Biography
Atalyja is one of the most popular Lithuanian folk rock group.
Founded in Vilnius, Lithuania in 1998, the band produces an exciting combination of folk, rock and funk, with some features of Indian classical music. Here the electric guitar or melancholic flute blend into the sound of the sutartinės (ancient polyphonic songs), traditional kanklės (the Lithuanian type of zither), bagpipes or Jew's harp are unexpectedly combined with classical violin or viola; well-known Lithuanian musicians and ethno-musicologists are among the members of the band.
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There released two albums: The first one, "Atalyja" (2001), was an enchanting introduction to the Lithuanian modern folk music; their second one, released four years later and titled "Močia" (meaning "mother"), became one of the most popular record of the Baltic modern folk music.
Members:
Salvijus Žeimys - percussion
Gedimina "Šalkauskaitė" Statulevičienė - vocal
Ernest Jepifanov - fiddle, vocal, bagpipe, bansure
Ugnius Keturka - guitar
Gediminas Žilys - bass guitar, kanklės
Rytis Ambrazevičius - kantele, vocal, bagpipe
Audronė Pociūtė - vocal
Eirimas Velička - fiddle, vocal, bagpipes,
Darutė Matulionytė - vocal, kantele
Atalyja often performs at various folk music festivals in Lithuania and abroad; their tracks have been used in many art projects, film and theatre productions.
Official website: http://www.atalyja.com
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.