IASA-BAAC 2026 Conference

Name: Listening Across the Iron Curtain: Western Popular Music in Soviet Latvia, 1970–1985
Start: 2026-10-20T11:00:00+0300
End: 2026-10-20T11:30:00+0300

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Listening Across the Iron Curtain: Western Popular Music in Soviet Latvia, 1970–1985

Tuesday October 20, 2026 11:00am - 11:30am EEST

Events hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania: Great Hall

This paper explores the circulation and cultural significance of Western popular music in Soviet Latvia from the 1970s to the mid-1980s. Despite strict ideological control and limited official access to Western recordings, rock and pop music from the West became widely known among Latvian audiences through informal and semi-legal channels. Records entered the country through sailors and the black market, were sent by relatives abroad, and were copied and redistributed further on reel-to-reel tapes and audio cassettes. Western music also spread through radio broadcasts from stations such as Radio Luxembourg, the BBC, and Deutsche Welle, whose programs were often recorded and shared among friends.

Youth culture played an important role in this process. Informal listening gatherings and the rise of discos created spaces where Western music circulated despite ideological restrictions. At the same time, Soviet cultural authorities attempted to counter this influence by promoting domestically produced “estrada” music while limiting rock music and other genres associated with Western culture. Nevertheless, Western bands such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple became highly influential among Latvian listeners and musicians.

The paper also examines the role of official media, including the Latvian Radio programme Mikrofons and its annual song poll, which promoted local popular music while revealing tensions between official cultural policy and audience preferences.

Drawing on memoirs, press materials, and contemporary accounts, the paper argues that Western popular music significantly shaped youth culture and musical life in Soviet Latvia despite ideological constraints.

Speakers

Zane Grosa

Head of Audiovisual Collection, National Library of Latvia

Zane Grosa studied music professionally in Latvia and the USA and completed a degree in Information Management in Australia. Since 2008, she has worked at the National Library of Latvia, first cataloguing sound recordings and, since 2012, managing the library’s audiovisual collection... Read More →

Tuesday October 20, 2026 11:00am - 11:30am EEST
Events hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania: Great Hall

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IASA-BAAC 2026 Conference

Zane Grosa

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