The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc – Bonfrost (NFB, 2021)
Three of the finest fiddlers from northern Europe present a bold and innovative vision of fiddle traditions on their new album Bonfrost. Kevin Henderson (Shetland), Olav Luksengård Mjelva (Norway) and Anders Hall (Sweden) incorporate folk music from their respective regions along with chamber music sensibilities and, at times, the high energy of a rock band.
“The unique thing about this group is the different styles we each bring to the table,” says Henderson. “That we are from very different musical backgrounds makes it really interesting for us.”
Bonfrost (a term for very hard frost in Shetland) was recorded “live” at Mjelva’s studio to better capture the feel and energy of a live show.
In addition to fantastic recreations of traditional songs from Shetland, Norway, and Sweden, The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc also perform original, neo-traditional musical pieces, including Mjelva’s “Frygg,” a tribute to the trailblazing Finnish fiddle band Frigg. Other influences include American fiddlers Mark O’Connor, Rodney Miller, and Gabe Witcher from Punch Brothers.
Bonfrost also includes three solo tunes, each featuring one group member, highlighting their musical heritage.
“The solo tracks are something we have not done before,” says Henderson. “The focus on our other recordings had been making trio arrangements of the material from these different folk traditions. But we are often asked at concerts, and especially at workshops, if it’s possible to hear the three individual styles. Folks are really interested in that. So we decided to have three solo tracks for them to hear the different styles along with the music that we have arranged as a trio.”
Henderson performs a medley of two traditional Shetland tunes (“Be Nort Da Dykes O’Voe” / “Deltingside”); Hall plays a polska, a Scandinavian folk dance, from Halsingland, Sweden, titled “En Konstig Fan”; and Mjelva chose “Vrenga”, a 19th-Century springer, a couple’s folk dance from Norway.
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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.