NORDIC COASTAL MUSIC

“Kystnært” is an artistic collaboration between the award-winning Finnish/Danish/Swedish folk music group Floating Sofa Quartet (FSQ) and the Norwegian fiddle player Guro Kvifte Nesheim. In the project, traditional musicians from four Nordic countries meet together to delve deeply into their common musical traditions from their coastal regions.

The beginning of this project emerged during the Showcase festival Folkelarm in Oslo 2021 when the young Norwegian star violinist and Hardanger fiddle player Guro Kvifte Nesheim stepped in for violinist Clara Tesch in FSQ. Meeting the FSQ sparked Guro’s inspiration to explore the repertoire from the coastal areas of Agder in Southern Norway. This is a repertoire she has been familiar with throughout her upbringing.

Floating Sofa Quartet has worked with Nordic folk music across national borders for ten years. The vision has always been to bring together the cultural heritage of the Nordic countries and create music that both preserves a tradition but also renews it. The band received the prize ‘Folk Album of the Year’ at the Danish Music Award in 2019 for their album “Neighbourhood”.

Folk music has historically been clearly marked by trade journeys between other countries and has many musical similarities with its neighboring countries. “Kystnært” originates in the regional folk music from the coastal region of Agder, a tradition with clear ties to its musical neighboring countries. With this music as a starting point, the group explores musical similarities with other Nordic coastal regions and creates a modern concert experience.

Come aboard and float along!

 

Musicians:
Guro Kvifte Nesheim –  Violin & Hardanger d’amore (GKN5, Nesheim/Edén, Grit Quartet)
Mads Kjøller Henningsen – Wooden flute & swedish bagpipes (FSQ, Lars Lilholt Band et al.)
Clara Tesch – Violin (FSQ, Vesselil, Farvergade)
Leija Lautamaja  –  Diatonic accordion, reed organ (FSQ, ENKEL, Moon Twins)
Malte Zeberg – Double bass (FSQ, Trolska Polska, Hialøsa, Nü Fiona)

  1. Devil Among the Sailors
  2. Svinge-Kjersti
  3. Itämeri-sottiisit
  4. Ola Dyrmyrs riler
  5. Snikkarvalsen
  6. Norske polsker fra Bornholm
  7. Reinlender etter Gustav Olsen Berge
  8. Tveitesmeden Lorens
  9. Tarald från Korpo
  10. Bjørnen
  11. Bjønnen
  12. Sjømannsriler
  13. Sisuleeraus

All tunes: Trad. Arr. Guro Kvifte Nesheim & FSQ

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.