fele | Multe Music

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Turning pop into polska

Welcome to Multe Music! If you're new to listening to audio online, here's how to get started, so check it out and then pick a show and listen! You can also hear the show "live" on Saturdays at 2 p.m. CT and Mondays at 7 p.m. CT on air or online at KYMNRadio.net.I've always [...]

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MultePod presents: Destination: Finnskog, Part 1

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Destination: Finnskog, Part 1
A musical visit to the Finnish Woods, which are not in Finland.
You can read more about the Forest Finns on Wikipedia. You can also watch a video of the Norwegian dance from Finnskog and get information about an upcoming Finnskog music/dance workshop in the USA.
If you're new to listening to audio online and downloading files, here's how [...]

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From 16th century tune to a polska

The group of Swedish folk artists who brought us the lovely album, Jul i Folkton (Christmas in Folk Sounds), are at it again. They have created a new live show, which is currently touring Sweden and will result in a live album to be released soon.

This video is of a performance of one piece from the [...]

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A train in the night…

In one of the very first postings on Multe Music, I wrote about a tune written by Norwegian fiddler Sturla Eide, "Tog i natta (A Train In The Night)", that was inspired by a visit to our fair town of Northfield, Minnesota.
Recently Eide put a video (in HD, no less) of one of his performances [...]

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EVENT: Finnskogpols Workshops, April 16-19, 2010

Skandia Folkdance Society has announed that this year's Springdans Northwest dance and music workshops (April 16-19, 2010) will feature the Finnskogpols (Polsdans from Finnskoga) taught by Bjørn Sverre Hol Haugen and Veslemøy Nordset from Norway. Originating in the border area between Sweden and Norway, this dance is embraced by Swedes and Norwegians alike — as [...]

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What if Bach played the polska?

In 2007, two Swedish musicians developed a concert program and issued a CD called "Bach på svenska (Bach in Swedish)". Lisa Rydberg (violin) and Gunnar Idenstam (small reed organ) asked the questions:
What might have happened if Johan Sebastian Bach had come to Sweden and met Swedish musicians? How might Bach's music and traditional Swedish music [...]

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Leif-Billyz: Jämtgubben, polka av Rune "Gnesta-Kalle" Gnestadius

I am so glad that silverbassharpa changed his YouTube settings to allow embedding because it allows me to share this wonderful video with you!

The tune they are playing is "Jämtgubben (Guy from Jämtland) av Rune "Gnesta-Kalle" Gnestadius", which seems like it could be danced as either a polka or snoa. It's interesting that they use [...]

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A "banjo hopsa" from Denmark

While originally an African-American folk instrument, the banjo has made its way into use in the traditional (and not-so-traditional) music of Nordic countries as well.

Here is "Hopsa efter Niels "Svenske Niels" Wilhelm". It's also known as the "Banjohopsa (Banjo Hopsa)" because Erling played it on banjo with Svenske Niels (Swedish Niels/Nils) in the 1970s.The hopsa [...]

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Crested hen varietals

One of the most commonly known Danish folk dances is "Den toppende høne (The Crested Hen)". In many North America sources, I usually see only one version listed and taught.
But there are multiple versions of this dance and the music. Here we have two examples of the dance and music straight from Denmark. The first [...]

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How can you possibly sit still?!?!

Among the things I like about Nordic dance music is that it often seems to be impossible to sit still when you hear it.
I can honestly understand why this type of music was opposed by the more pietistic Christians of the time. However, you would think that they associated the urge to move with something [...]

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Halling it on a guitar bouzouki

From Swedish halling yesterday to Norwegian today.
I've featured the work of Andreas Aase before. He's a Norwegian guitarist from Trondheim who has been doing some interesting things with folk music — and posting videos to YouTube.

Here he's playing a halling (laus) tune from on a hybrid instrument — a guitar bouzouki. The tune appears [...]

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Halling – Swedish style

Most people think of the dance, halling (or laus), as an acrobatic Norwegian dance for men. And it is.
But it is also found in Sweden and is played on fiddle as well other other instruments.
One of those interesting instruments is a spilåpipa — a type of Swedish herding flute — that has seven [...]

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An electric Leksands skanklåt

Over the last few years, I've made a real effort to get to know more about the folk rock and progressive rock scene in the Nordic countries, particularly in the 1970s. There was some great music coming out at that time.
Kebnekajse was one of the best known Swedish bands of that period. Some classify [...]

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A thousand thoughts about Triakel…

When the Multe Music crew was in Norway, we received an invitation to go to a concert by the Swedish group, Triakel, at the wonderful cultural heritage farm in Sør-Fron, Rudi Gard. Alas, it wasn't to be…
Triakel is a group well worth experiencing live. The name has a couple of meanings. There are three members [...]

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Getting all Norse-ken on us

I've written about the Finnish-Norwegian group, Frigg, before. The Järvelä and Larsen sibling combination produces some great "powerfolk", as they call it.
Their website sums it up nicely: Hot Fiddles From Cool Scandinavia

Here's a recent video of Frigg playing at the 2009 Shetland Folk Festival — a festival that will celebrate its 30th anniversary next [...]

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