HoFPro Producers Center

Raili Orrava

Sunday, 16 November 2008 23:07

Professional musician, a singer and a teacher, director of interdenominational Riga Gospel Choir. Her specialty is gospel and jazz styles. Raili graduated Latvian Music Academy on specialty “music teaching and innovations of music education” and received her master degree. From 1997 to 1999 she studied in Goldsmith London University in class of pop music and jazz improvisation and in School of Artistic ministry of London International Bible Institute. Raili’ musical journey of life had started from a gift. Her grandmother’ brother, a musician by birth, desired to pass his violin and his music skill to Raili. She entered Special Music School named after E. Darzina when she was 5 years old and she graduated the school on a specialty “violinist-violist”. When she was 15 she started to sing in folk choir “Dzintars”. Few years after as a member of professional chamber choir “Versija” she participated in different music festivals, contests and recordings in many countries of the world. During her study in Music Academy she found many new friends and got new hobbies – black music and jazz. At that time she joind her first jazz band with Denis Pashkevich as a flutist and she stated to sing at her first concerts in jazz clubs of Riga and at different events. In 1996 Raili went to London to improve her professional singing skills and enrich her spiritual understanding of music. At that time she paid special attention to mastering of gospel style and jazz improvisation. For this she entered Goldsmith London University and London International Bible Institute.
Raili teaches private lessons giving basics of vocal technique. She teaches methodological basics of jazz and improvisation to the teachers of Latvian schools. She led master-classes and seminars as part of a program of worship symposiums “CLOSER”. When Raili recorded advertisements at radio and television she received reach experience of studio vocalist and also experience of producer for studio recordings of Riga Gospel Choir. She also participated in many music projects in Latvia and Russia. She sang with many jazz musicians of Latvia: jazz duo “DAO”, jazz/funk band “Time after Time”, JC House band, Raimonds Macats, Victor Ritov, Karlis Lacis, Denis Pashkevich, jazz/house crew “VITAL TRIO”, Terry Moore.
In 2006 Raili received master degree of Latvian Music Academy developed professional methodological material to teach jazz music.
For 4 years already Raili is a solo singer of Riga Gospel Choir and its spiritual leader and artistic director. In 2007 with support of charity organization “Genesis - labu lietu sākums” she led international music festival “Sing Gospel Latvia”.