Bjørgum, Hallvard T.

Hallvard T. Bjørgum is one of Norway’s foremost tradition bearers of Hardanger fiddle music. His Setesdal style is described as rhythmically driving and both gentle and wild. He carries on the legacy of his father, Torleiv H. Bjørgum (1921-1990), who learned many of legendary fiddler Knut Jonsson Heddi’s tunes from Andres K. Rysstad. He has also learned tunes from fiddlers from areas other than Setesdal, for example Kjetil Løndal of Tuddal and Jørgen Tjønnstaul of Telemark. Bjørgum is a popular story-teller with a large repertoire of anecdotes and other material relating to the music he plays.

He has won first prize at the National Contest for Traditional Music several times. In 1988 he also won the King’s Trophy there. He has been receiving a government grant for artists since 1991. Hallvard T. Bjørgum has released and played on over 20 recordings, several of which have received Spelemannsprisen (the Norwegian Grammy). The first was Slinkombas in 1979, with the group of the same name (1976-82), where Bjørgum played together with Kirsten Bråten Berg, Gunnar Stubseid and Tellef Kvifte, and later Hildur Øygarden. Kirsten Bråten Berg has been an important musical partner for him for many years. Their collaboration has resulted in a number of recordings, and they celebrated their 25^th anniversary in 1999 with the CD Runarstreng. Throughout the years Bjørgum has worked together with musicians from a number of genres and countries, including the American singer-songwriter Eric Andersen, with whom Bjørgum has collaborated since 1991. The CD Free Field (2003) could be regarded as a summary of his accomplishments in this area so far. Here Bjørgum performs together with people such as Garth Hudson and Blondie Chaplin of The Band. In 1990 he took over the Sylvartun Cultural Centre, which his parents had established in 1961. From the Centre he runs the record company Sylvartun Folkemusikk and arranges concert series and other events presenting folk culture in Setesdal and Telemark. Bjørgum owns one of Norway’s largest collections of Hardanger fiddles. He is interested in investigating the similarities between the oldest fiddle music in Setesdal, known as “gorrlause rammeslåttene”, and the folk music of the Caucasus region. He performs together with Elshan Mansurov, one of Azerbaijan’s foremost kamancha players. In autumn 2007 Bjørgum renewed his collaboration with fiddler Gunnar Stubseid.

Releases:

1979: Slinkombas, with group Slinkombas (Heilo)
1982: Slinkombas og bas igjen, with group Slinkombas (Heilo)
1991: Juletid, with Kirsten Bråten Berg and Eilert Hægeland (Norsk plateproduksjon)
1998: Toneflaum, with Bjarne Herrefoss and Knut Hamre (Sylvartun Folkemusikk)
1999: Runarstreng, with Kirsten Bråten Berg (Grappa)
2003: Free Field (Sylvartun Folkemusikk)
Klunkaren (Sylvartun Folkemusikk)
Skjoldmøyslaget (Sylvartun Folkemusikk)
Dolkaren (Sylvartun Folkemusikk)

Appeared on:

1991: Danko Fjeld Andersen (Stageway/Mercury)
1994: Ridin’ on the Blinds (Grappa/Rycodisc)
1994: The Sweet Sunny North vol. 1 & 2 (Shanachie, USA)

Other releases/books/activities

1991: Appeared in film “Kvitebjørn kong Valemon”

Producer:

2000: Barn av den bortglemte rase, Elias Akselsen and Hulda Johansen (Sylvartun Folkemusikk)
2002: Bjørgumspel (Sylvartun Folkemusikk)
Setesdal i norsk forteljetradisjon, with Professor Olav Bø (Sylvartun Folkemusikk)

Awards

1980: Spelemannsprisen (Norwegian Grammy) for album Slinkombas, with Kirsten Bråten Berg, Gunnar Stubseid and Tellef Kvifte
1990: Spelemannsprisen for album Skjoldmøyslaget, with Torleiv H. Bjørgum
1998: Spelemannsprisen for album Toneflaum, with Bjarne Herrefoss and Knut Hamre
1998: Aust Agder County Cultural Award
1998: Honorary member of the Norwegian Traditional Music and Dance Association
2002: Gammleng Award, open category