At Eurovision 2015 she delivered a powerful vocal performance of “Love Injceted”. Four years on, and Aminata has taken the time time to develop musically. This week, her collaboration with the popular Latvian sextet Tautumeitas was released, and it goes to show just how much progress Aminata has made.
The new song, “Dzīvot Citādāk” (“To Live Differently”), is a Latvian-language electronic-rock track that presents an interesting mix of two worlds. We know Aminata for her soulful power-pop tracks, while Tautumeitas are a contemporary folk group. Nevertheless, this blend has proven to be effective, because the track is simply stunning.
For the first half of the song, Aminata sings alone. Tautumeitas subsequently takes the role of a choir and carry the song during the second half. The track culminates with a powerful climax, as the seven voices form a wonderful harmony.
The music video that accompanies the song follows the simple aesthetic that Tautumeitas is known for. It shows alternating shots of Aminata in front of a white backdrop and the six members of the vocal group lying on the floor alongside her.
An overview of Aminata’s 2019
Prior to “Dzīvot Citādāk”, the Latvian singer has released three singles in 2019. Two of these tracks were in English, and one was in Aminata’s native tongue of Latvian. Here’s a roundup of the musical gifts that Aminata has given us this year.
“Catching the Headlights”
Aminata released “Catching the Headlights” back in January, but we never had the time to fully appreciate it. A powerful ballad, it shows off her amazing vocal and lyrical ability, as expected from a skilful singer-songwriter like Aminata. But, it doesn’t end at that; this song is also powerful melodically and doesn’t leave your brain after you’ve listened to it.
“Maiga Vara”
While “Maiga Vara” is in Aminata’s native language, this stripped-down ballad is both powerful and moving even through the language barrier. Thanks to the touching melody and strong vocal line, it’s still easy to connect to. As the song progresses, Aminata’s voice reaches new heights, so don’t be surprised if you shed a tear or two when listening. You can listen to the official audio below, or watch an acoustic version of the song here.
“I Don’t Know”
An English-language version of “Maiga Vara”, titled “I Don’t Know”, came out a month after the former – just in case the original didn’t break through your personal language barrier. The song is just as stirring and powerful in the English translation. Again, the Latvian singer uploaded a video of the acoustic version, following the release of the studio cut.
Naturally, all these new releases have fans impatiently waiting for Aminata’s third album, which would be her first since 2016.
What do you think of Aminata’s new songs? Has it gotten you excited to hear more? And what are your opinions on the Tautumeitas collaboration? Sound off in the comments section!
How didn’t I hear of Tautumeitas before…
This is an amazing song!
Btw, I would love this to be Latvian’s entry at Eurovision, in beautiful Latvian language! Aminata is a queen.
In addition, I have recently visited Riga and fell in love! Such a wonderful city!
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Oh, so this is why their cover of Raganu Nakst kept on showing on my feed. Seems to be a good performer for Latvia, something we need!
Tautumeitas should totally go for eurovision next year. They’d be like the latvian urban symphony.
Yas finally some appreciation for my queen! Aninata is one of the best artists to happen to eurovision imo (more precisely to latvia in eurovision for sure) and i love her music!!
I hope she writes an entry for supanova again, maybe for her friend markus riva…
I don’t think Markus has the right voice for Aminata’s sort of production