Even in 2010, it is an undeniable fact that many musicians face obstacles when they seek to perform or distribute their music. The Førde Folk Music Festival offers a unique opportunity to meet a selection of these censored artists this July.

 

Music's explosive power - Arts and culture is the basis and hallmark for all of the world's civilizations, says director of the Førde Folk Music Festival, Hilde Bjørkum. Therefore can art, not least music, also be provocative and pose a potential threat. Through history, musicians and several musical traditions have experienced censorship, prosecution and suppression of political, religious or other rights. Minority cultures, indigenous people, musicians who oppose society’s powerful elite; many have felt firsthand the crush of oppression – a crush that is still exercises its force today.

 

- To be able to freely perform and disseminate one’s music and music tradition is an fundamental element of the principle of freedom of expression; therefore it is also important to focus on this theme, says Bjørkum. -However, this is no sombre and dead serious festival, if anyone should fear it! We will celebrate musicians that refuse to be silenced, celebrate music's immense power and survival capability and present unique music traditions that are alive today in spite of attempts to suppress and eradicate them.

 

-We invite the public to enjoy the diversity, community, rhythms and summer, just the way we want a truly international festival to be, "says Bjørkum.

The Førde Folk Music Festival at the forefront

According to Ole Reitov, program director of Freemuse - The world forum of music and censorship, the Førde Folk Music Festival is the first music festival that puts a special focus on this theme.

Says Bjørkum: - Freemuse, which has its main headquarters in Copenhagen, plays an important role in this field of work, focusing on documentation and information - we are very pleased to collaborate with them. If everything goes according to plan, Ole Reitov will be featured as one of the lecturers at this year’s Førde Conference which is held in conjunction with the festival.

 

The festival is also working with Norwegian independent record label and music publisher Grappa which has scheduled a release of the CD Listen to the banned in connection with the Music Freedom Day on the 3rd of March.

 

The Førde Folk Music Festival

The Førde Folk Music Festival is one of Norway’s major festivals, and holds a position as Scandinavia’s largest acoustic folk/Trad/world-music festival. Each year, the festival puts on display artists from the entire world at more than 80 concerts and other events during the festival’s four day duration – reaching an audience in excess of 25 000. Her Royal Highness Queen Sonja is the festival’s patron. The festival is subject to considerable domestic and international media coverage.