RIGA — The annual New Wave musical concert and contest that brings together hundreds of participants from throughout the former Soviet Union, as well as dozens of top Russian pop stars, might leave Jūrmala, according to reports.

The dark clouds started gathering over New Wave, which was first organized in 2002, after piano player extraordinaire Raimonds Pauls announced last week he was quitting the competition.

Pauls, a member of parliament and one of [private_supervisor]New Wave’s founders, expressed exasperation with the persistent criticism he faces due to his participation in the contest.

“I’m stepping aside this year because I don’t want to deal with these things anymore,” he was quoted as saying. “People have different attitudes toward this competition, and I decided I will now deal with issues I’m more interested in.”

Every year Pauls, a rare bird of a Latvian that professes tremendous respect in Russia, predictably comes under fire for his role in organizing the talent show, which many Latvians have come to regard it as a thorn in the foot. The harshest, more nationalist critics see New Wave as a kind of cultural fifth column for the Russification of Latvian society and do not spare Pauls, who is a member of the moderately nationalist People’s Party, their invective.

On the opposite end, many foreign participants and judges in the contest, particularly ethnic Russians, have slammed Jūrmala’s hospitality industry for price-gouging during the contest, a criticism that, judging by similar events such as the international ice hockey competition in Riga several years ago, bears itself out.

Be that as it may, Jūrmala officials are scrambling to prevent the lucrative show from abandoning the seaside resort town. Larisa Loskutova, deputy chairwoman of the city council, said council members are working together to seek a solution to the situation so that this year’s New Wave, scheduled to begin on July 28, will take place.

“Businessmen are keen on seeing that New Wave remains in Jūrmala,” she told the Leta news agency, adding that Jūrmala brand benefits greats from being in the spotlight that the high-profile competition provides.

Meanwhile, Igor Krutoi, the main Russian organizer of the contest, said that without Pauls New Wave had no future in Jūrmala. Krutoi told the Baltkom radio station that he had wanted to move the contest to another city but Pauls talked him out of it.

“Now he won’t be there. And what then? We can move to another town. Yes, I agree — it won’t be the same atmosphere, the same audience … but there will be a show. We’ve done it for nine years, after all,” Krutoi said.

According to one report, the six-day contest costs 4 million lats (€5.7 million) to organize, and last year Jūrmala earned 8 million lats from hosting it. Some 50 private jets land in Riga International Airport during the contest. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]New Wave’s founders, expressed exasperation with the persistent criticism he faces due to his participation in the contest.

“I’m stepping aside this year because I don’t want to deal with these things anymore,” he was quoted as saying. “People have different attitudes toward this competition, and I decided I will now deal with issues I’m more interested in.”

Every year Pauls, a rare bird of a Latvian that professes tremendous respect in Russia, predictably comes under fire for his role in organizing the talent show, which many Latvians have come to regard it as a thorn in the foot. The harshest, more nationalist critics see New Wave as a kind of cultural fifth column for the Russification of Latvian society and do not spare Pauls, who is a member of the moderately nationalist People’s Party, their invective.

On the opposite end, many foreign participants and judges in the contest, particularly ethnic Russians, have slammed Jūrmala’s hospitality industry for price-gouging during the contest, a criticism that, judging by similar events such as the international ice hockey competition in Riga several years ago, bears itself out.

Be that as it may, Jūrmala officials are scrambling to prevent the lucrative show from abandoning the seaside resort town. Larisa Loskutova, deputy chairwoman of the city council, said council members are working together to seek a solution to the situation so that this year’s New Wave, scheduled to begin on July 28, will take place.

“Businessmen are keen on seeing that New Wave remains in Jūrmala,” she told the Leta news agency, adding that Jūrmala brand benefits greats from being in the spotlight that the high-profile competition provides.

Meanwhile, Igor Krutoi, the main Russian organizer of the contest, said that without Pauls New Wave had no future in Jūrmala. Krutoi told the Baltkom radio station that he had wanted to move the contest to another city but Pauls talked him out of it.

“Now he won’t be there. And what then? We can move to another town. Yes, I agree — it won’t be the same atmosphere, the same audience … but there will be a show. We’ve done it for nine years, after all,” Krutoi said.

According to one report, the six-day contest costs 4 million lats (€5.7 million) to organize, and last year Jūrmala earned 8 million lats from hosting it. Some 50 private jets land in Riga International Airport during the contest. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]New Wave’s founders, expressed exasperation with the persistent criticism he faces due to his participation in the contest.

“I’m stepping aside this year because I don’t want to deal with these things anymore,” he was quoted as saying. “People have different attitudes toward this competition, and I decided I will now deal with issues I’m more interested in.”

Every year Pauls, a rare bird of a Latvian that professes tremendous respect in Russia, predictably comes under fire for his role in organizing the talent show, which many Latvians have come to regard it as a thorn in the foot. The harshest, more nationalist critics see New Wave as a kind of cultural fifth column for the Russification of Latvian society and do not spare Pauls, who is a member of the moderately nationalist People’s Party, their invective.

On the opposite end, many foreign participants and judges in the contest, particularly ethnic Russians, have slammed Jūrmala’s hospitality industry for price-gouging during the contest, a criticism that, judging by similar events such as the international ice hockey competition in Riga several years ago, bears itself out.

Be that as it may, Jūrmala officials are scrambling to prevent the lucrative show from abandoning the seaside resort town. Larisa Loskutova, deputy chairwoman of the city council, said council members are working together to seek a solution to the situation so that this year’s New Wave, scheduled to begin on July 28, will take place.

“Businessmen are keen on seeing that New Wave remains in Jūrmala,” she told the Leta news agency, adding that Jūrmala brand benefits greats from being in the spotlight that the high-profile competition provides.

Meanwhile, Igor Krutoi, the main Russian organizer of the contest, said that without Pauls New Wave had no future in Jūrmala. Krutoi told the Baltkom radio station that he had wanted to move the contest to another city but Pauls talked him out of it.

“Now he won’t be there. And what then? We can move to another town. Yes, I agree — it won’t be the same atmosphere, the same audience … but there will be a show. We’ve done it for nine years, after all,” Krutoi said.

According to one report, the six-day contest costs 4 million lats (€5.7 million) to organize, and last year Jūrmala earned 8 million lats from hosting it. Some 50 private jets land in Riga International Airport during the contest. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]New Wave’s founders, expressed exasperation with the persistent criticism he faces due to his participation in the contest.

“I’m stepping aside this year because I don’t want to deal with these things anymore,” he was quoted as saying. “People have different attitudes toward this competition, and I decided I will now deal with issues I’m more interested in.”

Every year Pauls, a rare bird of a Latvian that professes tremendous respect in Russia, predictably comes under fire for his role in organizing the talent show, which many Latvians have come to regard it as a thorn in the foot. The harshest, more nationalist critics see New Wave as a kind of cultural fifth column for the Russification of Latvian society and do not spare Pauls, who is a member of the moderately nationalist People’s Party, their invective.

On the opposite end, many foreign participants and judges in the contest, particularly ethnic Russians, have slammed Jūrmala’s hospitality industry for price-gouging during the contest, a criticism that, judging by similar events such as the international ice hockey competition in Riga several years ago, bears itself out.

Be that as it may, Jūrmala officials are scrambling to prevent the lucrative show from abandoning the seaside resort town. Larisa Loskutova, deputy chairwoman of the city council, said council members are working together to seek a solution to the situation so that this year’s New Wave, scheduled to begin on July 28, will take place.

“Businessmen are keen on seeing that New Wave remains in Jūrmala,” she told the Leta news agency, adding that Jūrmala brand benefits greats from being in the spotlight that the high-profile competition provides.

Meanwhile, Igor Krutoi, the main Russian organizer of the contest, said that without Pauls New Wave had no future in Jūrmala. Krutoi told the Baltkom radio station that he had wanted to move the contest to another city but Pauls talked him out of it.

“Now he won’t be there. And what then? We can move to another town. Yes, I agree — it won’t be the same atmosphere, the same audience … but there will be a show. We’ve done it for nine years, after all,” Krutoi said.

According to one report, the six-day contest costs 4 million lats (€5.7 million) to organize, and last year Jūrmala earned 8 million lats from hosting it. Some 50 private jets land in Riga International Airport during the contest. [/private_subscription 1 year]

— This is a paid article. To subscribe or extend your subscription, click here.