Førde Folk Music Festival:

With their energetically charged and captivating mix of Finnish and Norwegian folk music, Frigg have managed to reach out to a wider international audience. The super-group`s trademark is often a set of polkas played at breakneck speed contrasted with one or two languishing Finnish tangos as well as melancholic love ballads thrown in for good measure.

Performing the epic medieval ballad Draumkvedet is a not a task to be taken upon lightly. Vocalist Berit Opheim Versto and saxophonist Karl Seglem`s interpretation of the work offers a challenging but utterly rewarding exploration of Olav Åsteson`s strong, mind-shattering and emotionally complex dreams. Stylistically simplistic and intimate, visionary and fantastic- enjoy a highly gripping rendition of Norwegian folklore`s most important medieval ballad.

Kroke and Tindra share common traits in that the ensembles have created new stylistic elements with a solid foundation in traditions. For the first time, the two ensembles are now set to meet on stage to play to each other but also to perform in unison. Don`t miss this opportunity to experience a striking and rich musical dialogue. The project is supported by the Polish-Norwegian Culture Exchange Fund.

With a solid foundation in traditional Norwegian folk music, fiddler and composer Gjermund Larsen explores other genres and styles through playful and convincing improvisation. His tunes range far and wide, spanning the spectrum from blistering fast passages to songs that almost come to an introspective standstill. At the interception between tradition and innovation, Larsen and his companions represent a veritable cornucopia of genuine musicality.

Folk singer Unni Boksasp holds a true and strong fondness for bluish and moody vocal lines, and together with her ensemble she brings forth a set of emotionally charged and captivating interpretations of traditional from the Nordmøre region.

Through her innovative melodeon playing style, Rannveig Djønne has managed to revitalize the dance music traditions of the Hardanger and Voss regions. For her Førde performance, Djønne brings with her fiddle, Hardanger fiddle and viola player Anders Hall and organ player Inger Elisabeth Aarvik. Together, the three conjure up images of a striking sonorous landscape in which the melodeon plays a natural and well-deserved centre stage role.