This BBC News series focuses on aspects of life in countries and cities around the world. What may seem ordinary and familiar to the people who live there can be surprising to those who do not.

This month Latvia celebrates the 20th anniversary of its declaration of independence from Soviet Russia.

An integral part of the fight for freedom was folk singing, which kept the country's culture alive during the years of Soviet rule.

Two decades on, this singing tradition is still alive and kicking, as our correspondent Damien McGuinness found out in the Latvian capital Riga.