Unexpected Sources Audio Gallery - 
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S O U N D _ G A L L E R Y _ R a d i o 
R I G A / L A T V I A
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The originator of Lavian postfolk is in its prime.  In recent years Iļģi released three albums, toured the United States coast to coast, and played festivals at home and abroad.  In 2006 "Ne Uz Vienu Dienu" reached No. 2 on the World Music Charts Europe and remained a top ten album for four months.   When “Tur Saulīte Pērties Gāja” debuted at No. 4 on that same Chart in April 2012 the WMCE commented: “Celebrating their 31st anniversary, Ilgi reveal no sign of their longevity, at least musically speaking.”

History
Classically trained violinist Ilga Reizniece formed Iļģi in 1981.  Māris Muktupāvels soon joined her on kokle and bagpipes, and on travels throughout Soviet Latvia learning folk songs and traditions.  As Reizniece recalls, "We have always been interested in music as art, not just the folklore aspect of it.  There always has been a dual purpose of the group.  We had to fulfill our mission in preserving the Latvian heritage and return forgotten lore to the nation, but at the same time we really enjoyed just playing the music." 

The Band -
Over the years Iļģi's traditional style gave way to fuller instrumentation and bolder arrangements. Violin, kokle and bagpipes blend with guitars, electric bass and drums to create a simultaneously ancient and contemporary sound, developed over the years by band members with diverse musical backgrounds.  Gatis Gaujenieks, a New Yorker of Latvian descent, moved to Rīga and joined Iļģi in 1997 on electric bass and ģīga.  Rock guitarist Egons Kronbergs was recruited in 2001.  Percussionist Martins Linde completed the roster in 2008.

Performances -
Iļģi has toured in Latvia, Europe, the United States, Canada, Russia, Australia and China.  When Latvia joined the European Union Iļģi represented it in a celebration at the Brandenburg Gate.  World music festival performances include: Chicago, Madison, Lotus, Globalquerque, Trad-It, Posthof, Etnoplaneta, Rudolstadt, Suklegos, and Viljandi. Iļģi celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 2011 before a  sold-out audience at Palladium Rīga, and by performing in Malaysia for the first time, at the Rainforest World Music Festival. In 2012 the band performed at the Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Milwaukee and returned to the Chicago Old Town School of Music for a solo concert. In 2013 appearances are scheduled at the Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Rīga, throughout Latvia, as well as in Sweden, Germany and Lithuania.

Awards -
The Latvian recording industry awarded Iļģi Best Folk Album five times, most recently for "Tur saulīte pērties gāja."  Ilga Reizniece has received the Latvian Ministry of Culture's Grand Award in Folklore.

Reviews -
"Latvia's leading roots band, fronted by fiddler Ilga Reizniece's soft lead vocals, continues to gently evolve its sound of kokles (Baltic zither), pipes, frets, bass and drums" wrote Andrew Cronshaw, giving a fRoots' thumbs up for the 2009 "Īsākās Nakts Dziesmas." In World Music Central  TJ Nelson found the album "juicy with clever composition and deft instrumentation. . . stylish and energetic. . . smart and savvy."  In 2012 World Music Central’s Angel Romero described “Tur Saulīte Pērties Gāja” as “a lovely and mesmeric album” and Rootworld’s Lee Blackstone proclaimed “Iļģi may well have achieved post-folk perfection.”

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