Iļģi – Tur Kur Mīti (Ilgi, 2017)
Iļģi, Latvia’s finest contemporary folk music ensemble has released Tur Kur Mīti (Where Myths Dwell), its 15th album. The band describes its sound as post folk and on Kur Mīti they present a set of traditional and original compositions inspired in Latvian folk music and other musical traditions.
One of the myths featured is Jumis, a spirit of the farming fields that represents fertility and a good harvest. With this inspiration, Iļģi delivers a multi-faceted musical voyage where you’ll find engaging vocals in various tones and fascinating instrumental performances and arrangements.
Fiddler Ilga Reizniece draws her influences from Latvian folk music and Celtic music as well. The Latvian kokle (zither) is well represented throughout the album in the hands of multi-instrumentalist Māris Muktupāvels and Laima Jansone.
All through Tur Kur Mīti, Iļģi takes the listener on a wild ride, ranging from lively folk-rock songs and bluesy guitars to tranquil material where the kokle plays a leading role.
One of the highlights of the album is “Jumis,” where the band goes into trance mode, developing spellbinding sounds with the kokle, guitar, electric bass, vocals, effects and soft percussion. Equally charming is “Pele,” where the vocals and kokle reel you in. And then there is the opening track, “Laima,” where the interaction between the interaction between the vocals, blues guitar and kokle is truly delightful.
The lineup on Tur Kur Mīti includes Ilga Reizniece on vocals and violin; Māris Muktupāvels on vocals, kokle and accordion; Gatis Gaujenieks on acoustic and electric bass, giga (bowed zither) and jaw harp; Egons Kronbergs on guitar; and Mārtiņš Linde on drums and percussion.
Guests: Laima Jansone on kokle and Uģis Prauliņš on vocals.
The CD booklet includes lyrics in Latvian and English-language translations.
Tur Kur Mīti is a skillfully crafted traditional music-inspired album that showcases the talent of one of the brightest musical acts from Latvia.
Buy the digital version of Tur Kur Mīti
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.