Raimonds Pauls is the second child of Iļģuciems' glass blowing factory worker Voldemārs Pauls and seamstress Alma Matilde Brodele. His father Voldemārs, began his career at the age of 15 years, when he joined his father (Raimonds Pauls' grandfather, Ādolfs Pauls) at the factory. Meanwhile, Voldemārs' mother, Aleksandra, respectively Raimonds' grandmother, hired an assistant at her shop – Alma. In 1932, Voldemārs and Alma celebrated their wedding. Unfortunately, their firstborn son, Gunārs Voldemārs died from meningitis at the age of four months.
As Raimonds' father has played drums and his grandfather – violin, Voldemārs decides that his son should also play a musical instrument. Equipped with an old violin, Raimonds got into Riga's Institute of Music kindergarten branch. As it was decided by the teachers that he was too young and "his fingers were unfit" for playing violin, Raimonds started with piano lessons.
In 1943, Raimonds began his studies at Riga's 7th Elementary school, while, in parallel, continuing to take piano lessons with the professor Valerijs Zosts and teachers Emma Eglīte and Juta Daugule.
In 1946, Raimonds was admitted to the Secondary Musical School of Emīls Dārziņš, combining his studies at the elementary school for three years. At the age of 14, Raimonds gained experience playing piano at restaurants and clubs with a violin and saxophone virtuoso, Gunārs Kušķis. In 1949, he finished his studies at Riga's 7th Elementary School. During this time, he independently developed a liking for playing jazz by studying and imitating various jazz records.
1994 – Laureate of the Big Musical Award (for the poetic performance "Visi koki dieva doti" ('Every Tree You See By God is Given Thee'), the concert Svinga laiks ('It's Time for Swing') and the CD Ziemassvētkos ('In Christmas'))
12 April 1995 – decorated with the Order of the Three Stars (3rd class); thus, he is a commander of the Order of the Three Stars (for merits on behalf of the state of Latvia).
Ten arrangements of Latvian folk songs for boys' choir (1980)
Song cycle with lyrics from Latvian poet Aspazija for boys' choir (1980)
Baltās dziesmas (The White Songs) for boys' choir and instrumental ensemble (1981)
Song cycle for choir and piano (1984)
Vītola stabules dziesmas (Songs of a Willow Pipe) cycle for boys' choir (1984)
Mazs, laimīgs zēns (A Small and Happy Boy) – ten songs for boys' choir and piano with the lyrics of M. Karēms (1985)
Cycle Pērļu zvejnieks (Pearl Hunter) for boys’ choir and tenor (1986)
Cycles of light music songs
Vecās Rīgas vitrāžas (The Stained Glass Panels of the Old Rīga) (1971)
Five songs with the lyrics of D. Avotiņa (1972)
Oriental motifs (1982)
City romance (1983)
Melnais kliedziens (The Black Cry) (1985)
Cycle with lyrics by Rainis (1985)
Jazz
Portreti (Portraits) suite (1962)
A Rhapsody for piano and light music orchestra (1964)
Iespaidi (Impressions) suite (1965)
Dienvidu akvareļi suite (The Water-Colours of the South) (1965)
Kalnu skices (Mountain Sketches) (1966)
Five improvisations in the spirit of Latvian folk songs (1967)
Melnās krāsas (Black Colours) suite (1967)
Jazz expressions (1970) and other works
Instrumental music
Approximately 300 works, including instrumental versions of songs, arrangements of folk songs, versions on familiar themes, and arrangements of classical composer works.
Raimonds Pauls was a member of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR and served as Minister of Culture in the Latvian government from 1988 to 1993. In 1993 he became an advisor to the President of Latvia. In 1998, he was elected a Member of the Saeima, the Latvian parliament, initially as leader of the New Party. Before the 2002 elections he joined the People's Party and was elected on its party list in 2002 and 2006. Pauls ran in the 1999 presidential election and received the highest number of votes, but below the required majority. He chose to decline the post.
After Latvia re-established independence, Pauls continued his musical work, most notably working with Dzeguzīte, the most popular children's group in Latvia at the time. In 1996, he went on a tour with singer Laima Vaikule, which included concert locations in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and New York City.
Works
As of 2004, Pauls has composed music for six musical films and musical theaters, three ballets and over 50 movies and theater performances. CDs with Pauls' music have been released in several countries outside Latvia, including Russia, Finland, and Japan. In 2006 he recorded a double album of jazz music, My Favourite Melodies/So Many Stars – a long-awaited[by whom?] venture by the pianist into the jazz genre.
