My wise, capable and tenacious Latvian people,
Dear people of Latvia,
Dear participants of the Song and Dance Festival,
I am deeply moved and honoured to be with you tonight in this shining Silver Grove.
Thank you to all the participants and organisers of the festival for making Latvia so wonderfully beautiful. Thank you! You are all amazing!
For the third century, from all regions and towns of Latvia, from all over the wide world, we are coming together to reaffirm to each generation our loyalty to our roots and love for our Latvia.
We are grateful to those Latvians who started the song tradition 150 years ago. And the song affirms the path of our nation, our Latvian identity, our belonging, our awakening and statehood.
With song we have achieved freedom, with song we have gone to war and with song we have won victory. With song tonight, let us unite, let us sing, let us dance together with the entire Latvian nation.
But tomorrow, with the energy we have gained this week, let us tackle the further development of our country as vigorously as we sing, dance and rejoice.
Tonight, Latvia is especially beautiful. The tradition of this festival is in our souls, because ‘where my people go, there my soul goes’.
Only going together up and together further – in one breath, one song and one dance – can we be and can we build our dear and only Latvia.
God bless Latvia!
