Ojārs Raimonds Pauls (born 12 January 1936) is a Latvian composer and a pianist who is well known in the Baltic countries and Eastern Europe. He was the Minister of Culture of Latvia from 1988 to 1993.
His songs were performed by such popular singers as Alla Pugacheva, Valery Leontyev, Laima Vaikule, Jaak Joala, Roza Rymbayeva, Svetlana Loboda, Nora Bumbiere, Viktors Lapčenoks and others.
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.
August 1967 – Celebrated Servant of Art
June 1976 – Artist of the People's Theatre of LSSR
January 1985 – Artist of the People's Theatre of the USSR
24 November 1992 – Honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences
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).
11 October 2008 – Cross of Recognition
2013 – Order of Honour (Armenia)
2020 – Order of the Rising Sun 3rd Class, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (Japan)
2025 – decorated with the Order of the Three Stars (1st class)
Pāri, kas dabonas (Lovers Who Get It) (1976)
Māsa Kerija (Sister Carrie) after the Theodore Dreiser novel (1978)