... Most of the bands are in Russia, Ukraine or Scandinavia.
How does the writing of the tracks work? It can't be easy with eight of you? Puma: It's not that complicated. It often comes from Zara, who writes the lyrics and offers them to the band, or from our guitarist, who often finds new melodies, and we work on them afterwards. But everyone can bring ideas or suggest directions. Nikita: It's a bit like a box: everyone puts things in it and at some point, you open the box and make something out of all of it...
Si on joue en France, on devra faire des sous-titres pour que le public comprenne nos blagues !
What language do you write in? What are your songs about? Nikita: We write in Latvian and Russian. We only have a few songs in English. Maybe that's why we play most often in Eastern countries and in Russia, but we define ourselves as a Nordic band! Puma: Our songs are full of humour and joy, that's our way of writing: we like to laugh and you can feel it in our compositions. If by chance we come to play in France, we'll have to do subtitles so the audience understands our jokes!
In 2011, you took part in the first Reggae Sunsplash held in Eastern Europe, which took place right here in Riga. Zara: To tell the truth, the organisation wasn't up to scratch and it flopped. The promoter scheduled the festival during a national holiday and there were loads of free concerts all over town, so few people wanted to pay for a ticket that day! On top of that, there wasn't really a headliner, apart from SunSay, who are starting to make a name for themselves. At any rate, no Jamaicans. Puma: But the sound was good, the stage was huge! And the concert itself too, there was sharing between the artists, that's something...
Speaking of Jamaican artists, do many travel all the way to Latvia? Nikita: Yes, a few; we were lucky enough to see Jimmy Cliff, Lee Perry, Eek A Mouse. Zara: Not that many, in the end... The problem is that bringing artists over from so far costs the same as bringing in pop stars. Even though reggae is quite popular here, people turn out more for the celebrities they see on television or hear on the airwaves.
What are you working on at the moment? Puma: We're recording! We never stop recording! But we do everything ourselves, so it takes time. Nikita: There are also the gigs and we're a bit short of time, but we're growing, things are evolving and heading in the right direction. We get good feedback and it gives us the strength to carry on.
Is an album on the cards? Nikita: Some of our musicians have already recorded their own parts; now we have to put it all together and wait for the singers to get to work (laughs). Puma: It's true that with seven of us, the hardest thing is managing everyone's time and diaries. Between rehearsals, gigs, recordings and work, you have to be organised. Léo: But it's in progress, stay tuned and you'll soon hear the next Apofeoz; if it goes well, we'll be able to come and play it in France...
Speaking of gigs, do you have any standout memories of a performance? Zara: Apart from the Sunsplash flop, you mean (laughs)? Puma: Of course we do! What the band likes best, or so I think, is small venues with a festive atmosphere. In Latvia, we're spoilt, all the places where we play are like that! Nikita: We like being close to the audience, being able to make out people's faces, talk to them while looking them in the eye. And sometimes people really feel part of it with us, they come up on stage and stay for a few songs, those are good moments...
A word about Latvia and your life here? Puma: It's a magnificent country! It's pleasant to live here, despite the winter cold... Our lives are simple, there's a lot of creativity and a lot going on in cultural and artistic fields. The French should come and see it. Nikita: Especially the French women! Even though there are more women than men in Latvia... But they're welcome all the same! Puma: More seriously, half the population of Riga is Russian, or rather Russian-speaking, because they have lived here for several generations. Despite the past between our two countries, there's no animosity, we manage to live together, and our band is proof of it.
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Reggaefrance / There are a lot of you; how did you come to form Apofeoz Orchestra? 
Si on joue en France, on devra faire des sous-titres pour que le public comprenne nos blagues ! 
What language do you write in? What are your songs about?
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