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Iceland's Frostroses Holiday Concert

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.The Frostroses [...]

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Celebrating a Scandinavian composer's birthday

Today is the birthday of one of Scandinavia's most celebrated and well-known composers. His works have been heard in almost every country in the world. Do you know who it is?
I don't want to spoil the surprise, so enjoy this two-and-a-half minute clip of a selection of the composer's works played on piano [...]

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A 10-minute chronology of ABBA

Sometimes folks produce some really impressive work on YouTube. One user spent eight months putting together a chronology of sound clips from more than 100 songs released by ABBA during their career.
If you think you "know" ABBA, you may want to think again — and give this video a listen. I was really surprised at [...]

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Grieg finds his thrill on Blueberry Hill

I have loved the song cycle, Haugtussa, since I sang some of the songs at my senior vocal recital in college.
Haugtussa (edited 1895) is an epic cycle of poems, written by the Norwegian author Arne Garborg (1851-1924) in nynorsk — the dialectical form of Norwegian. The poems are a classic example of Norwegian Neo-romanticism and [...]

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The real story of Dancing Queen

OK, I'll admit it. I wasn't a big ABBA fan back then.
But now I'm older and wiser and understand that ABBA was group of incredible talents that could perform diverse styles with ease. And there is no doubt that the songwriting team of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus wrote some masterfull tunes.
One of [...]

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Mamma Mia — What an interview!

I recently came across excellent videos with Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus made just prior to the opening of the Swedish production of Mamma Mia! at Cirkus in Stockholm.
The interviews are done in Swedish with English language subtitles. The interview with Andersson and Ulvaeaus is interspersed with interviews of others involved [...]

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Ragnheiður Ragga Gísladóttir Gröndal: Norðurljós

Ragnheiður "Ragga" Gísladóttir Gröndal is one of Iceland's leading singers and she performs a number of different styles, including folk and jazz.
She's actually known by a variety of names, including :

Ragga Grondal
Ragnheiður Gröndal
Ragnhild Grondal
Ragga Gisladottir

Which one she uses seems to depend upon her audience.

This video is of the title track from her album, [...]

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Hellbillies: På Ål Stasjon

I can never say enough great things about the Norwegian band, Hellbillies. They are, in many ways, the Norwegian equivalent of The Eagles or the Allman Brothers Band — the latter of which was and remains a great inspiration for them.
They are called "country rock" but their music goes far beyond that and they [...]

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Ragnheiður "Ragga" Gísladóttir Gröndal: Ghost Story (Radio Mix)

On the first Multe Music show (April 18, 2009), I featured a track from Icelandic singer Ragnhildur "Ragga" Gåsladå³ttir Gröndal . It was a very tender traditional lullaby.

Here's one of her videos of a song that on the other end of the musical spectrum. It's sort of an ambient electronica track called "Ghost Story" from her second [...]

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It's Sankthans / Juhannes / Midsummer!

The cultures that seem to appreciate light the most are the ones that go without it for large parts of the year. That is why the summer season is so important for the inhabitants of the Nordic nations.
Today, June 23 is Sankthans in Norway — also known as Midsummer / Midsommer / Midtsummer / Juhannes. [...]

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It's Iceland's national day!

Today is Þjóðhátíðardagurinn (the day of the nation's celebration) in Iceland. It marks the day in 1944 when Iceland became independent from Denmark.
The date of 17 June was chosen because it is the birthday of Jón Sigurðsson, a major figure of Icelandic culture and the leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement.
Hæ Hå³ Jibbå [...]

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Sofia Karlsson: Spela för livet

Sofia Karlsson is a Swedish singer who was a full time member in the Swedish folk music act, Groupa, from 1998 to 2002.
In 2002 she released her debut solo album "Söder om kärleken". In 2005, she broke through with a second recording, Ã¢â‚¬Å“Svarta ballader (Black Ballads)", of her interpretations of the poetry of Dan Andersson. [...]

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Benny Andersson talks about composing

I've often said that I want to do a whole Multe Music show devoted to the music of Benny Andersson. And I eventually will!
Meanwhile, here's a great interview by Benny (in Swedish but with English subtitles) where he talks about subjects such as:

how he got started composing
other songwriters that he admires
the difference between being a [...]

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Hootenanny Singers: Gabrielle

In 1964, a group called the Hootenanny Singers had a big hit with the song "Gabrielle". They recorded the song in a number of languages (Swedish, German, Dutch and English).
Here's a charming foray into early 1960s Swedish music. This is the English language version.
And that cherub faced guitarist next to the bass? That's Björn Ulvaeus. [...]

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Tages: Get Up And Get Going

During the heyday of 1960 Swedish pop music, two of the well-known bands were the Hep Stars and Hootenanny Singers.
The Hep Stars had Benny Andersson and the Hootenanny Singers had Björn Ulvaeus — both of whom joined together later to form a little group called ABBA.
Probably the biggest rival band to the Hep Stars was [...]

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