From the far provinces
of Sweden comes the music of
Bjärv,
an
exciting, traditional Swedish
Folk Trio.
Their fresh, contemporary
interpretations of traditional Swedish folk
songs breathe new life into the music of the 18th century.
Infused with youthful charm, their
innovative, stunning 3-part
harmonies and show-stopping improvisational musicianship make their
live performances a memorably rocking good time for all audiences.
Surprised by the
tremendously enthusiastic response of American audiences, they sold out
of cd's within weeks of their 1st U.S. tour in 2002.
Encouraged, they returned to a rapidly expanding fan
base for more rewarding concerts (including sell-outs) in 2003
& 2004. The tours confirmed that Bjärv has a place in
the hearts (and ears) of American audiences.
Bjärv's U.S. performances,
notably 2003's World Music Festival in Grass Valley, were highly
acclaimed. Folks of all ages rushed to meet them after every
performance, lining up to talk to the charming, personable trio, ask
about Sweden, and check out Ben's nyckelharpa. World Fest proved to be
one of the high points of the 2003 tour, exposing them to a
discriminating audience accustomed to hearing exceptional performances.
Bjärv proved themselves worthy of the audience's attention, as
they delivered musical magic, attracting initial attention with
their passionate musicianship, and holding it with their Swedish charm,
gorgeous vocal arrangements and captivating stage presence. Trained at
Sweden's prestigious Eric Sahlström Institute, the three are
considered among the finest young Swedish folk musicians on guitar,
fiddle and nyckelharpa, the national instrument of Sweden.
Meet
Bjärv
On fiddle is the charismatic,
26 year-old Olof Göthlin. From the deep forests of
Värmland, Olof was already a skilled violin player by the age of
six. A former member of two acclaimed groups: "Gorm", playing
jazz-flavored Swedish folkmusic; and the jazz group "Fyffes Bananer",
Olof finds that playing the traditional music is like opening a window
into the joyful souls of the Swedish people.
31 year-old Mikael
Grafström provides both hypnotic rhythm and artistic
nuance with his beautifully fluid guitar playing. Raised in a musical
family in Ångermanland, he grew up playing different styles of
music, from modern blues and rock, to the old traditional Swedish
tunes,
and then studied with the best artists in the traditional field.
His intense,
joyful playing leaves almost no listener untouched.
The youngest member at 24, on
the attention-stealing nyckelharpa, is Ben Lagerberg-Teitelbaum,
the American Swede. A natural musician on
banjo, guitar, mandolin and fiddle before deciding to make the
nyckelharpa his life's instrument, Ben calls the foothills of Colorado home. After being awarded Sweden's Eric
Sahlström nyckelharpa scholarship for 2000, Ben was invited to
attend the Institutet, where he met Olof and Mikael, and Bjärv was
born. He has since completed his studies in nyckelharpa performance at
the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm and Bethany College in
Lindsborg, Kansas, and is now working toward his PhD in Ethnomusicology at Brown University. Ben traces his
Swedish ancestry back
to the provinces of Västergötland and Värmland.
