Zar was an innovative young act in the booming Danish folk scene and they earned the Danish Music Award (The equivalent to the Grammy). Their tight, powerful and dynamic sound was compared to such great bands as Solas and Union Station. Zar’s material was recreated traditional Danish music .
Zar played traditional songs and tunes that have survived through several generations. Zar didn’t only find its inspiration from the international folk-scene, but also in exploring other music styles such as jazz and pop music. “We want to give people a chance to hear that Danish folk-music can cause some fantastic experiences, as long as you keep an open mind.”
The band featured musicians educated from the Danish music academies. The spark that first brought Zar’s instruments and Sine Sine Lahm Lauritsen’s voice together was a music initiative by the Danish government in Serbia in 2001. Jamming at a Tonder Festival celebration sealed the deal. The band’s first album, Strengeleg, won an award for best debut recording in 2002, and Sine won best vocalist in 2004 for their second album, Tusind tanker. Recognition led to travel to Scotland, Scandinavia, Italy, Germany, the United States and Canada.
Members of Zar during the years:
Sine Lahm Lauritsen: Vocal
Steffan Søgaard Sørensen: Double-bass
Rasmus Zeeberg: Guitars
Andreas Tophøj Rasmussen: Fiddle
Michael Graubaek: Fiddle
Christopher Davis Maack: Fiddle
Rune Sørensen: fiddle
Discography:
Strengeleg
Tusind tanker
Der brænder en ild (2008)
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.
