Kokle player Laima Jansone was born in Riga, Latvia. She graduated from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music bachelor’s study programme in ethnomusicology; she has also studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. In her music, Laima combines the sound of the traditional ethnographic kokle, as well as the instrument’s electronic counterpart, devoting special attention to improvisation.

Laima Jansone’s professional solo career started in 2011. Since then, she regularly performs in Latvia and abroad – in Western and Northern Europe, Japan, Australia, and other countries. She has performed with Latvia’s State Chamber Orchestra Sinfonietta Rīga, Latvian Radio Choir, with ethno-jazz trio Zarbugans in Rīgas Ritmi (Riga’s Rhythms), largest jazz festival in the Baltics, and at the Cēsis Art Festival. In 2011, she took the main stage at WOMEX, the largest international world music expo. She also released a DVD and CD recording Sidrabs (Silver) in collaboration with director Olafs Okonovs the same year. Nominated for Latvia’s Grand Music Award as New Artist of the Year 2013.

Highlights of Laima’s activities in recent years include: participation in the concert programme Born in Riga with Latvian composer Raimonds Pauls; a recording with pop singer Renārs Kaupers; successful stage collaboration with the band Astro’n’out; performance with Faroese vocalist Eivør, and concert programme Zeme (Earth), a synthesis of Latvian traditional and electronic music, co-created with DJ Monsta.