Norway & Sweden - The Far North

 Finally finishing our long journey through Sweden and Norway, we'll be zigzagging between the two countries exploring the far Arctic north.  Our first stop is the town of Bodø just north of the Arctic Circle in the Nordland County of Norway.  This is where traditional folk musician, fiddler and composer Susanne Lundeng was born in 1969.  Her music is firmly rooted in the traditions of her home region, but has a distinctive sound of her own as a fiddler, composer and free thinker.  She has just recorded her 13th studio album called Følge, named after the guardian spirits that accompany each person throughout their lives according to Nordic beliefs.  Here's a song from the album called Sku det meir te:

Next we are retracing our steps back to Sweden and the county of Norbotten.  The small town of Kalix apparently has its own dialect unintelligible to other Swedes and even its own culinary speciality, a kind of caviar called Kalix Löjrom, which is made from the eggs of a local fish called vendace.  This is where singer / songwriter and producer Vera Vinter was born in 1981.  Her music has something of an ambient film music feel to it, creating a uniquely Nordic atmosphere with some dark undertones.  In 2022 she got together with violinist Hanna Ekström from Dalarna in central Sweden to record an album called Lios entirely in the Kalix dialect.  Here is a song from the album called SÅLT Å VATTNE (salt on the water):

Now for something completely and wildly different we are heading to the far northern municipality of Jukkasjärvi, still in Norbotten County, where organist Gunnar Idenstam was born in 1961.  Classically trained on the organ (yes we are talking about great big church organs) his mission is to broaden the instruments appeal to a wider audience and dabbling with 70's prog rock and Swedish folk.  If that sounds whacky listen out for his 2022 collaboration with Sámi hip-hop and rap artist Ola Stinnerbom, who takes Sámi joiking to a whole new level.  The resulting album is called A Saami Requiem and is described as a musical journey to The Kingdom of Death and back.  It is quite difficult to describe in words, so here is a sample called A Saami Requiem Part 1 "The Journey":Saaiva - The Door to the Kingdom of Death.

Next we are hopping back over to Norway and the northern-most city in the world Tromsø.  I visited it once many years ago, it also sports the northern-most university in the world, the northern-most beer brewery (although you need to take out a mortgage to be able to afford a pint...) and the Arctic Cathedral.  Sadly my ex-girlfriend has kept all the photos I took on that trip.  

Anyway, I digress, Tromsø is also the birthplace in 1987 of Fiddler, composer and singer Julie Alapnes.  She has been playing the instrument since the age of 5 and was immersed early on in the traditional music of the far north, which she now combines with more contemporary sounds.  Here is a song from her 2022 album Helleristning called Støa:

Next we are heading to Kautokeino in the Troms og Finmark county.  This is where the Sámi from all 4 corners of their territory gather for their annual spring festival over the Easter weekend, dressed in their bright blue and red costumes, herding their reindeer with them and racing on reindeer sleighs on a frozen over lake.  It's a spectacle I was lucky enough to witness back in 1982 and, although I don't have any photographic evidence any more, remains one of my most vivid travel memories.

Kautokeino is also the birthplace of singer, joiker and activist for Sámi rights and the environment Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska (aka Iŋgor Ántte Ánte Mihkkala Sara in Northern Sámi) in 1983.  She doesn't really have a website, but a look at her Instagram page reveals her strong activism.  Here is a video from before her visit to the Paris COP conference, where she invites everybody to join her in a joik:

She has also performed with ice musician Terje Isungset, whom we already met in Viken County.  Here is a live piece from a concert in 2019 in Oslo called Ocean Memories:

About 60 km north of Kautokeino is the village of Masi (or Máze) where young joiker John André Eira comes from.  Still in his 20's, he has been joiking since the age of 2, and is said to have a particularly keen ear due to the fact that he was born blind.  Whilst keen to preserve the ancient traditions he is also not afraid to blend it with modern influences including rock and blues, especially with his current band GABBA.  Here is a track from their 2022 self-titled debut album called Mihkkelaš:

Next we are heading almost as far north as you can get in Norway to the village of Gamvik on the northern shore of the Nordkinn peninsula, which is just east of North Cape.  This is where joiker Torgeir Vassvik was born in 1962.  His compositions are wildly dramatic, incorporating traditional drums and distorted strings to the traditional joiks.  He calls himself an Arctic Soundpoet.  Here is a track from his 2019 album Gákti called Whipped / Spiddumat:

Finally we conclude our journey of Sweden and Norway in the far north-eastern corner of Norway in the town of Vadsø.  This is where Hardanger fiddle player Sivert Holmen was born, although at the age of 6 his family moved to Aurdal in Inlandet County, which is evident in his musical influences.  He has since toured the world with his fiddle.  Here is a tune from his 2021 album Jotunheimen called Sumarkveld i Jotunheimen:

That's it finally from Sweden and Norway and we can move onto a new country next with Finland.  Sorry it's a bit of a long post this time, I just wanted to get through the last of the material I had on these 2 countries.  As usual you can follow my virtual journey on my Tripline map

Norway - Trøndelag

We continue our zig-zag journey through Scandinavia and hopping back over the border to Norway and the county of Trøndelag.  First stop is the historic and pretty mining town of Røros, which due to its large collection of old timber houses has Unesco World Heritage status.

Photo credit: By Hogne - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1705607

This is where Hardanger fiddler Olav Mjelva is from.  He has collaborated with many acts, including the Nordic Fiddlers Bloc (whom we met in Sweden before).  Another Norwegian/Swedish duo he is involved in is together with Swedish Nyckelharpa player Erik Rydvall forming the duo Rydvall/Mjelva.  Together they skilfully combine their respective national instruments to play both Norwegian and Swedish folk tunes.  This is a tune from their 2019 album Vårvindar Friska called Jubileumspolska:

Fiddler Ingeborg Ulberg Sommer is also from Røros.  She doesn't seem to have her own website, but has released her debut solo album Attkømmen in 2021.  Here is a tune from the album called simply Vals:

We already met joiker Marja Mortensson in Inlandet county, where she is from.  In 2019 she collaborated with tuba player and composer Daniel Herskedal from Molde and the Trondheim Solist String Quartet, which leads us to Trondheim.  Here is the opening track to their 2019 album Lååje - Dawn called GUBPEDE BÖÖTIM - Where did I come from:

Accordionist Frode Haltli was born in the town of Levanger in 1975.  He started playing at the age of 7 and he has had a prolific and award winning career.  Amongst other projects he heads a 10-piece super band called Avant Folk, which includes some well known names such as Hardanger fiddler Erlend Apneseth and Fiddler Hans P Kjorstad, both of whom we have met before on this blog.  They describe their music as experimental folk meeting jazz and chamber music.  Here is a live concert of theirs in Bremen, Germany with extracts from their 2017 self-titled album:

That's it for today, next we are heading back into Sweden again on our zigzag tour of Scandinavia.  Until next time you can follow my virtual ramblings on my tripline map.

Sweden - Uppsala & Gävleborg Counties

 Next on our virtual journey through Sweden we stop at the university town of Uppsala.  This is where folk group Väsen started off way back in 1989 and they are still going strong 20 odd albums and numerous international tours later.  They were founded by Olov Johansson (nyckelharpa) and Mikael Marin (viola) and were later joined by André Ferrari (percussion) and Roger Tallroth (guitar).  The two original members still perform together as a duo.  Their long collaboration has lead to them having an almost telepathic understanding of each others playing.  Here are 3 of their tunes from their 2017 album Brewed at an NPR Tiny Desk Concert:

Swedish/Estonian folk band Fränder are also based in Uppsala and were founded in 2015.  The quartet, made up of flute, fiddle, Swedish mandola and double bass, bring fresh modern nuances to the folk traditions of their respective countries to give a fresh sound to their songs both sung in Swedish and Estonian.  Here is a song from their 2017 self-titled album called Sjömansbrud (Sailor's bride):

Next we are heading to the county of Gävleborg and our first stop is the municipality of Bollnäs where fiddler Lena Jonsson was born in 1986.  She is part of a new generation of Swedish folk musicians, bringing in contemporary influences to traditional Swedish tunes and own compositions, including elements of rock, pop, jazz, American old-time and bluegrass.  She usually performs with her trio and exudes a fresh and joyful charisma.  Her 2020 album Stories from the Outside has won a Swedish Grammy for best album.  Here is the opening track of the album called Rallpersgubben kör timmer:

Also born in the Bollnäs municipality, or more precisely in the village of Arbrå, is fiddler Anders Hall.  He is part of the folk trio the Nordic Fiddlers Bloc alongside Norwegian Hardanger fiddler Olav Lukengård Mjelva and Shetland fiddler Kevin Henderson.  The three of them got together in 2009 to amalgamate their respective traditions to produce a uniquely Nordic sound, respecting their varied traditions, all 3 of them being masters of their craft.  Here you can meet the boys in a video released on the occasion of their 10th anniversary as a band:

And here is a tune from their 2020 album Bonfrost called Bas-Pelles Eriks Brudpolska: 
  

That's it from this part of Sweden for today, next stop is the county of Dalarna.  Until then you can follow my virtual journey on my tripline map.

Norway - Agder & Rogaland Counties

Before leaving the Vestfold og Telemark County we stop in the coastal city of Sandefjord.  The above picture was taken there, when I had the pleasure of spending a few days on a private island there back in 1982, attempting to learn to windsurf and waterski.  Jazz guitarist Andreas Haddeland was born here in 1977.  In his latest project he combines with folk singer Liv Ulvik and percussionist Ulrik Ibsen Thorsrud to form a band called Østerlide.  On their 2020 self-titled debut album they re-invent traditional Norwegian folk songs enveloping them in an eerie, haunting soundscape.  Here's a track from the album called Varulven: 

We're heading back south, rounding the nose of the Scandinavian bear to arrive in Agder county.  Hardanger fiddle player Ånon Egeland and viola player Mikael Marin explore the darker side of the traditions of the region with their instruments tuned an octave down.  They call their style folk noir and the tunes are associated with songs of grief, godly reverence and lost love.  They are both considered legends of the Scandinavian folk scene in their own right and got together for a couple of albums, including their 2020 recording Farvel Farvel. Here's a tune from the album called Adam den første:

Singer/songwriter, record producer and novelist Jenny Hval was born in Tvedestrand in Agder county in 1980.  She has dabbled in various genres, including alternative rock, experimental folk and avant-garde, having started her music career in Gothic metal.  She cites Kate Bush as one of her main influences.  She is known for controversial lyrics tackling subjects like pornography and the patriarchy and felt a bit of a hypocrite when she got married recently, given that she has previously been critical of conventions around love and relationships.  She dealt with those conflicts in her own persona with her latest album Classic Objects and particularly with this song of the album called Year of Love:

Back to something more traditional, folk singer and silversmith Kirsten Bråten Berg was born in Arendal in Agder County in 1950.  Trained as a silversmith she got into singing traditional Norwegian folk songs in the 1970's.  She has given concerts and recorded numerous albums since.  In 1990 she met jazz bassist Arild Andersen (whom we met in an earlier post) and has joined his band since.  Her last solo album was in 2010 called Songen and this is a song from it called Astrid, mi Astrid:

Moving on to Stavanger, the main city of Rogaland County for something a bit different.  Here we meet a band called Naaljos Ljom, who play what they call "Traditional Norwegian Microtonal Dance Music".  Essentially it's another complete re-invention of Norwegian folk music, by giving it the electronic dance floor treatment.  I'm not entirely sure it's my cup of tea, but I'll leave it out there anyway for yourselves to judge.  This is from their 2021 self-titled debut album called Langeleikslått:

Singer/songwriter Aurora Aksnes, known simply as Aurora, was born in Stavanger in 1996, although grew up in Høle in Rogaland and a remote village in the Os Mountains near Bergen.  Being surrounded by nature in a relatively isolated location has very much influenced her outlook on life and musical style.  She has achieved some considerable international success with her Nordic folk influenced pop.  She also sites Kate Bush as her influences, as well as Bjørk, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.  Here's the opening track to her 2016 debut album All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend called Runaway:

    `Finally we revisit Slovakian-Norwegian Gypsy orchestra Angrusori, whom we met before in Slovakia.  They are a collaboration between 2 cultural centres involving the Kitchen Orchestra from Stavanger and a group from Slovakia's Roma community.  They got together to record an album at a venue called Tou in Stavanger in 2021, which then appropriately was named Live at Tou.  This is a track from the album called Pre ada baro svetos:

This is it for today, next we'll head up the west coast of Norway towards Bergen.  In the meantime, as usual you can follow my virtual ramblings on my Tripline map.

Norway - Oslo Part II

Hurdy-gurdy player in the Vigeland Park, Oslo

 

Me and a friend dancing to the hurdy-gurdy in 1982

In the second part of our exploration of the music of Oslo, we will delve into some more traditional folk music of Norway.  We begin with folk band Bukkene Bruse, who were formed in 1988.  They include famous Hardanger fiddler Annbjørg Lien, whom we will get to meet in a later post.  The band plays both traditional tunes and songs as well as their own material based on the various regional folk traditions of Norway.  They have toured the world with their music and were chosen as official Olympic musicians for the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Games.  Here is a tune from their 1998 album Steinstolen called Folketone fra Sunnmøre:

Chateau Neuf Spelemanslag are a folk supergroup consisting of some 18 odd members formed in 1998 at Oslo University.  They combine traditional Norwegian folk tunes with elements of jazz using traditional Norwegian folk instruments.  They don't appear to have a website and have not really been active since 2015.  This is a waltz from their 2001 album Curing Norwegian Stiffness called Vals etter Vidar Lande:

The Norwegian/Swedish trio Ævestaden are relatively new on the scene.  They play what Songlines Magazine has described as Dream Folk, playing traditional Nordic instruments such as lyres, fiddle, mouth harp, langeleiks and kantele, but interweaving it with some sparing electronic sounds and some beautiful vocals (in Swedish I believe, correct me if I'm wrong).  Here is a song from their 2021 debut album Ingen Mere Gråter called Stanna Inte:

Pianist Ingfrid Breie Nyhus was born in Oslo in 1978 as a daughter of traditional folk fiddler Sven Nyhus.  She is classically trained on the piano, but her folk influences are very much in evidence, especially with her exploration of the Norwegian slått traditions, which are instrumental folk dance tunes.  She adds contemporary influences and improvisations to develop her own unique style with contrasting dark and light moments, but unmistakably Nordic.  Here is a tune from her 2015 album Slåttepiano called Karislåtten:

The members of Norwegian folk string ensemble Majorstuen met in 2000 at the Oslo State Academy for Music.  Concentrating purely on fiddles with only the odd cello or viola thrown into the mix, they produce a fun and uplifting style to get your dance legs twitching.  Majorstuen is named after a particularly affluent part of Oslo, which in turn was named after a well known pub in the district, the stuen part roughly translating as lounge.  I like naming districts of a city after a pub, I think this practice should catch on more widely.  This is a tune from their 2020 album Jubel called Jubelpolka:

And talking about 'stuen', I'm not not sure where and when folk band Stampestuen were formed, but we'll just place them in Oslo too.  There style has somewhat of an Americana style, in the sense that their songs are mostly ballads about strong characters that have had to emigrate or have fallen on hard times, and banjo, mandolin, harmonica and Appalachian dulcimer feature alongside the hardanger fiddle and guitar.  They have recently released a new album called Bak Lås Og Slå, which takes talks about thieves, murderers and other outcasts from Norwegian society in the 19th century, including Ole Høiland, who robbed the Norwegian Central Bank in 1835:

We leave it at that for today, finishing off in Oslo and continuing our Norwegian journey.  In the meantime, as usual, you can follow my virtual ramblings on my tripline map.

Sweden - The South

 

After crossing the almost 8km long Öresund Bridge from Denmark we arrive in Sweden, land of elks and Ikea, lakes and laid back people, Abba and a treasure trove of Nordic folk.  I visited a couple times many years ago, the photos have long ago disappeared in the archives and again visited Stockholm a couple of years ago to visit a friend, when the photo above was taken.

The first place we encounter in Sweden is Malmö in the Scania county.  Folk musician and multi-instrumentalist Ale Möller was born around here in 1955.  He started off as a jazz trumpeter, but after a spell of living in Greece he learned the bouzouki and played with Greek maestro Mikis Theodorakis.  Returning to his native Sweden he dedicated himself to traditional Swedish folk as well as various fusion collaborations with musicians from as diverse places as Shetland, Greece, India and West Africa playing mandola, accordion, flute, shawm, dulcimer, harp and harmonica as well as bouzouki.  He played with Aly Bain of Shetland exploring the Nordic and Celtic crossover influences of those islands.  This is the opening tune to their 2001 album Fully Rigged called The Fully Rigged Ship/The Newly Rigged Ship:

The Swedish half of husband and wife team Sousou & Maher Cissoko also comes from the Malmö region while husband Maher comes from the Casamance region of Senegal.  Sousou grew up surrounded by music, especially the music of West Africa.  Her love of the Kora, the west African harp, led her to Senegal, where she studied in a family of Griots, where she met her husband.  Now the two of them tour the world, playing kora and guitar and singing their own compositions.  Here's a song from their 2018 album Made of Music called Lamp Fall:

Just north of Malmö is the town of Lund, where multi-instrumentalist and record producer Erik Asp-Upmark is based.  He plays many early instruments including the Säckpipa (Swedish back pipes) and harp in various bands.  One of his projects is Swedish folk band Svanevit, named after Sven Svanevit, a character from a Medieval Swedish ballad, who goes on a quest involving mythical creatures, magic and knights in shining armour.  Here's a tune from their 2008 album Rikedom ochGåvor called Åleätarns vals:

Next we are moving on to Skurup, also in Scania county, where Danish/Swedish folk quintet Tailcoat are based.  Their music is based around Rasmus Brinck's Nyckelharpa, acompanied by fiddle, bass, drums and cittern, giving their tunes a bit of a jazzy feel.  Here's a tune from their 2019 album Tall Tales in Tiny Pieces called Havgusens March:

Next we are heading a long way up the east coast of Sweden to the Baltic Sea island of Gotland.  According to legend a guy called Tjelvar was the first inhabitant of the island, after he freed it from a curse of sinking under the waves during daylight hours.  Folk band Gunnfjauns Kapell named themselves after Tjelva's grandson, thus carrying on the traditions and legacy of Gotland.  They've been going since 1982 and here is a song from their 1998 album Vollund called Andetag (Breath), referring to the wind that is a constant feature of the island:

Next stop is the city of Linköping, where accordionist and composer Lars Hollmer was born in 1948.  Sadly he died in 2008 of cancer in his adopted home town of Uppsala.  His music ranged from prog rock to jazz to Nordic folk tunes.  He was a member of numerous bands, collaborated with Japanese jazz players and composed music for films.  His last solo album released before his death was Viandra in 2007, and this is a tune from the album called Prozesscrik, where his prog rock influences can be clearly heard:

Next we are heading for Gothenburg or Göteborg, a lively port city on the Swedish west coast.  This is where singer/songwriter Sofia Talvik was born in 1978.  She combines Nordic folk influences with pop and jazz.  In her latest venture she combined with German David Floer to form the duo Hansan in reference to the Hanseatic League that was once a major trading link in the Baltic region.  They've created a melancholic Nordic sound.  This a song from their 2020 debut album Nattflykt (Night flight) called Fjärilsvärld:

In 1972 Folk-rock band Folk Och Rackare was formed in Gothenburg by Carin Kjellman and Ulf Gruvberg in the footsteps of English folk rockers Faiport Convention.  In 1976 they were joined by Norwegian members of the band Folque as guest musicians on their self-titled album, who subsequently became established members of the band.  This is the opening track from that album called Herr Olof och Havsfrun:

Once upon a time Scandinavia and Britain were connected by a large land bridge where the North Sea now is.  There were people living on that mass of land and moving backwards and forwards.  Refugees didn't have to risk dangerous crossings of the Channel in rubber dinghies (mind you they might have had to dodge bears and sabre tooth tigers perhaps...).  

This preamble takes us to the Koster Islands on Sweden's west coast just before the border to Norway.  This is were folk-jazz combo FatDog met during a music festival in 2011.  The name is an amalgam of the names of 2 bands namely Norwegian jazz trio Fattigfolket and Swedish/English folk trio Doggerland.  They very much place their music as a meeting point between Britain and Scandinavia on a mythical island between the 2, which may have once existed, all with a big dose of jazz.  Here is a song from their only album to date New Found Land issued in 2014 called Ring the Changes:

That's it from Southern Sweden for today.  We'll come back to Sweden as we zigzag our way around Scandinavia, but next stop is Norway.  In the meantime you can follow my virtual travels on my tripline map.

Denmark - Sjælland Part I

 Next we are heading over the bridge to the island of Sjælland or Zealand, which includes the capital city of Copenhagen.  I visited Copenhagen once a looooong time ago and my memory of it is a bit hazy.  We approached the city from the north and visited the Tuborg brewery first at 9 am.  Being this early most people only wanted one of the two beers offered for free at the end of the tour, so I volunteered to finish off everybody else's beers, so they wouldn't go to waste.  The rest of the day in Copenhagen kind of disappeared in a blur for some reason... can't think why.  

Anyway, we start in the small town of Næstved, where part of the folk band Baltic Crossing comes from, namely fiddle player Kristian Bugge, the rest of the band come from Finland and also includes Northumbrian pipe player Andy May, whom we have already met in Newcastle on this blog.  The name of the band derives from the fact that wherever they get together, at least one of them has to cross the Baltic Sea.  They play lively traditional dance tunes from all over Europe.  Here is a fun tune from their 2019 album Carry On Crossing called Oyster Wife's Rant:

Next we are heading to the small town of Gadstrup, 20km southwest of Copenhagen, where Dark Nordic folk singer and composer Nanna Barslev is from.  She employs ancient Nordic instruments and singing techniques to paint an atmospheric soundscape of the north.  Her latest album, released this year, is called Lysbærer (carrier of light) and this is a track from the album called Mod Vrede:

In a similar vein we finally arrive in Copenhagen where Nordic folk musician Mike Schaefer Olsen, better known as Danheim, was born in 1985.  Unlike Nanna Barslev his background is in electronic music, which he incorporates in his Nordic folk sounds with traditional Viking instruments.  Here's a song called Reida from his from his 2020 album Skapanir:

The band Myrkur was initially founded in 2014 by singer and multi-instrumentalist Amalie Bruun as a black metal group in Copenhagen, but on their their third album Folkesange in 2020 changed to a more upbeat folky style.  At the outset the identity of Bruun was kept a secret, but has since been revealed.  She clearly likes to do things differently, playing many of the instruments in her recordings herself, including guitar, bass and nyckelharpa.  Here's the opening track to that album called Ella:

The members of Nordic trio Dreamers' Circus, Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen (Faroe Islands), Ale Carr (Sweden) and Nikolaj Busk (Denmark), met at a jam session at a folk festival in Copenhagen in 2009.  Their music defies genres with influences of Nordic folk, jazz and classical music melding into something of a Nordic Penguin Café Orchestra.  It has been described as New Nordic.  Here's a track from their 2018 album Rooftop Sessions called Kitchen Stories:

Fiddler Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen is also part of the Grammy-nominated Danish String Quartet, who are mostly a classic chamber music quartet, but often delve into traditional Nordic tunes.  The 3 Danish members of the band are joined by Norwegian cellist Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin.  Whilst they all have beards and may or may not be Vikings, they assure their fans they only pillage the coasts of England occasionally.  Here's a tune called Shore by the aforementioned Fredrik Sjölin from their 2017 album Last Leaf:

On this calming note we'll end it for today, exploring more of Copenhagen and Zealand next time.  In the meantime, as usual, you can follow my virtual ramblings on my tripline map.

Denmark - Aarhus & Funen

We're taking the long journey back from Greenland via Iceland and the Faroes to continue our journey through Denmark.  Next stop here is the second largest city of Denmark, Aarhus, in the east of the Jutland peninsula.  There are a few acts active here.  Let's start with something soothing and gentle from folk/jazz trio Hvalfugl.  They combine light jazz with Nordic folk to create moods often associated with the seasons.  Here is an atmospheric tune from their 2021 EP En Dag I Oktober called Stilhed før Stormen:

Folktronica band Sorten Muld (Black soil or dark ground) formed in Aarhus in 1995.  They interweave Nordic Medieval ballads with trip hop and techno to create a unique Scandinavian sound.  Here's the opening track from their 2021 album Mark IV - Lånt Tid called Hillelil:

The 3 members of Turkish psych band Ipek Yolu got together for a spontaneous jam session at the 2018 Aarhus Roots & Hybrid Festival.  They blend Electro-tinged Cumbia with Turkish folk and 60's Psychedelia.  Their name is the Turkish for Silk Road.  They released their debut album Tropical Anatatolia in 2021 and this track is called Ayvaz:

Next stop is the small town of Gelsted on the island of Funen, where folk singer Helene Blum was born in 1979.  Gelsted is in the delightfully named municipality of Middelfart.  Starting off as a classical pianist, Helene graduated from the folk music department of the Carl Nielsen Academy of Music in Odense.  She sings mostly own compositions inspired by Nordic folk, but also dabbles in opera and other genres.  Her 2013 debut album Men med åbne øjne gained her immediate critical acclaim from the Daily Telegraph, as did her 2017 album Dråber af Tid (Droplets of time).  This is the opening track of the latter album called En lille dråbe blod (A little drop of blood):

Helene Blum often performs together with her fiddler husband Harald Haugaard, who is also from the island of Funen.  Here they are together as the Helene Blum & Harald Haugaard Band playing a song called Stranden from their 2020 album Strømmen:

Moving on to Odense, the largest city on Funen we meet folk musician Rune Barslund (whistle and accordion) who is part of the Celtic folk trio Inver, the other parts being Kevin Lees (fiddle) and Matthew Jones (guitar) from Newcastle in England.  Rune studied at Limerick University where he picked up some traditional Irish folk tunes.  Here is a set of tunes called The Mouse in the Cupboard / The Cat's Meow / Dick Sherlock's from their 2019 debut album Heading Out 

Also from Odense are Nordic folk band Basco, who combine various Scandinavian influences  with some Anglo-Saxon folk leanings. On their latest 2021 album Raek Mig Faklen they collaborate with folk singer Jullie Hjetland, who was born in Svendborg on Funen of Norwegian and Danish heritage, and has lived all over Scandinavia and Greenland, therefore having had a thorough immersion in various Nordic traditions and speaking the different languages fluently. Here's the opening track from the album called Sortøjet Dreng:

That's it for today, next we are heading to the island of Zealand, where the capital Copenhagen is located.  Until then you can follow my virtual travels on my Tripline map. 

The Faroe Islands

We take the ferry from Hirtshals in Denmark to Tórshavn on the Faroe Islands.  Most people on the Faroes seem to be musicians.  I suppose you have to entertain yourself somehow if you live on a group of rugged islands in the middle of the windswept North Atlantic.  Technically the Faroes form part of the kingdom of Denmark, but they enjoy a large degree of autonomy, although there is an active and large independence movement.  The Faroe Islands consist of 18 main islands connected through bridges and tunnels and 779 islets and skerries.

We start our musical journey with the Nordic ensemble Yggdrasil, who are based in the capital.  The band was formed in 1981 with members from various countries and changing personnel.  Yggdrasil in Nordic mythology is the World Tree.  Their style encompasses jazz and classical elements all with a Nordic flavour. Here are a few tunes from their 2021 album Porkerisvatn which is a concept album to provide musical accompaniment to a landscape painting from a collection by William Heinesen:

Folktronica band Valravn was actually based in Denmark, but at least 2 of their members were from the Faroes, including lead singer Anna Katrin Egilstrøð, who has more than a hint of Björk about her.  The band was active between 2005-2013 and released 3 1/2 albums during that time (the last one was published unfinished) and were inspired by the folk traditions of Denmark, the Faroes and Iceland with a dose of electronica.  This is a song from their 2009 album Koder på snor called Kelling:

Author and musician Høgni Reistrup was born in Tórshavn in 1984.  He's written a few books on the crisis of a decreasing population in the Faroes, despite one of the highest birth rates in Europe.  He has also been active in local politics.  His music is mostly electronica, sung in Faroese with some classical and jazz elements.  Here's a song from his 2013 album Áðrenn vit hvørva (Before we disappear) called Möðandi orka:

Folk metal band Týr formed in Tórshavn in 1998 and play some Nordic folk inspired heavy metal.  Here is a song from their 2019 album Hel called Ragnars Kvæði:

Singer/songwriter Guðrið Hansdóttir grew up in Argir, just south of Tórshavn.  She is the daughter another well-known musician Hans Carl Hansen.  Her music is influenced by Swedish pop as well as 70's rock such as Jethro Tull and Kate Bush.  She sings both in English and Faroese and also collaborates with partner Janus Rasmussen in the duo Byrta.  Here is a song from her forthcoming album Gult Myrkur called Blátt Myrkur:

 

Singer/songwriter Teitur Lassen was born in Hoyvik in 1977.  He has been on the international circuit for some years and has collaborated with the likes of Seal, Corinne Bailey Rae and others.  He writes and sings mostly in English, but has included some Faroese songs on his latest 2021 album Cazador de Ostras such as this one called Lær meg at dansa, which I presume means teach me to dance:

Finally I can't leave the Faroes without giving Eivør Pálsdóttir a mention.  She was my first introduction to Faroese music with her fabulous rendition of her song Tròdlabùndin on YouTube.  She was born in 1983 in Syðrugøta, a village on the island of Eysturoy, and generally just goes by her first name.  The song that made her famous appears on her 2004 self-titled album.  This is acoustically not the best version on the net, but I love the scenes of the spectacular Faroese landscape on this version. It never fails to give me goose bumps:

That's it from the Faroe Islands, next stop Iceland.  In the meantime you can follow my virtual ramblings on my Tripline map.