We feel humbled and thankful our most recent CD "Tur saulite perties gaja" is featured as No. 4 on the World Music Charts Europe in April, 2012.
This is 3rd time in the top 20 of this chart, created by world music radio dj's from twenty three European countries. The last time was in 2006 when our album "Ne uz vienu dienu" reached the No. 2 spot and remained in the top ten for four months.
We are very glad you enjoy our music.

"Tur saulite perties gaja" was recently named Best Folk Album of 2011 by
the Latvian recording industry. «Tur Saulīte Pērties Gāja» was released on December 3rd, 2011, before a sold-out crowd of all ages at Iļģi’s 30th Anniversary Concert in Rīga.
Iļģi brought Latvian postfolk to No. 2 on the World Music Charts Europe in 2006 with CD «Ne Uz Vienu Dienu», a top ten album for four months. In 2009 World Music Central called the band part of a «fresh wave of contemporary folk» and fRoots dubbed it «Latvia's leading roots band». Iļģi has performed all over the world, most recently in Malaysia at the 2011 Rainforest World Music Festival.
The band's mature roots in Latvian folk music and the skilled usicianship of its members are apparent in profound and bold interpretations, album after album.
On the CD «Tur Saulīte Pērties Gāja» Iļģi takes kokles, violin, a cello-like ģīga, acoustic and bass guitars, percussion, and an adopted kalimba on a tranquil journey. Iļģi is Ilga Reizniece, Māris Muktupāvels, Gatis Gaujenieks, Egons Kronbergs and Mārtiņš Linde. Guest vocalist Irīna Mihailovska complements Reizniece's alto on one track.

The album's central theme is the Latvian pirts, a place for cleansing the body and soul. «Spirits are tossed» and steam created by ladling water onto rocks heated by a wood re. To pērties (gently og) with a pirts slota
(bundle of twigs) is invigorating. Whether in a private pirts in the countryside or under the direction of a modern day pirts keeper, the tradition is alive in Latvia. Nevertheless, it lacked music — until now.

In Pirts Kurināšana (Lighting the Fire), Reizniece sings of a pirts near a golden oak by a silver stream, «where the Sun went pērties» (the album title).
Ceļojums (Journey) is the story of a pirts mouse.
Ceļš ( e Road) is a gentle interplay of strings and kalimba.
In Pēršana Reizniece names ora used in pirts slots, each with medicinal qualities.
Lidošana (Flying) showcases Kronbergs' guitar and Muktupāvels' kokle and accordion.
Garā Pupa ( e Tall Bean) is the classic story of a bean plant that grows up to the sky, but the music suggests the wonderfully languid feeling resulting from a trip to the pirts. It also features a duet by Reizniece on violin
and Muktupāvels on kokle, playing as one after collabo- rating for 29 years.
Finally, Paldies ( anks) is o ered to everyone who makes the pirts possible, from its builder to the water carrier. roughout, layers of depth are created by Gaujenieks on ģīga and bass guitar, and Linde on percussion.