Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 March 2019
Since the collapse of the Soviet empire — foreshadowed by the Singing Revolution of the Baltics — and Latvia's regaining independence on May 4th, 1990, no sphere of the public and intellectual lives of that country has been left unchanged. Ethnomusicology is no exception. At present this field is faced with rapidly changing circumstances and perspectives. This therefore seems to be a good time for retrospective reflection on the experience collected to the present and for an analysis of our current condition. Through such reflection and analysis we should be able to define our actual position, outline new orientations and recognize our limitations as well. This article contains an overview of the history of Latvian folk music research and some remarks on folk dance research in that country as well.