Folklore group
Grodi

Riga, July 2000

      Name: Grodi
          meaning: well-curb
          recommended transcription in English: Grodi
          approximate pronunciation in English: Gruodi
          Listen pronunciation in AU format (13 Kb)

      Created: 1987
      Location: Riga
      Leaders: Aīda Rancāne, Andris Kapusts
      Number of participants: 8, of them by age:
          younger than 14 years: 2
          from 25 to 44 years: 5
          older than 64 years: 1
      and by gender:
          males: 3
          females: 5
      Forms of activity: sing, play music, dance, play roundelays
      Musical insruments: kokle (psaltery), pipe, guimbarde, monochord, trumpet, drum, Petersburg squeeze-box, accordion, violin, bass monochord.

      Description: Folklore ensemble Grodi is created in 1987 in Riga. In the basis of its activity is a cognition, development and popularisation of folk traditions. The participants of ensemble collect materials on folklore expeditions from narrators, collaborate with ethnomusicologists, archaeologists, anthropologists, astronomists, have made reconstruction of Latgalian costumes of XII century.
    Grodi celebrate folk fests: meet the sun on Easter, roll fiery wheel in John's night, burn yule log on Christmas, treat ghosts, toboggan on Shrovetide.
    In repertoir of ensemble are songs of calendar and family rites, mythological, orphans, soldiers, labour, household and other songs, games and dances from different parts of Latvia. Especial attention is gived to repertoir from Latgalia, where are from the majority of the participants.
    Vocal songs ensemble usually sing in authentic manner, but in instrumental music also more modern arrangements are made.
    Ensemble regularly participates in concerts, measures and festivals in Latvia, and also was preformed in other countries: Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Russia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Denmark, Finland, France, Portugal, Japan, Belgium.

      Address:
          in Latvian: Andris Kapusts, Brīvības 108-57, Rīga, LV-1001, Latvija
          in English: Andris Kapusts, Brivibas 108-57, Riga, LV-1001, Latvia
      Phone: (+371) 6063277, 9289182
      E-mail: andr27_N@N_delfi.lv, aidarancane_N@N_hotmail.com

      Date of presenting the information: 6 September 2001, 7 February 2006