kokles as the most highly socially and economically valued Latvian instrument. Mythologically kokles may have been linked with the solar and celestial sphere as they are also sometimes called "Kokles of Dievs" (Dieva kokles) or "golden kokles" (zelta kokles) and sun ornaments were traditionally carved in the soundboard. Kokles, kokles playing (koklēšana) and kokles players (koklētāji) are mentioned in 274 Latvian dainas and mythological kokles players include Jānis and other unnamed sons of Dievs, as well as Saule playing kokles while sitting in the Austras koks. In modern music Already at the first kokles revival in 1930s and 1940s kokles music saw an influx of newly composed folk music-inspired compositions and orchestral arrangements of folk songs. However, only recently kokles has truly grown to transcend the boundaries of traditional folk music. From the experimental post-folk band Iļģi, Biruta Ozoliņa's and DJ Monsta's electronic folk collaboration, Laima Jansone's free improvisations and fusion of kokles' sounds with jazz in the project "Zarbugans" to a more heavier kokles-accompanied folk metal sound of Skyforger. In 2002 record label Upe released a double CD by ethnomusicologist Valdis Muktupāvels titled "Kokles", dedicated to the instrument. The first disc "Muktukokles" contains 9 Muktupāvels' original kokles compositions and 2 arrangements of traditional songs accompanied by other instruments (sarod, tambura, and tabla), as well as the vocals of Rūta Muktupāvele, while the second disc "Tradicionālās kokles" contains 24 Kurzeme, suiti and Latgale traditional tunes and dance melodies. In 2016 record label Lauska released a CD Trejdeviņi koklētāji (Thrice-nine kokles players) featuring some of the best known Latvian kokles players (Valdis Muktupāvels, Laima Jansone, Biruta Ozoliņa and Ansis Jansons among others) and Baltic psaltery players from abroad (Leanne Barbo from Estonia and Jenni Venäläinen from Finland), as well as Latvian concert kokles ensembles, with a collection of 13 compositions that span from traditional to ethno-jazz and ethno-baroque genres. A bilingual Latvian-English hardback booklet was also included with notes on performing musicians and their compositions, as well as a brief history of kokles. References Bibliography Further reading Muktupāvels, Valdis. On some relations between kokles styles and contexts in the twentieth century. Journal of Baltic Studies, Vol. XXXI, No 4, Winter of 2000, pp. 388–405. External links Kokle The Stringdom. November 15, 2017. Kokles playing studio "Kokļu mežs" Videos of kokles playing methods, styles and reportoire Song video tutorials for the book "Kokles dziesma dvēselei" Baltic psaltery Latvian musical instruments