Denmark - Sjælland Part II

As we continue our exploration of Copenhagen, we encounter balfolk band the Mads Hansens Kapel.  Coming from a variety of musical backgrounds the 5 members of the band got together in 2015 to play traditional Danish dance tunes with a slightly unusual line-up of instruments with fiddle, guitar, bass, piano and clarinet, which gives them a sometimes slightly jazzy feel.  Here is a live version of a tune called Newcastle Hotline from their latest 2021 EP One For the Road:

Like most capital cities, Copenhagen has its fair share of international influences and a thriving global music scene.  One such example is North Macedonian saxophonist and clarinettist Bjonko, who has made Copenhagen his home.  He creates a crossover of Balkan Beats and Nordic contemporary sounds and hip-hop.  Here's a hip-hop Balkan number called OPA! from his 2021 album Enigma:

Spanish guitarist (the guitar style being Spanish, not the player) Jacob Gurevitsch was actually born in the small town Havnbjerg in the southeast of the country, but is now very much a Copenhagen resident.  He is at pains to point out that he does not play flamenco, but melancholic style Spanish guitar tunes mostly in minor tunings evoking romantic moods of Spain.  Here is the title track of his 2015 debut album Lovers in Paris:

Danish/Pakistani Sufi Rock band Rocqawali combine the 1000 year old traditional Pakistani Sufi music of Qawali with 70's style rock'n'roll.  The Pakistani front man Ejaz Sher Ali comes from one of Pakistan's most eminent musical families, and he is backed by 4 Danish musicians from the Indie Rock scene.  Here is the opening track of their 2017 album Sufi Spirit called Ill Allah:

The north meets the east with Klezmer band Mames Babegenush, who blend Nordic calm with East European wedding music.  The 6-piece band formed in 2004 in an effort to revive the Danish Klezmer scene and developed their own style of the genre.  For their 2017 album Mames Babegenush with Strings they added, as the name suggests, some strings to their sound and this is the opening track to the album called Tornado Albastru:

Fusion band Total Hip Replacement combine Reggae, soul with a dash of Afrobeat.  They mostly operate as a live band touring extensively around the world, but have brought out some notable releases.  This a song from their 2020 album Bliss called Lost in Thought:

Finally, just before hopping over the bridge to Sweden, we go to the island of Amager, which houses the eastern half of Copenhagen.  We started this post with something traditional and we shall finish on that note.  Medieval folk band Virelai has a Viking theme to much of their music with Nordic ballads as well as some southern European dance tunes, all played on traditional instruments. This song is homage to the Norse goddess of love and fertility Freja and was released as a single in 2017: Frejas Store Kraft:

That's it from Denmark, next stop the south of Sweden.  In the meantime, as usual, you can follow my virtual musical journey on my Tripline map.