 The Swedish magazine LIRA, specialised in traditional & world music and jazz, really liked my album "Genom Natten" and gave it a wonderful review ! The original can be read here (in Swedish).
Here's my translation of their article to English : It is noticeable that nyckelharpa player Emelie Waldken has played a lot for dancing, because already in the opening track, three polskas from Haverö, it's seriously swinging. Dynamics and richness of details in all the arrangements of the album are really well chosen and the quality of musicianship is high. Most tunes on this debut solo album are played, well, solo by Waldken, and despite the total duration of a whole hour it never feels like too much. The variation is wide, the repertoire going from traditional tunes from different regions of Sweden but also from France, Norway and Ireland to a bunch of new compositions, mostly instrumental ones but also a few songs. On a few tracks are also present some guest musicians on cello, harp, Swedish bagpipes and vocals. The choice of traditional tunes is remarkable, a baroque-style polska blends well with a song by Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, but it's Waldken's own compositions that are the strongest points. The groovy La Corde Lierre is played on fiddle (which Waldken also plays) and cello, and To The Sea Through Open Windows is one of the nicest tunes of the album. Yet the most beautiful is the final track Här Står Jag, a discrete and delicate song that shines in a three-voice trall arrangement.
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Some Swedish traditional repertoire is directly inspired from other regions ! This type of tune is called "engelska" which literally means "English" in Swedish, and yes, it's a repertoire of tunes and dances coming from the British Isles. Just one example among many of culture travelling between different regions of the world !
After years of teaching dances together, guesting each other on stage and even recording two tunes together (one here and one there), Erik Orvehed and myself decided to finally form a real band together ! We're called Ur Skogen (which means "from the forest") and play Scandinavian traditional repertoire on nyckelharpa, säckpipa (Swedish bagpipe) and Nordic folk flutes. We focus on tunes from the border area between Sweden and Norway - Värmland, Västerdalarna, Härjedalen, Jämtland, Hedmarken - but we do also play tunes from other regions (hence the slängpolskas below). Both of us, separately as well as together, have a vast experience in dance teaching. Therefore, we gladly teach Nordic dance on various levels and degree of detail, depending on what our dancers wishes and already know !
Cold winter nights where Northern lights shine bright, short summer nights that never get dark : Scandinavia sure has remarkable nights. Hence the title of my first solo album : Genom Natten, meaning "throughout the night".
With the winter craziness we all need something cosy, warm and comforting, right ? Well, Vogelvrij, the latest album of Nubia, is exactly all that. Nubia's music is enveloping like a soft blanket and this is my absolute comfort-album to listen to... but it's also good for dancing !
I'm guesting with nyckelharpa on tunes M&M (scottish) and Drakenbloedboom (waltz in 5). Give it a listen !  Just back from some beautiful days in Umeå, in the North of the country. I was invited by the Swedish-Dutch balfolk band Nubia to guest on two tunes for their upcoming album ! My friend & colleague Henrike Wesp was also there, guesting on another tune. The Ballerina studio was a lovely place to record in, on the docks by the river.
Can't wait until November and the release of that album !  Photo Magnus Holmström This morning I was at Eric Sahlström Institute for a little interview with Sveriges Radio. Journalist Simon Linter wanted to know my and Magnus Holmström's point of view on the future of Swedish traditional music. Is it true that the interest for it is declining ?? Perhaps a bit within Sweden, as statistics seem to indicate, but it's balanced by an ever-growing crowd of passionate people abroad. We played some tunes for the musical background and Magnus gave some good insights about what tradition is in the end : always evolving ! You can find the interview (in English) here : the interview on Sveriges Radio. Eric Sahlström Institute in Tobo is the world's center for the nyckelharpa.
This December was truly incredible ! The nyckelharpa, fiddle and I travelled all the way to Hungary for a bunch of concerts with singer-songwriter Csaba L. Bardócz.  Concert in Vác with Csaba L. Bardócz. Photo Pannónia Ház. The official purpose was to release a few tunes together, the unofficial one was to bring Scandinavian folk music to new audiences ! For that purpose, I brought with me Erik Orvehed on säckpipa (Swedish bagpipe) and various folk flutes.  Playing with Erik Orvehed at Zsengélő Café in Verőce. Photo Khalid Hatim. The rhythm of that little tour was very intense, playing every day in different locations across Hungary and even twice one day, yet we still found time to indulge in sweet poppy seeds rolls, copious amounts of tea and unashamed bad puns. Some locations were truly incredible, like the Leskowsky Musical Instruments Museum in Kecskemét.  Concert at Leskowsky Musical Instruments Museum in Kecskemét, with a glimpse of their impressive collection. Photo Leskowsky Museum. Once the concerts were complete, it was time to get into the studio in Hévíz, where we recorded two tunes, Csaba and I. We kept it simple, true to both our performing styles, so the nyckelharpa's resonance and Csaba's emotion-filled voice can be heard fully. We also decided to go for one song in English and one in Hungarian, to balance our internationality with the local and tiny. These two tunes will be released on next Bandcamp Friday, the 3rd of February !
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