If you have set your folk radar to scan the landscape a bit deeper, you may already be familiar with Sarah-Jane (fiddle, Scotland) and Juhani (guitars, Finland), both long time residents in Norway. Both have their own, widely respected careers in contemporary music but together, they have created several works that both retain and renew … Continue reading Superb creativity: “How To Raise The Wind” by Sarah-Jane Summers & Juhani Silvola
Tag: Nordic
Tern’s “Flyway”: a debut album for the books!
It's a rare occasion when you can honestly say that you've been there when something really, really good was beginning. Me and my wife were lucky enough to be in the audience of Danny Kyle Open Stage at Celtic Connections 2023 when Tern played their first ever public gig on January 30. The usually amateur … Continue reading Tern’s “Flyway”: a debut album for the books!
Tophøj & Barslund’s “Trails and Traces” brings hygge to days leading to winter
Danish folk music's super duo of Andreas Tophøj (fiddle) and Rune Barslund (accordion) released Trails and Traces in 2020 but I just discovered it. Really, there's so much good music and so many great albums released in the Celtic, British and Nordic folk music scene that I like to highlight also older releases - there's … Continue reading Tophøj & Barslund’s “Trails and Traces” brings hygge to days leading to winter
Finally checking out some fine music on my checklist
Whoa - an entire month has flown by without any blog posts. Good excuses, though: day job hassles, preparing for some gigs with my band (rock, not folk) and - most of all - a nine-day visit to the Southern and Inner Hebrides + one day in Oban. Loved Islay, adored Iona, was blown away … Continue reading Finally checking out some fine music on my checklist
Skáld: Huldufólk (or, actually, some thoughts inspired by it)
…and now for something different - at least for this blog… Over the past year, I have developed a taste for what’s called Dark Folk, Pagan Folk or Nordic Neofolk. But I really don’t care about all the labels; I’m referring to new music based on actual old folk music from different areas of Northern … Continue reading Skáld: Huldufólk (or, actually, some thoughts inspired by it)
Celtic Connections 2023: Dreamers’ Circus, with Frigg and the Kinnaris Quintet
It was essentially a Nordic - or Northern - night at the RCH main hall on Saturday night, Feb 4. With Denmark and Sweden represented in Dreamers’ Circus and Finland in the shape of Frigg, Scotland’s own Kinnaris Quintet fitted in nicely as another member of the Nordic family - premonition of times to come, … Continue reading Celtic Connections 2023: Dreamers’ Circus, with Frigg and the Kinnaris Quintet
Celtic Connections 2023: Treacherous Orchestra + Víík
That evening was a really mighty blast 💥! Such energy levels, it’s a wonder I managed to sleep afterwards… Víík as the opening act were a really happy surprise. We had checked out their singles on Spotify and had thought they were kind of lame and perhaps self-consciously artsy. But on stage, the Danish-Norwegian band … Continue reading Celtic Connections 2023: Treacherous Orchestra + Víík
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