GKN5: Bestastovo
I have played in a lot in bands, and eventually became tired of sitting quietly to one side while the boys in the band decided the arrangements. Therefore, I decided to start a band where I was the boss and did everything myself instead of being dependent on others to create music.
I got some of my favourite musicians to join me, from Västanå Teater, Världens Band, Sallyswag, Sver, and Premo & Gustavsson. I taught them dance tunes after Austenå and wrote some more in the same style. The result has become the band GKN 5, and the album Bestastovo.
Salve Austenå, b. 1927, is one of the oldest living source of traditions we have today in Norway. He channels the Tovdal tradition as very few others can. A number of the dance tunes have a relationship with the musical heritage in the neighbouring valley of Setesdal on the one hand, and Telemark on the other.
Salve Austenå has been my teacher since I started playing the Hardanger fiddle in 2001, when I was 7 years old. Since then, I have had countless music lessons with him, and acquired or taught myself dance tunes that very few others know.
This project originated from a desire to share the tunes I’ve learned from Salve Austenå and others, at the same time I also wanted to explore the possibilities of interaction where you retain as much as possible of the solo nature of playing the Hardanger fiddle.
- Jondalen
- Vårnaua
- Full fart framover
- Stjerneskuddet
- Linborgen
- Taddeiv Rosvald
- Soteroen
- Bestastovo
Anna Gustavsson
Nyckelharpa (Swedish keyed fiddle) Anna Gustavson is the nyckelharpist who identifies more with the bass player than with the lead guitarist. She thrives better in the background than in front, and in GKN5 she has finally got to realise her dream – when she supports and completes the sound of Hardanger fiddle! Anna has played everything from dance halls to an international music competition in Kazakhstan. She is passionate about getting to know different cultures, genres and expressions, and mixing tradition with improvisation and composition. She has been touring with the Baroque group Lynx Ensemble, American musician Laurel Premo, and she also works as a leader in world music initiative, Ethno Sweden.
Anna Malmström
(Clarinet and bass clarinet) Anna Malmstrøm is a versatile clarinettist with an eye for detail and she is a demon when playing top-notch clarinet solos! In recent years, she has been touring all over Europe with bands like Världens Band, Dagny, the show "Kalas in the Park" with Clowns Without Borders, and Sallyswag. The latter won the award for "Newcomer of the Year" at the Folk & World Music Gala 2015 and the Future Music Prize 2016.
Guro Kvifte Nesheim
(Hardanger fiddle and Hardanger d'Amore) Guro grew up in Oslo, Norway, and started playing the Hardanger fiddle when she was seven years old. She has learnt to play the traditional music of Norway from many great Hardanger fiddle players and has received prizes for her playing in national competitions for folk music. In 2013 she began her folk music education in Sweden at the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg. Guro is composing a lot of music, and has a great interest in, and love for the old music traditions of Norway and Sweden. In 2011 she went to the world music camp Ethno and was bit by the “Ethno-bug”. Since then she has attended many Ethno Camps as a participant and leader, and setup Ethno Norway with a team of fellow musicians. In spring 2015 she worked at the Opera House of Gothenburg with the dance piece “Shadowland” where the famous Swedish folk musician Ale Möller had the musical responsibility. She is now freelancing and playing in different constellations.
Jens Linell
(Percussion) Jens Linell is the percussionist who can get tunes out of a tambourine! Apart from "Bestastovo" he has worked on 15 albums since 2006! Playing in the bands SVER and Triller, he has worked at music camps in the USA, participated in performances with FRIKAR and Västanå Teater, and is organiser of the festival Hagenfest in Dala-Floda (Sweden).
Thomas Eriksson
(Cittern & Twelve-string guitar) Thomas Eriksson is the guitarist who composes the melodies that make you cry! Thomas Eriksson has played concerts in the last few years including the duo Thomas & Guro, Axel Sondén & Flyttfåglarna, and the children's performance Kabaré Va’ Mé! Now he works as a guitarist at Västanå Teater and, in the summer of 2018, he will perform for the fifth time at the Theatre.
