I love cow calls.
I have recordings of more than 50 different Nordic calls in my archives, most of them from Norway and Sweden. Even Edvard Grieg wrote a piece based on a cow call. I sometimes get questions about them, but I've never seen a video that had one.
Until now.
The creative team at the ad agency representing the Norwegian dairy company, Tine, has come up with a great advertisement for their hormone-free cheese. The woman calls the cows — and that is actually a traditional cow call in the advertisement). "Kom nu! (Come now!) Kyra! (Cows!)" And the cows won't come because they're too busy eating fresh grass.
I don't know who they got to record the cow call — but this is a great use of traditional music in advertising.
Did you know that cow calls are one form of vokal music that, at least at one time, could be used at Norway's folk music and dance competition, Landskappleiken? Years ago when I was attending a Landskappleik, I remember hearing a judge ask another judge how they could possibly decide the quality of one cow call. My thought? Perhaps just put a cow in the back of the auditorium. If it comes, it's a good call…
But it's not quite that simple and I'll eventually write more about cow calls. I've had some great experiences with cow calls. And I know of at least four women in the local area who can blast out a good, solid Norwegian cow call.
We need more cow calls.
