Kārlis Būmeisters

Kārlis Būmeisters (born 13 December 1986) is a Latvian musician, singer, and television host who also works in politics. He first became known as a child singer on Latvian television at the age of three. Later, he performed in popular Latvian music groups and often used the stage name Kaža during his music career.

Early Life and Education

Būmeisters was born in Riga, Latvia. His father, Juris Būmeisters, was a dissident during the Soviet era, and he was named after his grandfather, Kārlis Būmeisters, who was a Latvian politician. He completed his education in Riga and earned a master’s degree in international economics from the University of Latvia. He also studied business management in France at ESCEM.

Music Career

Būmeisters began performing music as a child. At age three, he appeared on a Latvian children’s TV show as a singer. He later joined the children’s vocal group Dzeguzīte and in his teens became a member of the pop band Putnu Balle in 2002. The band toured Latvia and released two albums.

In 2005, Būmeisters gained international attention when he represented Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest. He performed the song “The War Is Not Over” as part of the duo Valters and Kaža with singer Valters Frīdenbergs. They achieved fifth place in the final. The song was the first one having a part in sign language.

After Eurovision, Būmeisters launched a solo career. In 2008, he released music under the name Kaža and won the national “Music Record of the Year” award. He also recorded the TV series theme song “Tici vai nē” (“Believe It or Not”), which was named Hit of the Year in 2010.

Būmeisters has worked behind the scenes in the music industry as well. He served as managing director of a digital music platform in the Baltic region, and he founded a recording studio called Cloud Music Studio for music production. In 2018, he briefly reunited with Valters Frīdenbergs to release a single titled “Ceļi atpakaļ” (“Roads Back”).

Media and Television Career

Alongside music, Būmeisters built a career in television. He created and hosted an award-winning investigative show called Melu laboratorija (“Lie Lab”) on Latvian Television. This program exposed misinformation and earned praise for its content. His experience as a performer helped him become a popular TV host.

Political Career

Būmeisters later moved into politics and public communication. He now works in Brussels as a press secretary for Roberts Zīle, a Latvian Member of the European Parliament. In this role, he manages media and communications for the politician. His background in media and international economics has been useful in this career.

Personal Life

Būmeisters married his long-time girlfriend, Linda Meiere, after 11 years together. The couple has two children. Despite his public roles, he keeps his family life private.