Fylgja (3)

Danish/Swedish folk band based in Copenhagen. FYLGJA is a folk band consisting of three Danes and two Swedes. The music combines tradition with modern rhythmic music and you can find elements of rock and jazz as well as avant-garde and different kinds of folk music. The members have very different backgrounds with Classical music, Jazz, Irish music, African dance, Rock, Blues, and the Swedish song tradition in the luggage. The meeting point however is the Swedish folk tradition which we have come closer to through the years visiting festivals and fiddlers. The challenge and in fact what made us start playing together was the search for our own expression, crossing the boarders of style and form, following our curiosity and combining elements from our background as they turn up during the process. Our second CD "Strå" (reed) which was released in the early summer of 2003 has its emphasis on the polska melodies (often called "Springlek") of the western part of Dalarna (Dalecarlia). Here we find a wilder and rhythmically different music than further east. On the CD you will also find a "Slängpolska" from Blekinge (south-east of Sweden), a Norwegian song (little Kari), the song about the virile little Jon and what he was up to Midsummer Eve (found all over Sweden in different forms), an Irish melody and some of our own compositions (among them the Danish Eagle polska ("Ørnepolska") ). The sound of Fylgja is built up on a drum/percussion set-up with djembe, darbuka and dustpan among the instruments. Electric bass and acoustic guitar join the rhythm group, The guitar is also performing the melodies by finger picking in open tunings. The guitar player is the singer and troubadour of the band. On the top we have a violin and a flute, taking solos in their own style. We have done concerts at the well known festivals of Korrö Folk Festival (the biggest folk festival of Southern Sweden), at Urkult Folk Festival, at the Malmö Festival, several times at the Danish Odense Folk Festival and recently at the Nordic Folk Festival "Nordlys" in Copenhagen. The CD "Strå" has got recognition in Swedish and Danish radio and it was chosen among the Top 10 best CD's 2003 at the German web site www.folkworld.de The title "Strå" is inspired by the beautiful nature at the lake of Christiania, where we where rehearsing and recording. The name Fylgja comes from the old Nordic mythology and means the female guardian spirit following a person or family, appearing only in dreams or visions. Fylgja is: Lucas Scheffold (S): guitar Helle Andersen (DK/S): bass Christian Coff (DK): flutes & acordion Kerstin Backlin (DK): violin Sven Kihlström (S): drums