88.1 KDHX Saint Louis

a show of music from Latvia - folk, traditional, post-folk, and contemporary. This summer solstice song, "Aw, you Guys" features a post-folk group with the national instrument, the kokle

This starts a set of winter solstice songs. The group, Iļģi, began as a folk rock group, but, in a reversal of the usual, gradually began concentrating on more traditional material

This group, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary, arranges everything for bagpipes and large drums. They used to perform in skins, stripped to the waist. I notice their most recent publicity photos show them more paunchy, and more covered up...

from Laiksne's most recent album, they have mde good use of their kokle players, but, unfortunately added electric bass

This is a song about the kokle, and is a good example of "post-folk" a term used in Poland as well as Latvia to refers to a style between folkrock and traditional

this group collects songs directly from older singers in rural areas, and presents them with little or no instruments, and in an ultra-traditional voice and harmony

scored for diatonic accordian, bagpipe, mandolin, and drum

This is a Latvian song, performed here by a Ukrainian singer accompanying herself on the Ukrainian bandura. It was part of a benefit concert for Ukrainian refugees.

this type of song is common in the northern part of Europe where voices are used for the "instrumental parts" in villages that could not afford instrumentalists

a midsummer night song

This family group sings in the old way

This is the Latvian spelling of "Krakowiak", a well known dance from southern Poland. This tune, though, spread all over eastern Europe into areas well-removed from Poland, and had a specific choreography that many city folks knew.

Playing the large "concert" kokle, this is more "national mood music" than traditional, but it is by one of the founders of the Latvian folk revival

I'm going to war, Mom

an old Christmas song done up in folk-rock style