Lietutins
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'Lietutins' by Rhys John Stubbs
Although I’m part Latvian, I came to the language later in life. I have grown well used to the idiosyncrasies of English, with all its playful nuances, but the reason why I stubbornly refuse to name my songs in my mother tongue is simple: in spite of its rich diversity, there are some things you just can’t say in English- no matter how hard you try. Diminutives are particularly rife in Latvian, whether to denote the lineage of a word or as a term of endearment, and it’s one such language trait that I now can’t live without. By way of example, the Latvian word for fork is simply ‘little-pitchfork’. Before you make a tool to eat with, it stands to reason that you would make a tool to grow and harvest food with. To me, a language says a lot about its homeland. That’s why I write these stories, in an attempt to fully interpret my Latvian titles rather than just translate them. This piece of music was a perfect case in point, immediately kindling one image in my mind: little rain. Not drizzle, nor a shower; not spitting, nor a deluge. Not a downpour, spate or torrent; not pelting or pouring, and definitely not cats and dogs. Just littlerain (lietutiņš in Latvian).
Released 14th January 2022.
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