From the far provinces
of Sweden comes the music of
Bjärv,
an
exciting, traditional Swedish
Folk Trio.
Bjärv's 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.
The trio has been touring the
United States and Scandinavia since the release of their self-titled CD
in 2002. Appearances in the U.S. include: World Fest, Grass Valley, CA,
Festival of Cultures, Sioux Falls, SD, Hjemkomstfestival, Fargo, ND,
Svenskarnas Dag, Minneapolis, MN, Sawdust Festival, Laguna Beach, CA,
Summer Series, Salt Lake City, UT, and Mid-summer festival, Estes Park,
CO, as well as radio performances on "Folkscene" KPFK, 90,7 FM and
KPIG, 94,9 FM.
Meet
Bjärv
On fiddle is the charismatic, 27
year-old Olof Göthlin. A protégé of
renowned fiddler Mats Eden, Olof became a "Riksspelman" (Fiddler of the
realm) in 2006. 32 year-old Mikael Grafström provides
both hypnotic rhythm and artistic nuance with his beautifully fluid
guitar playing. A recent graduate of the folk music department at the
Malmö music conservatory, Mikael has studied with the likes of
Jens Ulvsand and Roger Tallroth from the Swedish band "Väsen." The
youngest member at 25, on the traditional Swedish nyckelharpa, is Ben
Teitelbaum. After being awarded Sweden's Eric Sahlström
nyckelharpa scholarship for 2000, Ben returned to Bethany College in
Lindsborg, KS becoming the first American to earn a degree in
nyckelharpa performance. He is now pursuing his PhD in ethnomusicology
at Brown University.
