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Pauls, Raimonds

Ojārs Raimonds Pauls (born 12 January 1936) is a Latvian composer and a pianist who is well known in Latvia, Russia, post-Soviet countries and worldwide. He was the Minister of Culture of Latvia from 1988 to 1993.

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 the Riga's 7th Elementary school. During this time, he independently develops a liking for playing jazz by studying and imitating various jazz records.

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