Kvasir consists of two Danish women who offer an energetic interpretation of traditional dance tunes and songs from different areas of their country. The musicians provide a deeper insight into the Danish folk culture with stories about the tunes, the composers and elder folk musicians. In addition to concert performances, Kvasir offers music and dance workshops.
Henriette Hansen was born 1979 in Esbjerg. At 8 years old she started to take violin lessons following the Suzuki method at the music school in her hometown. In 1996 she was accepted at MGK in Esbjerg and then at The Carl Nielsen Academy of Music in Odense in 1998. In 2002 she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in classical violin and jazz singing. After graduating, she arrived to Canada to study privately with Prof. Thomas Williams from McGill University in Montreal, with whom she took classes until 2004. During her stay in Montreal she also studied the traditional folk music of Quebec. In 2005, Henriette ended her studies with a masters degree from The Carl Nielsen Academy of Music in classical violin. Over the course of her studies Henriette has been active with different orchestras and ensembles in Denmark.
Mette Kathrine Jensen was born in 1980 in Vejle. Mette’s family has long been active in the folk music and dance scene in Denmark, which inspired her to start dancing at a young age. Mette’s introduction to the accordion came at the age of 13 years, when she began taking lessons from a neighbour; later, she studied at music schools and continued to take private lessons. In 2001 she was accepted into the folk music program at The Carl Nielsen Academy in Odense. In the last few years, Mette has visited many of the elder folk musicians in Denmark and they all have been a great source of inspiration for her. She has been active in the folk music scene, performing with Jensen & Bugge, Strejf and Knorifas and as an instructor of music and dance courses.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
