Kven and Balkan music created excitement among the audience – NRK Kveeni
The result has been heard by the audience in recent days in Troms.
Simon Don Eriksen was in North Troms for the first time three years ago. It was the middle of winter, in February. He came from Copenhagen and it was an experience that set something in motion for him.
– It was snow and game for me. I came here and saw this “wild” energy, and it wild nature. Here I met these great people who play music from .., yes, the whole of the Nordics. Both Kven and Finnish, he says.
- Listen to the report:
Wanted to take his band to North Troms
He had been playing the accordion and they played a little together.
– I really liked the way it sounded. Back then, three years ago, I thought it might be fun to bring my band with me.
Simon Don Eriksen has been to Nordreisa both in connection with Kyläpeli – Landsbyspel and Paaskiviikko, the Kven culture festival in North Troms.
– When he came up with this idea, I saw it was fantastic, says Øystein Fredriksen. Not least, he thinks it fits well since both Romani and Roma are other national minorities in Norway.
Thus, they began to fantasize about what it would be like to mix Kven music with another minority music.
String instrument from gypsy music
Simon Don Eriksen leads Calibut band from Copenhagen who play Balkan and Romani music interspersed with jazz.
I add to him the band consists of Ruhi-Deniz Erdogan on trumpet, Ida Hvid on double bass and George Mihalache on string instrument cimbalon. It is a string instrument that is especially used among gypsies or the Roma people in Eastern Europe.
This ended in the project Major Minorities which in addition to the band consists of the Kven musicians Øystein Fredriksen from Nordreisa and Nikolai Äystö from Gällivarre in Tornedalen.
Simon suggested this to Lise Brekmoe in Kultnett who ignited the idea.
– She has been a crucial factor in being implemented after all the postponements, says Øystein.
However, the project met with little resistance in the first place due to the corona pandemic. But the collaboration continued over the net and last Monday the musicians gathered in Nordreisa to rehearse the music they have played on their mini tour in Troms.
Throughout the project, Kven and Finnish music have been reinterpreted, inspired by Balkan music.
– Kven and Balkan fit well together
And they have no doubt that they fit well together.
– Music is often universal and there is a lot of longing and melancholy. And there is a lot of minor tuning in both Kven and Finnish and in Balkan music, says Nikolai Äystö.
– And the Finnish and Kven music gets an extra energy, Balkan energy, says Øystein.
– It fits very well together as I had dreamed of, adds Simon.
– What was it about Kven music that made you want to start this project?
– I liked the harmony and the sound in it and I would like to add the sprightly energy from Balkan music, to modernize in some places.
People liked what they heard
- “It was a nice mix of Kven, Finnish and Balkan music.”
- “The Kven and Balkans fit well together.”
- “The Kven tolerated an extra beat”, was among the comments NRK Kvensk received.
On their mini tour, they have played in Nordreisa, Skibotn and at Rundhaug in addition to Tromsø and they may not be finished, says Øystein Fredriksen.
– We have received very good feedback everywhere really, they want us back. We’ll see, he says.
– Then we have to go to Tornedalen and take northern Sweden as well and preferably in Finland. There are more who should hear this music, says Nikolay Äystö.
The name Major Minorities was primarily a working title, but they did not come up with anything better. And it was a fun pun, which also fits well with the minority music that represents, says Øystein.
The project has received support from the Cultural Council, Troms and Finnmark County Municipality and Tempi.
You can also listen to some of the music youtube.com.