OUR STORY
BRINGING IDEAS TO LIFE
Every production tells a story. Ours began long before LESHOWMAN was built. It started with a passion for engineering, a dedication to craftsmanship, and values passed from one generation to the next. This is the story behind the people and the legacy that continue to guide everything we do.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
A passion passed from one generation to the next.
Some people's life stories do not end when they pass away. They continue through the people they inspired, the knowledge they passed on, and the values they taught. That is exactly the kind of person Agris Purmalis was.
Agris Purmalis was born on July 21, 1955, in Dzimtmisa Parish, near Bauska, Latvia. From an early age, he was fascinated by radio electronics, electrical engineering, and understanding how the world around him worked. While other children spent their time playing, Agris took apart various devices, studying their construction and trying to understand how they functioned.
During the Soviet era, opportunities to purchase quality radio equipment or electronic components were extremely limited. If you wanted something, you often had to build it yourself. These circumstances shaped Agris's character - his patience, technical mindset, and ability to find solutions even when none seemed possible.
At just twelve years old, Agris built his very first radio using whatever parts he could find. It was a defining moment, as it became clear even then that his life would always be connected to electronics, sound, and technology.
Building a career
After finishing school, Agris moved to Riga, where he studied at the Faculty of Radio Electronics at the Riga Polytechnic Institute, earning a qualification as a radio electronics engineer. The university - whose traditions are now continued by Riga Technical University - provided him with strong theoretical foundations in electronics, communication systems, and engineering. However, practice was always what mattered most to Agris - the opportunity to build, test, and improve things with his own hands.
After graduating, he began an internship at the Valmiera Drama Theatre, where he later continued working. There, Agris worked as a radio electronics engineer and sound operator, maintaining the theatre's sound systems and ensuring high-quality audio for every performance. His time at the theatre provided invaluable experience and became a solid foundation for his future professional career.
During the 1970s, Agris began designing and building his first loudspeaker systems. At that time, professional concert equipment was rare in Latvia, so much of it had to be created from scratch. He designed sound systems, improved existing equipment, and increasingly provided technical sound production for concerts, cultural events, and discos.
Alongside his work in live sound, Agris also became actively involved in tape studio recordings. He collaborated with several of Latvia's emerging bands of the time, including Pērkons and Jumprava, assisting with recording sessions and live performances. Later, Agris became the sound engineer for Pērkons, taking care of the band's live sound during one of the most significant periods in the history of Latvian rock music.
Throughout the years, Agris never stopped expanding his knowledge. He was someone who never settled for what he already knew. Every project became an opportunity to learn something new, discover a more effective solution, and achieve an even higher level of quality.
Sharing knowledge
In the 1990s, Agris established his first event technical production company in the Valmiera region. He provided technical services for concerts, city festivals, cultural events, and private functions, while always making time to help others. People knew him as a professional they could rely on in any situation. He never hesitated to share advice, knowledge, or a helping hand.
Until 2024, Agris continued working actively in the event industry as a sound engineer. Even after more than forty years of experience, he never lost interest in new technologies and always kept up with developments in the industry. Sound was never just a profession to him - it was an inseparable part of his life.
In 2002, his godson Deiviss was born. From early childhood, Agris took him along to concerts, rehearsals, stage builds, and events. It was Agris who taught him his first lessons about sound, lighting, electronics, and technical thinking. Even more importantly, he taught him work ethic, responsibility, and respect for every person he worked with.
The foundations laid by Agris became the beginning of Deiviss's professional journey. The knowledge passed on during childhood later grew into passion, professional development, and eventually the creation of LESHOWMAN. Agris was always proud of Deiviss's achievements and found great satisfaction in seeing his experience continue to live on through the next generation.
a legacy that lives on
In 2024, Agris passed away. His legacy, however, has never disappeared. It lives on in every project delivered by LESHOWMAN, in every technical solution, every concert, and every decision made based on the values he taught throughout his life.
LESHOWMAN is more than just a company. It is a story of knowledge passed from one generation to the next, of respect for the craft, of a constant desire to improve, and of a man whose fascination with radio electronics at the age of twelve became the foundation of a legacy that continues to this day.
Thank you, Agris. For the knowledge. For the example. For the values.
They will continue to live on in every event we create.
