Garnås, Ingvill Marit Buen

Ingvill Marit Buen Garnås sings in the Telemark tradition, and grew up in an atmosphere filled with music and singing in her family and in the local environment. She is the daughter of the well-known kvedar Agnes Buen Garnås. She has all kinds of songs in her repertoire, but has earned a special reputation for her interpretations of ballads and the mysterious riddle songs. Her recordings bear witness to this: På Grønalihei is the title of a riddle song, and Gåtesong is a collection of riddle songs. The latter was nominated for a Norwegian Folk Music Award in 2006. Through her mother’s work she has been able to listen to many of the best kvedare of the older generation. She has also spent a great deal of time studying archive recordings and transcriptions of music and lyrics from the 1800s. In fact, the well-known folk music collector L. M. Lindeman transcribed music directly from her great-great-great-grandfather, Torstein R. Gvåle, in Tuddal, and collector M. B. Landstad met her legendary great-great-great-great-grandmother, Kari Varen from Åmotsdal, also known as “Fugge-Kari”. She has recorded På Grønalihei with a band, Gåtesong with Jon Anders Halvorsen, Salme, segn og solbøn with her brother Per Anders Buen Garnås, and HORPA with musicians including Nils Økland and Camilla Wærenskjold. Ingvill Marit Buen Garnås competes in the top category, A, in the National Contest for Traditional Music, where she received first prize in 1999 and 2003. She is also an accomplished dancer, and competes in category A in folk dance competitions. She is one of the prime movers in Norsk kvedarforum (the Norwegian forum for traditional vocalists), and takes an active role in discussions concerning Norwegian folk music.

Discography

2003: På Grønalihei (Nyrenning), as a soloist
2005: Gåtesong (Etnisk Musikklubb)
2010: Salme, segn og solbøn (ta:lik)

Awards

2006: Nominated for the Norwegian Folk Music Award for the recording Gåtesong

This biography was produced by the Norwegian Traditional Music Agency.