Artist description Ensemble RI plays its own original music based upon different musical traditions ranging from Eastern folk and classical to early Western music, from world fusion to ethno-jazz.

Music Style Archetypical Music

Musical Influences World music, early European music, jazz

Similar Artists Dead Can Dance (in some rare occasions ;), Enver Izmailov, Samkha, Vermicelli Orchestra

Artist History The name ‘Ensemble RI’ first appeared around 1993 in St. Petersburg, Russia, where three musicians - Lavrenty Mganga: woodwinds, piano, Dim Grigorev: drums and Alex Manotskov (Shultz): bass - played a mostly improvisational program in the jazz-club 'Okoshki'. The next appearance of the group was in 1994 with a totally improvisational non-stop program using a huge pile of custom-made and exotic ethnic instruments together with throat singing. It took place at the Voronezh House of Actors. In 1995 the style of the group and its line-up seriously changed: total improvisation changed to fixed material with more or less mild improvisational fragments. The music became closer to the folk traditions of East and West and to early European music. The new line-up (Mganga: cornamuse, duduk, oboe, flutes; Vladiswar Nadishana: percussion; Youl Konst: trumpet, cornet) appeared with a new program at Voronezh Youth Library. This program has since been recorded live on Voronezh State Television.Since July 2000 the line-up is: Mganga: various woodwinds; Vov Dudko: clarinet, saxes; Dim Grigorev: tabla, durbak, Alex Manotskov: cello. This line-up appeared at the Kukart festival in Tsarskoye Selo on 23.07.2000 and at the Art-Kovcheg festival in St.Petersburg on 3.09.2000. The first CD of the group will be released in September 2000 – come back soon!

Group Members Lavrenty Mganga: oboe, flutes, cornamuse, duduk; Vov Dudko: saxes, clarinet; Alex Manotskov: cello; Dim Grigorev: tabla, percussion.

Instruments oboe, flutes, cornamuse, duduk, saxes, clarinet, tabla, percussion, cello.

Albums Live at the Voronezh House of Actors, ?.02.94; Live at Voronezh Youth Library, 16.02.95; New CD coming soon.

Press Reviews 'Independent Courier' (Voronezh, Russia), 3.03.94: “Ensemble RI consists of three young people who play free improvisation. They have phenomenal ability to derive sounds from things that are trivial and not suited for that purpose. They played three compositions. During 45 minutes of playing, they used huge number of instruments: flutes of various sizes, bass, piano, drums, sax, trumpet, triangles, hanged vinyl disks, metal lids, cans and even a “global” flower vase. The mirth and spirituality of the musicians was transmitted to audience. They meditated, … there was a multi-colored aura in the hall.”The group has appeared several times on Voronezh State Television.

Location St Petersburg - Russia

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