Musician, record producer, actor
“Foje” is a closed chapter of my life.
Andrius Mamontovas
Music bridges the spiritual and material worlds. To become a musician, I had to sacrifice the illusion that it was necessary to pursue a “serious profession.” Everything I experience influences my music, be it happiness, sadness, love, coincidences or mistakes.
I’ll never forget the moment my newborn daughter first opened her eyes. Life isn’t worth a thing if you don’t experience love and joy.
I don’t think young people today are somehow different than they were in times past. Nothing has really changed for thousands of years.
I admire people who seem like they always succeed without any effort.
The job you choose isn’t very important. What is important is that you choose to do what you love.
A book I’d like to re-read is The Master and Margarita, but I’m a bit afraid that reading it a second time might somehow damage my first impression of it.
My greatest achievement has been…my life. I try to appreciate each and every moment, each blink of an eye, because there is no more valuable way to pass the time.
With every passing year I become calmer, because the troubled mind of youth is replaced by the wisdom of experience.
The best advice I have ever received: “Decide.”
I always take a break when I feel I am ahead of the game.
The wisest people I know are theatre director Eimantas Nekrošius, singer-songwriter Boris Grebenshchikov, and rock musician and composer Udo Lindenberg.
When I played Hamlet, I would get terribly tired. It was a massive challenge, but being in the theatre taught me to pay attention to detail.
The song “Laužo Šviesa” and the musical film Kažkas Atsitiko (1986) opened all the doors for me and determined my path in life.
I will never forget my first concert. Standing in front of a crowd of people, I thought the experience was somehow bigger than me – that I was just a small part of what was going on.
Seeing Lithuania regain its independence from the Soviets was both a nerve-wracking experience and a dream come true. People born in independent Lithuania have all choices available to them. To me, having independence means having the chance to be who you really are.
Rebirth: a time to start fresh, to begin anew.
For me, Street Musician’s Day is the most exciting day of the year in Vilnius. Professional and amateur musicians alike invade the streets, courtyards, parks and squares of Vilnius (and other Lithuanian cities and towns). It is a day to celebrate creative freedom, and collaboration between musicians and the community is the order of the day.
If I were to choose a dream collaboration, it would be to sing with Leonard Cohen or Jeff Lynne from the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). Their work influenced my own, and if you look on my iPod today you will find a lot of their music.
“Foje” is a closed chapter of my life.
Sometimes, to find your life’s path, you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone and aspire to some great objective. Sooner or later, everyone has to accept a commitment that will need to be respected.
My children always have a choice, because only by choosing will they learn to develop their own opinions.
I don’t like to place undue importance on things like dual citizenship. It should be open to all Lithuanian nationals who want it. If the motherland allowed people to choose for themselves, they would love her all the more.
When I tour in foreign countries, I realize how important it is for expatriates to spend time in a Lithuanian environment.
In the army, I learned to find my way out of even the most uncomfortable of situations.
My experiences in North Korea are in my thoughts every day, for it is a land of perfect absurdity and sadness.
When traveling, you should always carry a camera. When I take photos, I try to capture the mood and spirit of the place.
I could never refuse the chance to fulfil my dream of going up into space and looking down at Earth.
If a person were coming to Lithuania for the first time, I would suggest climbing the Golden Dunes of Nida, because it’s always tempting to show guests the most beautiful things first.
I will continue to work for Lithuania, because I too am Lithuania.
