Kirsten Bråten Berg and Hallvard T. Bjørgum celebrates 25 years with traditional tunes from Setesdal.
This CD presents dance tunes, ballads, stev (short, originally improvised songs) and psalms, mostly from Setesdal, using various fiddles and jew’s harps as well as kveding (ancient Norwegian vocal tradition). The recording was made at Sylvartun in Setesdal.
Kirsten Bråten Berg
Kirsten Bråten Berg was born in Arendal, Norway, in 1950. She is a silversmith and has her own workshop in Nomeland, Hylestad. However, she is better known as a musician than as a silversmith, both in Norway and abroad. Since 1973 she has lived in Setesdal, where she has played a major role in maintaining the local folk music traditions. Recently she has begun to use folk music in new contexts, including collaboration with jazz bassist Arild Andersen (Sagn and Arv), and contemporary composer Jan Erik Pettersen and lyricist Paal-Helge Haugen (Pilegrimen). She has released a number of records and has won the Spellemannpris (Norwegian Grammy) several times. Kirsten was the double winner of the National Contest for Traditional Music in 1987, and has toured in Norway and abroad.
Hallvard T. Bjørgum
Hallvard T. Bjørgum got most of his musical education from his father and in his neighbourhood, where his father Torleiv H. Bjørgum, who is a highly appreciated genuine folkmusician of the Setesdal tradition had a great influence of Hallvards development as an artist on the Hardanger fiddle. Hallvard has also studied with many of the very best folk musicians in other parts of Norway. He has in this way got a serious education in fiddle music and the historical aspects connected to it from older professional fiddlers (folkmusicians).
In 1982 and 1988 he won The Norwegian Championship in class A Hardanger fiddle. In 1988 he also won the Kings Trope. As a folk music soloist he is considered as one of the very best in the country. In 1999 he will celebrate his 30th anniversary as an artist. For many years he has also worked as an concert artist internationally.
For the productions «Slinkombas (Heilo), «Skjoldmøyslage» (Sylvartun Folkemusikk) and Toneflaum (Sylvartun Folkemusikk), he has received the Spellemannprisen, the annual award of the Norwegian recording industry. He has been nominated 3 times and been studio musician in two other productions that have received the Spellemannprisen. On his repertoire are tunes (slåtter) from different districts in the country, stevtunes (singing tunes), and psalmtunes.
