Krilja is a trio based in Gothenburg, Sweden, who play traditional Roma/Gypsy songs from Russia and Eastern Europe. The music is of uncertain date but in many cases from the 19th century onwards and shifts between lyrical melancholy and fiery intensity. The lyrics of the songs are in Romanes and Russian and tell of sorrow, pain, poverty, and suffering, but also love and passion.

The arrangements have been improvised by the musicians, often influenced by styles such as flamenco, but they remain true to the traditional idiom.

The name "Krilja" means "wings" in some dialects of Romanes as well as in Russian.

Krilja was founded in the autumn of 2010. Marita Johansson (vocals, guitar) and Jonas Liljeström (fiddle, vocals) were the original members, and the flamenco guitarist Emil Pernblad joined the group shortly thereafter. Since then, we've performed in various venues, mainly on the West Coast of Sweden and in and around Stockholm - from cafés and culture centers to art museums and churches. We've also performed abroad, including concert tours in Scotland in 2013 and Iceland in 2017. We seek to bring forth an aspect of the Romani music tradition which is less well-known than the Balkan/South-East European tradition, which is represented by artists such as Taraf de Haïdouks and Goran Bregovic, and we do it in our own way. We don't try to imitate anyone else; we define our own sound, very much influenced by the various genres and traditions that the individual band members are fluent in outside of the Romani musical idiom.

A remix/remaster of Krilja's original debut album was released to critical acclaim on January 7, 2022.

Members:

Marita Johansson (vocals, guitar)

Jonas Liljeström (fiddle, vocals, percussion)

Emil Pernblad (guitar)