Musiqq

Musiqq, a Latvian pop music duo from Liepāja, was formed in 2009 by Marats Ogļezņevs and Emīls Balceris. The formation process began when Marats Ogļezņevs left his previous group “Device” and invited Emīls Balceris to collaborate. They had first met in 2008 while participating in the TV show “Koru kari” (“Choir Wars”), where they both sang in the Liepājas red choir, led by singer Chilli. Following this, after seeing Balceris perform on a youth broadcast, Ogļezņevs reached out with an invitation to meet and work together, leading to their first meeting where they wrote four demo versions of songs.

The duo first gained exposure in June 2009 with the release of their single “Klimata kontrole”(“Climate control”). This was followed by their second single “Abrakadabra” on October 1, 2009, which became a radio hit in Latvia and won the “SEB Musical Bank 2009.” Their debut album “Šī ir tikai mūzika”(“This is just music”) was released in March 2010, featuring tracks such as “Abrakadabra”, “Dzimšanas diena” (“Birthday”), and “Klimata kontrole” (“Climate control”). The duo received significant recognition for their contributions to music and their city, being awarded the “Gada Liepājnieks” (“Liepajnieks of the Year”) in the music category and receiving three Copyright infinity prizes for their frequently played songs on radio, television, and concerts.

In 2011, Musiqq represented Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest in Düsseldorf with the song “Angel in Disguise.” Following their participation in Eurovision, they continued their music career and in 2011 also formed a Latvian rap duo named “Bermudu Divstūris,” a play on the Bermuda Triangle, translating to “The Bermuda Digon.” As “Bermudu Divstūris,” they released three studio albums and won The Golden Microphone award in 2014 for “Best hip-hop or dance album.”

Musiqq’s second album “Vēl viena mūzika”(“Another music”) was released in November 2014, marking the group’s fifth anniversary. This album featured several popular singles including “Sekundes”(“Seconds”) and “Cтрана без называния”(“Country without name”). Their largest live performance to date was their fifth birthday concert in Palladium in Riga on November 16, 2014, where they showcased this album.

In 2015, Musiqq released their first acoustic album “Silta sirds”(“Warm heart”) in collaboration with various artists, marking a new phase in their musical journey. The album led to their first acoustic concert tour “Silta sirds,” visiting five cities in Latvia.

Their album “10,” celebrating their 10th anniversary, was released in 2019. This album included 10 tracks and was commemorated with a grandiose concert in “Arena Riga” on April 27, 2019, showcasing the duo’s continued success and popularity over a decade. Hitsingles of this album were “Miljonārs” and “Bozies“.

A new single, “Garīgais arī”, was released in August 2020 and “Mēs viena koka zari” in November of the same year. A year later, they came up with the song “Varu bez tevis”. After COVID19, they were able to perform on festivals again in the summer of 2022. In October of that year, Musiqq started a tour, “Bijis, ir un būs”, followed by a series of concerts with the same name. In December, they released a new single, “Ar tevi kopā”. The mini album, “Bijis, ir un būs”, was released on all streaming platforms only in January 2023.

In January 2024, Musiqq released their new single “Mākslas darbs”.