Nordic Ethno Grooves     Nordic Ethno Grooves - Collection 1     Nordic Ethno Grooves - Collection 2     Nordic Ethno Grooves - Collection 3         Nordic Ethno Grooves - Collection 1 1. GARMARNA Garmarna define a new generation of Swedish music. In a world in which the mysticism of Nordic music in the shape of knights, wolfs ... is met by drums, electric guitars, bass and samples, Garmarna tell their stories of love, adultery, drinking and medieval cruelty, but also of modern issues like environmental pollution. The musical background to their tales is laid by harp, hurdy-gurdy, Jew's harp and violin, complemented by the sharpness of their female vocalist's voice, of which has been said that she can probably shatter continental plates. 2. HOVEN DROVEN Hoven Droven's music represents a unique and powerful blend of traditional folk and fierce hard rock in which violin and electric guitar duel for the audience's attention. This combination is complemented by a diverse background created by sax, trumpet, drums, percussion and bass. Half the band is coming from various funk/punk/pop/rock/jazz backgrounds which makes their music very exciting. 3. VÄSEN The home of archaic melodies living side by side with Swedish folk music sci-fi style. Väsen's music is based on traditional Swedish folk music, blended with inspiration gained from jazz and rock music and finally topped off with their incredible instrumental talent. There is a great deal of humor and new thinking in their music; "playing should be fun" say the band. The base for their music is, as always, traditional Swedish folk music, but the innovation and the personality blossoms in great freedom. 4. HEDNINGARNA Hedningarna attempt to capture the feeling of the old dances in the nordic villages, that happened every time the fiddlers came around, and made the whole village dance all night until everybody was in a trance-like state. But what the fiddlers did with only the help of an enchanting melody, Hedningarna do with the entire repertoire of modern technology. All the traditional instruments used are amplified and altered with the help of sound effects, turning their music into an ancient trip-hop that is described by the band as the sound of an electrified goat-stomach. Hedningarna are raw and energetic, and the magic of the old days is more than alive in this very modern music. 5. DAN GISEN MALMQUIST Gisen is a Swedish composer and clarinet player who has been playing and composing music for the past twenty years. He has his own characteristic tone as a musician and a very distinct feeling for melody as a composer. Gisen experiments with the clarinet and listens to the tones it can produce in order to develop his own very special tone. He has composed and played in several musicals and various plays, mostly in provincial theaters in the South of Sweden. 6. URBAN TURBAN Imagine some guys from different bands joining together in an attempt to play the blues on instruments like hurdy-gurdy, mandolin, Jew's harp and bagpipes. The result is Urban Turban, sounding like the echo from a parallel universe. Everything's manipulated - tone, intonation, rhythm and arrangements - but the feeling is still that of the blues. Urban Turban, who take a strong stand against racism in their songs, build true bridges between cultures with their songs that develop into splendid cultural crashes of Nordic tradition, Arabic influences and Western blues. 7. THOMAS ALMQVIST 17 years have passed since Thomas began experimenting with blending sounds and instruments from all over the world; this was prior to labelling exotic music as "World Music". With a tradition based in the English, Scottish, Irish and American acoustic guitar tradition, Thomas' music has developed and evolved towards a characteristic sound and music all of his own. Since his debut, he has taken a big step out into the world both literally and musically. In addition, Thomas has developed varied unconventional ways of playing and adjusting the guitar. - Thomas performs on a sixteen stringed harp-guitar, which has provided a whole new spectrum to guitar performance and sound. 8. KENNY HAKANSSON Among the musicians in Scandinavia, especially among guitar-players, Kenny is one of the best known artists of the past three decades. In his early days, but already a brilliant and unique guitarist, he has jammed with people like Jimi Hendrix, the Mothers Of Invention, Bo Hansson and others around the Stockholm psychedelic club scene. Later he has continously developed his style towards Scandinavian folk music and his latest albums give impressive proof of his ability to merge metal mania with folk music progression. 9. DEN FULE Biker Folk?? - Well, this is one way of describing the music of Den Fule, the Swedish Grammy Award Winning folk music band. Den Fule mashes its way through various genres and arrives at the contemporary bar of the nineties. A wild journey through the tough side of town with a heart-full of humour and an irresistible groove. Den Fule leave no one standing still. This band twists traditional folk music with blues power and urban street attitude. 10. FOLK & RACKARE Between the years of 1976 and 1986, Folk & Rackare was one of the most important groups on the European folk scene. The musical blend of acoustic and electric sounds and strong vocal features made Folk & Rackare set a fashion for new folk music bands 11. TRIO PATREKATT In Trio Patrekatt, three eminent and willful musicians came together in the spring of 1995 to create a colourful trio, who show us how many different roads music can take. Their music is based on traditional Swedish folk music blended with their own very personal compositions and a touch of chamber music. The combination of two nyckelharpas ("keyed fiddles") and a cello give the group a very special ethereal sound. 12. JP NYSTRÖMS The use of the reed organ as an accompanying instrument is one of the characteristics of the folk music on both sides of Bottenviken (the northern part of Sweden and Finland). JP Nyströms who have taken their name from a reed organ factory, have developed their sound with the reed organ as a center. The other instruments of the group are fiddle, flutes, guitar, accordion and song.         Nordic Collection Ethno Grooves 2 1. Ari Thunda is made up of two people, Norwegian percussionist Marius Hansen and the Australian artist Eric Walkoff. The duo are a well-matched pair, with veteran dance hand Eric working with Marius whose sophisticated style comes from his fusion of traditional percussionist craft with digital programming. - Ari Thunda slip between the boundaries of popular, sometimes traditional music. Their first release "Trip Berg" was featured on a 12" compilation of Nordic dance music. A survey of four hundred British DJs gave it 99percent approval. Their album "Hal Berg" is a suite of musical fjords, with house, reggae, big beat and hip hop featuring a didgeridoo rhythm section and much more. Music suitable for the club, the headphones, the fjords themselves and for this "nordic ethno grooves"-compilation. 2. Hedningarna In spring 1999 the band released their forth recording "Karelia Visa", based on the archaic culture of the "runosong" traditions of Karelia, a general designation for the area on each side of the common border between Finland and Russia. And on this recording the girls are back and stronger then ever!! - Hedningarna released their first album in 1992, the second one on 1994. Both had a tremendous success and influenced Swedish music a lot. The band toured extensively in Scandinavia and abroad - so no one was surprised when the two girl singers Sanna Kurki-Suonio and Tellu Paulasto took an off-time after ten years in 1995, partly to give birth to a child and spend some time with their families and partly to finish studies at the Sibelius Academy. They were practically torn out of their school benches into the wild world of the music business. - "Hippjock" (1997) was recorded by the core trio Anders Stake, Hållbus Totte Mattsson, Björn Tollin and famous friends. They attempt to capture the feeling of the old dances in the nordic villages; but what the fiddlers did with only the help of an enchanting melody, on "Hippjock" Hedningarna do it with the entire repertoire of modern technology. All the traditional instruments used are amplified and altered with the help of sound effects, turning their music into an ancient trip-hop that is described by the band as the sound of an electrified goat-stomach. - The track on this compilation was taken from the 1999 recording "Karelia Visa". 3. Mynta is an exciting Swedish/Indian World Music Formation featuring two fantastic Indian Classical musicians: Fazal Qureshi (tabla) and Shankar Mahadevan (vocals). Fazal is the younger brother of Zakir Hussain and is today one of the most sought after Tabla-players in India and the world. Shankar is an upcoming talent in Bombay building up his reputation as a first-class singer and composer. The track on this compilation is taken from Mynta's 4th album "First Summer", on which you can hear a colourful mix of Indian vocal, New York rap, African rhythms, Swedish Folkmusic and Norwegian willow flute, together with Indian traditional instruments as Tabla, Santoor, Kanjira, Ghatam, Veena and Tanpoora. 4. Bazar Blå (literally "Blue Bazaar") is a trio consisting of keyed-fiddle player Johann Hedin, bassist Björn Meyer and percussionist Fredrik Gille. Their debut album "Nordic City" was recorded in the summer of 1998. Their music has a home grown soul and they expertly weave their instruments together to give their sound a fine texture. Danish world music magazine said an "intense sense of joy" emanates from their playing, which says it all about a young folk band. 5. Triakel Triakel is another chance to hear the crystal-clear voice of Emma Härdelin, who also sings with Garmarna. In fact the trio came together in 1994 based on a New Year's Eve resolution to make music with Kjell-Erik Eriksson's violin and Janne Strömstedt's pump organ. The name Triakel comes from a kind of sweet black liquorice from the northern district called Jämtland. They say the music is black and Emma is sweet. - The songs are traditional numbers from the turn of the century, and Emma's pure, icily emotional vocals form the centre of the sound, although the organ especially creates a time warp through which the songs regain their original strength. 6. Troka Since their explosive 1993 debut at the Kaustinen festival, Troka have made steady progress, artistically and commercially and have gone on to become a highly creative and exiting folk music band. For one thing, the compositional skills of the players, primarily viola player Ville Ojanen and fiddler Matti Mäkelä has improved by leaps and bounds with new material that's even more complex and engaging. Harmonium player Timo Alakotila also composes for Troka and his new material is as strong as we have come to expert. Secondly, as a live unit, Troka shows more confidence and pack more punch. They still retain the down home charm, of course, but to watch the intricate interplay among the five players is sheer awe. The track on this compilation is from the second album "Smash". 7. Abel & Kaninerna (Abel & the Rabbits) treat you to a wide scope of music, that darts to and from between chansons a la Jacques Brel and the kind of music that the Pogues would have played had they been born and raised in Sweden. More than anything else, it is a furious, cosmopolitan folkrock-music, a concoction of many different cultures. The present five- member format is relatively new, but Abel & Kaninerna has existed as a group in different constellations since1989. The first single was released in 1990, the first album in 1993. Members are: Bo Ingbarsson (vocals, guitar, main songwriter), Carita Jonsson (accordion, clarinet, keyboards, bagpipe, flute, backing vocals), Pelle Bolander (fiddle, backing vocals), Benke Stahlén (bass, backing vocals) and Tommy Johansson (drums, percussion). 8. Garmarna Garmarna define a new generation of Swedish music and have garnered praise and recognition all over the world since the release of their 1994 album "Vittrad". 1996 saw the band follow that success with the album "Guds Spelemän" (Gods musicians). The album outdid its predecessor, winning Swedish Grammy with great tracks like "Sir Holger" and the see-sawing wonder "Vänner och Fränder". In France they became the first group ever to enter the Top Ten playlist on national radio who didn't sing in French or English. In Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands they played the big and prestigious festivals. - What makes them so exceptional? Well - musical creativity and innovations in dealing with the old folk tunes from medieval Sweden is one reason, Emma Härdelin's soaring, wailing, thrilling voice is another one, and yet another one is the intelligent playing of the band, bringing in electric guitar or Jews harp just where needed and never to excess. 9. Wimme Wimme Saari is a modern yoik singer from Finnish Samiland. The Samis are the indigenious people of Scandinavia, who have strong cultural links to Native Americans, and yoik sounds similar to Native American chanting. Yoik is a traditional Finnish chant style. Wimme takes yoik to a new level; in his yoik he constructs intensive, clear, melodic arches, sings in an expressive falsetto and uses a lot of improvisation. But the old yoik is still there: Wimme has recaptured the colour and grittiness of the ancient yoik, and even the clever voice technique of the animal yoiks. With its electronic ambient accompaniment, Wimme presents a unique blend of ancient chant techniques in a modern setting. He is accompanied by members of the Finnish techno-ambient band RinneRadio, who construct natural sound patterns around Wimme's deeply emotional yoik. Wimme's yoiking can also be heard on Hedningarna's release "Hippjokk". 10. Groupa The original band was founded in 1980, and along with other groups has been a vanguard of the progressive folk music scene in Sweden since the 80's. Ever since the start, Groupa has been a very popular live band. The band tours Sweden, Scandinavia and Europe relentlessly, and have appeared at all of the important folk festivals - Falun Folk Music festival, Stockholm Water festival, Urkult vid Nämforsen, Hultsfred - Sweden, Roskilde festival - Denmark, Dranouter festival - Belgium, Pontardawe and Wadebridge - UK, Leipzig Tanzhausfest and Rudolstadt Folk Festival - Germany, Violin and Village Festival in Maramures - Romania and many others. In 1987 Groupa received the "Volkskunstpreis F V S zu Hamburg", and in 1991 they were awarded a Grammy for their album "Månskratt". The motivation of the jury read: "For pulling the old woolly feeling off folk music with a curious smile!" In 1992, the founder of the band, Mats Edén, was appointed the Composer of the Year at the "Musik vid Siljan" festival. He was also one of the participant of the Fiddles on Fire tours in 1992 and 1994 in the UK, organised by Folkworks. Groupa's second Grammy was collected in 1996 for their album Imeland. This time in competition with large-selling artists such as Rikard Wolff and Stefan Sundström. 11. Anitas Livs is one of the very few female bands in Europe dedicated to percussion and they do so with great skill. The three women from Sweden create a powerful mixture of electronic and traditional elements with merely percussion instruments, sampling and drums (neither guitar nor piano is used). Founded in 1987 by Anita Livstrand, musician, drummer, percussionist and singer since1969 whose singing gives you a sensorial experience of the archaic. Co-founder is Lise-Lotte Norelius, a former violin player who changed to drums and African percussion in the late seventies. On her sampler she develops new sounds and combines them with Oriental, African and Scandinavian rhythm patterns. In 1992 the duo was joined by dancer, choreographer, percussionist, rhythm teacher and vocalist Monica Aslund. "... melodramatically gothic. What you're about is a big almost primeval drone of blues, vocal acrobatics, banks of percussion and unholy electronic samples. It's inspired listening for moments of pure lunacy." (Folk Roots - UK). 12. JPP four fiddles, double bass and harmonium - this is Finland's premier fiddle band, who create a "wall of fiddles", sometimes featuring the JPP String Orchestra (7 more fiddles). - In the early eighties, a group of young fiddlers from the tiny village of Järvelä began making some noise in local folk music circles. They attracted attention with their arrangements (most folk tunes at that time were played straight with no embellishments), their harmonies, new compositions and influences from Swedish folk music. - The first big break for the group came when they landed first prize at the Finnish Championship Competition for Folk Music Groups in Mäntsälä, Finland in 1982. In 1983 they recorded an EP of eight traditional tunes from the Kaustinen area. Their first official album was recorded in 1985 and had a wide assortment of traditional tunes from around Finland. 1986 was topped off when they were voted "Band of the Year" at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival. - In 1998 they released their sixth album "Sting Tease", from which this track is taken. JPP-members are Arto Järvela (violin), Mauno Järvela (violin), Matti Mäkela (violin), Tommi Pyykönen (violin), Timo Myllykangas (acoustic bass), Timo Alakotila (harmonium). 13. Hoven Droven are the bad boys on this CD.         Nordic Ethno Collection Grooves 3 1. Värttinä "Äijö" 4:22 Finland's most innovative and successful contemporary folk music group, is distinguished by the fact that they have invented a roots-based vocal/instrumental style unlike anything in Finland and anywhere on this planet. Effortlessly blending ancient Finnish runo poetry, distinctive Finno-Ugric vocal harmonies, traditional and contemporary acoustic instrumentation, complex and uncommon rhythms, original and highly imaginative compositions and arrangements plus a front line of four dynamic female singers, Värttinä stands alone as innovators, with eight groundbreaking albums and over a decade of international touring. – Värttinä's ninth album, entitled "6. 12.", is their first ever live album, recorded 6. 12. 2000, Finnish Independence Day, at one of Helsinki's best venues, Savoy Theatre. The album includes live version arrangements of classic tracks from their entire career plus in-concert performances of songs from their latest studio album Ilmatar. Värttinä remains almost entirely acoustic in the recording studio, while on stage they use the basic amplification of their acoustic instruments, yet they manage to make music that is as compelling and uplifting as any electric band. – The track on this compilation is about a crazy old coot (äijö) from the village, who has been bitten by a snake. To rid himself of the poison, he finally turns to an ancient snake spell. A video of "Äijö" (live version) is included on the live CD. - The studio version of "Äijö" can be found on the album Ilmatar, guest vocalist on the spell is Ismo Alanko. 2. Kerstin Blodig / Valivann "Vallevan" 4:13 The sea with its mysterious depths, its vast breadth and its breathtaking power has always fascinated generations of people and provided the inspiration for countless tales and legends. The North Sea is the geographical link between the two seafaring nations Norway and Scotland, which are also bound together by countless historical connections. Trading and invasions have not only brought forth similarities in speech and dialects, but have also led to strong cultural ties, particularly evident in the area of folk music. - One of the principal ideas behind the project Valivann is to feature the striking similarity between Celtic and Scandinavian ballads, particularly the thematic content of the lyrics. Valivann combines a subjective choice of favourite lyrics with original and traditional melodies to create an exciting Nordic ethno-cocktail: a crystal-clear voice floating over a lush carpet of hard-edged rhythms, samples and acoustic instruments. - The musicians of this Valivann-project are: Kerstin Blodig • vocals, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, bodhran, keyboards, psaltery / Mick Franke • programming, percussion, bass, electric guitar, bouzouki, keyboards, vocals, kalimba / Thomas Loefke • Celtic harp / Andreas Mainka • keyboards / Ian Melrose • low whistles / Johannes Schiefner • Uilleann pipes / Chris Stieve-Dawe • trumpet. 3. Kimmo Pohjonen "Ohimo" 4:22 Kimmo Pohjonen is one of the most respected and in-demand musicians and performers in Finland. An accordionist of exceptional ability and imagination, Kimmo's musical history goes back more than twenty years in rock, folk, avantgarde, improvisation, classical, dance and theatre music projects. In 1996 he embarked on a solo career with his solo 5-row accordion project, featuring extreme and original compositions, live loops and effects, a dynamic and animated stage performance, orchestrated lights and quadraphonic sound. This show received instant massive world-wide critical acclaim at WOMEX Berlin in 1999 and has since been performed all over Europe, North and South America, Israel and Russia to rave response. Kimmo's latest stage presentation is the formation known as Kimmo Pohjonen Kluster featuring Kalmuk sampling whiz, Samuli Kosminen. In Kluster, Samuli makes live samples of Kimmo's accordion and voice and reproduces them through electronic drum pads. The result is a multi-dimensional accordion sound never heard before. In some concerts, Kluster also includes Kalmuk percussionist Abdissa Assefa. 4. Wimme "Texas" 3:48 Wimme Saari, born in 1959 in Kelottijärvi in the north-western part of Finnish Sámiland, is a modern yoik singer. Yoik is traditional Sámi music – an archaic mode of unaccompanied solo singing which is uncannily similar to certain Native American music. It is found all over the vast Sámiland from the northern to central regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and to the eastern tip of the Kola Peninsula in Russia. There are three musical dialects in yoik. Wimme represents the North Sámi Luohti tradition, which is the most widely known genre of Sámi music. Luohti has two unique musical features: it makes use of a pentatonic scale with no half tones and it always has a specific subject, a person or an animal, which it describes in music. Wimme creates sweeping vocal soundscapes that can be inspired by a boiling spring, the state of Texas, or the full moon. - In the last few decades yoik in general has undergone some changes; in fact Wimme’s yoiking could be called “free yoik.” In his yoik, he constructs intense, clear melodic arches and stretches his voice from a sweet falsetto to a grave baritone. But the old yoik is still there: Wimme has recaptured the essence of the ancient yoik, and even the clever voice technique of the animal yoiks. 5. Hoven Droven "Malört" 3:34 Hoven Droven's music is a unique and powerful blend of traditional folk and fierce hard rock, where violin and electric guitar duel for the audience's attention. This combination is complemented by a diverse background created by sax, drums, percussion and bass. Keywords: power, finesse and playful virtuosity. The band’s name is a slang phrase which means: "uh" or "whatever" (at least in the province of Jämtland in Northern Sweden). In their case, it could just as well mean "things will take care of themselves." Despite sometimes chaotic organisational methods, none of them are able to explain how they have managed to perform on almost every major Swedish television and radio program and in North America. - According to FolkRoots, the musical approach of Hoven Droven is reminiscent of "...ringing strings, power pop, E2 brass and one bell-for-leather tune with acid guitar feedback." Several members also perform with Swedish folk, rock, punk and heavy metal groups. The band's frontman and violin player Kjell-Erik Eriksson for instance is also a member of Triakel. While Eriksson favours traditional folk music, bass player Pedro Blum is a fan of Mötörhead and AC/DC. Saxophonist Jens Comén has played rock, pop, be-bop and big band jazz and guitarist Bo Lindberg is an influential music teacher and formerly worked with the rock band Myrbein. The group underwent a change in direction when original member Gustav Hylén (trumpet, French horn, accordion and percussion) left the band in November 1997. Till April 2000 he was replaced by Janne Strömstedt (Triakel). 6. Plommon "Emma" 5:49 A different kind of girl group. All of them with fiddles! – "In this teeming musical habitat the band Plommon from Skåne in Southern Sweden is a bonanza in itself. Their versatility is such that there is hardly, if at all, a match to be found for it in Swedish folk music. The five musicians in this all girl band have been playing together since 1991 and have been touring regularly in all of Europe as well as, more recently, the USA. Their repertoire comprises all facets of Swedish fiddle music: it offers audiences a foretaste of the musical power of the big Folk music orchestras but also includes wonderful songs sung in two or three part harmony. Plommon offers the "Folk music tourist" a glimpse into a fascinating musical world alternating between exuberant playfulness and Nordic melancholy. On the other hand, the connoisseur also finds all the elements that have made Swedish folk music so popular over the years, far beyond the country's borders an intriguing virtuosity, a feel for effective arrangements and a deep sense of tradition, all wrapped in a youthful freshness." (Jens-Peter Müller and Rainer Zellner). – The musicians are: Maria Persson – violin, flute and vocals, Frida Rosén – Violin and vocals, Klara Rosén – Tramporgel (Harmonium), violin and vocals, Sanna Rosén – violin and viola, Anna Elwing – violin and vocals. The track is taken from the 1999 release "Emma" (their third CD); also available: their "Emma" music book. The forth CD was released in 2002, called "Sah". 7. Kalabra "Ymnig mossa" 3:41 A sort of mystic wok of Nordic folk music in pop clothing, spiced with funk, rock and jazz: this is how the quintet Kalabra describes their music. Folka is their second CD (their first was released in 1997). Mats Wester, best known as the man behind the Nordman recordings, produced the CD. - Kalabra consists of Ulrika Boden (vocals), Erik Metall (bass guitar), Sebastian Printz-Werner (drums and percussion), Simon Stålspets (Nordic bozouki, electric guitar, harmonica, willow flute) and Markus Svensson (keyed fiddle).- The story of the group, which began five years ago, started with an appearance at the Norrsken, which is the Falun Folk Music Festival’s "winter collection". This eventually resulted in a CD "Kalabra", which was a sensation in folk music circles. The group has since then toured extensively and performed at all the Swedish stages worth mentioning, such as the Falun Folk Music Festival, Stockholm Water Festival, on TV and radio, at the jazz club Fasching, the Berwald Hall, et al. The group has also made several regional tours. This track is taken from the second album "Folka". 8. Hulu Project "Osuokhai" (Yakutian Dance) 4:31 featuring Stepanida Borisova "The music of Sakha (Yakutia) originates 3000 Years before Christ. It has relations with Sanskrit music from India, which is thought of as one of the earliest musics of this earth." (Paul Amrod) - Stepanida Borisova was born in Megino-Khangalaas in Yakutia (it's called Sakha today), which is in the most Northeast part of Russia. Educated in the renowned Shepjin Theatre School in Moscow, she was awarded the Ojunsjki Prize. Today she is a highly celebrated actress and singer in Russia. She has mastered many various stylistic directions of the traditional Yakutian vocal music, which are rooted in Shamanism. The shamans have, with their knowledge, actualised the past and brought it to memory with their singing. In Stepanida Borisova´s singing one feels the lost spirit of the ancients and the power of the old culture of Sakha. - As for Stepanida as well as for the Hulu Project tradition does not mean static conservation. It can as well encompass modern tendencies in music. Both the Hulu Project and she are looking for this type of integration into their music. It was brought together from Hubl g and Luigi Archetti. These two musicians are known through other projects for testing the validity of border setting in music. – The musicians on this track are Stepanida Borisova – singing, Hubl g – drum programming, sampling, Luigi Archetti – guitars, Jens Volk – bassguitar, Tunji Beier – jews harp (Maultrommel). 9. Väesen "Ploska" 5:01 The Swedish folk music group Väsen saw the record debut in 1990. The band had formed only the year before. The year was 1989 and the place was Röros in Norway. To be more precise, the place was the Rörosmartnaden, or the 'Röros market', which is a centuries old market and festival of sorts that happens every year on the second weekend of February. Rörosmartnaden usually attracts a good number of folk musicians, as the market is known for its music and dance. On the year in question it so happened that a gang of players rented a cottage in Röros. Among them were Olof Johansson, who had taken along his nyckelharpa and Roger Tallroth, equipped with his acoustic 12-string. Though they had never played together before, both were eager to find out how the nyckelharpa and acoustic guitar would sound together playing Swedish folk music. It sounded great! From the beginning, they were only two members: Olov Johansson and Roger Tallroth. Mikael Marin, violin and viola, joined and they became a trio. Nowadays, after the addition of percussionist André Ferrari, Väsen is a quartet. - "A lot of Scandinavian groove, improvisation and excitement is featured on Väsen's second CD as a quartet. All four musicians of Väsen are exceptionally excellent: Mikael Marin on fiddles, Roger Tallroth on 12 string guitar, octave mandolin and Swedish bouzouki (whatever the peculiarities in a Swedish bouzouki may be!), then Olov Johansson on Sweden's national instrument, the nyckelharpa and last not least the improvising percussionist André Ferrari. Although all the tunes are composed by Väsen, the music has a distinctive Swedish feeling - dark, yet charming and harmonic. … "Gront" is one of those CDs where you would not be able to name a particular favourite tune - it is the full album which makes out of the music a masterpiece of its very own kind. (Michael Moll in "FolkWorld"). 10. Amanda "Mercy Street" (Någonting Värmer) 4:42 Vocal art without boundaries - The vocal ensemble Amanda which was formed in 1981 in the Swedish city of Gothenburg is a melting pot of different musical interests. Baroque singers meet up with song writers, rock musicians with folkies - all in all sometimes about 35 musicians - and they all have one goal in mind: to inspire and move an audience to the point of a unified release of emotional expression. And so with supreme ease and talent they play musical material from all ages and styles, incorporate themes from around the world into varying and exciting arrangements, create new forms and develop a style of music in which the realm of sound and play with colour cross the limits of the known. - The album "Café Creole" represents the culmination of the many years work and interests of this unusual choir. They mostly mix the traditional sound of Haiti and Swedish songs into a blend of Creole music. What looks impossible to bridge on paper, becomes comprehensible when the Voodoo roots of Creole music are looked at more closely. The belief that all forms of life have spirits amalgamates with elements of holy catholic legends and becomes a deeply gripping spirituality. Varied musical traditions, in this case the "classical" music of Scandinavia and Haiti, connect on "Café Creole" as a chain of stories which do not cross the limits only because as in this case with Amanda these limits are proven as non-existent. 11. Två Fisk och en Fläsk "Jungfrun I Buren" 3:42 The band name means "Two Fish and One Flesh" in English and: Okay - it's a strange name, but once you've heard it you'll never forget it. In Sweden Två Fisk och en Fläsk have created a good live reputation, especially among folk music lovers, but they are also liked by people who normally only listen to rock music. Medieval music, traditional ballads from the 13th century and originals played by a group of musicians with roots in rock and punk bands. - The first album was released in 1998; album number two "Jungfruburen" saw the light of day in spring 2000, this time with three musicians on percussion! The basic members of the band are Stefan Grapenmark - percussion, Marcas Oreglia - violin, vocals, Jan Liljeqqvist - violin, flute, Nye Gitarristen - guitar and Umer Mossige-Norheim with her beautiful voice. 12. Anders Hagberg "The Herd" 4:36 Anders Hagberg's “The Herd” has been nominated for a Swedish Grammy 2002. Hagberg is one of the foremost flute improvisers in Scandinavia and his soprano sax tone has a rare beauty and intensity. Old traditions like herding calls, joiks and overtone flute meet musicians of the 90-s in an unlimited improvised world music. Anders Hagberg is well established in Scandinavia and has toured internationally with other crossover groups such as Mynta, New Jungle Orchestra and Winduo. Over a longer period of time Anders performed with Indian and Japanese musicians which led to tours in Asia, the United Arab Emirates and Japan. The musicians are: Anders Hagberg - flutes & saxophones, Stefan Blomquist - keyboards, Stefan Pettersson - e-bass, Christian Jormin - drums, kanjira, loops, Inga Juuso - vocals. 13. Triakel "Innan Gryningen" 3:29 This 'millennium'-track was recorded in September 1999; the musicians are Emma Härdelin (vocals), Janne Strömstedt (pump organ) and Kjell-Erik Eriksson (fiddle). Special guest: Benny Andersson. – This is a different version than the one included on the bands second album "Vintervisor".