This is a 22-track sampler of the new music trends in Scandinavia from folk to classical to pop and avant-garde across seven countries in the region. It is remarkable in both its scope and in the quality of the music it presents, and is far more consistent than other Rough Guide offerings. There are familiar figures included, of course, from Frifot, Väsen, Värttinä, Hedningarna, and Annbjørg Lien. But there are lesser-known entities as well who have either devoted themselves to preserving tradition or gone out of their way to build upon it. Of the former there are Lena Willemark with her cohort Ave Moller, whose folk music can date back 500 years. There are also the mavericks like classical composer Louis Andreissen from Greenland whose work "Saqisaaq" is the most provocative and delightful thing on the collection. The in-betweens lie with Leena Joutsenlanhti from Finland. Her "Karitti" is drawn from folk tradition but creates from it what can only be called pop music. Maria Kalaniemi and Aldargaz weigh in with "Ahma," with her haunting accordion altered by an electronic process, creating a kind of ambient music from drones. It's all here, including the punk-folk tradition that has been taking the region by storm with groups like JPP, Hedningarna, Tallari, and others. That this compilation ends with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra with the Langholt Church Choir performing the Icelandic National Anthem is, it seems, a warning as much as it is as offering of Iceland's own original music. The warning is simple: don't lump Scandinavia's musical traditions together -- or else. Given how wide the reach is here, there is little cause for worry about that. This is an excellent introduction to an entirely new -- and foreign -- musical landscape.
(This Comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our Blog ´O Púbis da Rosa´)
Tracklist:
1 Maria Kalaniemi & Aldargaz – Ahma 4:08
Arranged By – Olli Varis, Timo Alakotila
Written-By – Kalaniemi
2 Garmarna – Halling Jåron 3:02
Traditional
Arranged By – Garmarna, Sank
3 Annbjørg Lien – Irianda 3:29
Written-By – Annbjørg Lien, Bjørn Ole Rasch
4 Frifot – I Denna Ljuva Sommartid 4:25
Traditional
Arranged By – Ale Möller
5 Troka – Kesäillan Tvist / Summer Night Twist 2:23
Written-By – Ville Ojanen
6 Sorten Muld – 2 Søstre 4:27
Written-By – M Ottosen
7 Yggdrasil – Det Var En Gong En Halling 3:31
Arranged By – Tone Hulbækmo
Written-By [Halling After] – Torvald Tronsgård
8 Väsen – M. Nykänen 2:44
Written-By – Roger Tallroth
9 JPP – Antin Mikko 3:28
Traditional
Arranged By – A Järvelä, T Alakotila
10 Hege Rimestad – Skinfakse 3:54
Written-By – Hege Rimestad
11 Wimme – Oainnáhus 3:42
Written-By – P Saastamoinen, T Rinne, W Saari
12 Värttinä – Kivutar 3:27
Written-By – K Reiman, S Reiman, Traditional
13 Knut Reiersrud – Tramp 4:09
Written-By – Bendik Hotseth, Iver Kleive, Knut Reiersrud
14 Tallari – Äidin Sateenkaari 3:10
Music By – Timo Valo
Words By – Kai-Eerik Känsälä
15 Lena Willemark – Himlen Faller 3:24
Written-By – Lena Willemark
16 Sanna Kurki-Suonio– Ei Musta 4:04
Music By – Sanna Kurki-Suonio
Words By – Sanna Kurki-Suonio, Traditional
17 Johan Hedin & Harald Pettersson – Vattenlek 3:15
Written-By – Pettersson, Hedin
18 Leena Joutsenlahti – Kariitti 2:25
Written-By – Anita Lehtola, Minna Ilmonen
19 Hedningarna – Forshyttan 4:22
Traditional
Arranged By – Hedningarna
20 Louis Andreasen – Saqisaaq 2:09
Written-By – Louis Andreasen
21 Chateau Neuf Spelemannslag – Faut-Marits Polska 2:46
Written-By [Turkish Polska From Älvdalen, After] – Roger Tallroth
22 The Icelandic Symphony Orchestra with the Langholt Church Choir cond. Jon Stefansson – Lofsöngur 2:32
Music By – Sveinbjorn Sveinbjornsson
Words By – Matthias Jochumsson
