Home stage in the middle of the hoods.

In just two weeks I will launch my new CD "Vida".

The place this will happen is a great gift itself, I'm getting the sense it's now becoming my home.
A second home or a home stage.
A place where it's easy to feel at home.
Hjällbo church is in the center of the hoods.
A church right in the middle of the street life, at the local square.

This fine space helps us all open to inner space.
The name "Vida" have a connection to the swedish word for space: vidder.

Soon time to let the boat set sail.

Eva

Norway, August 2014. Irmelin tour.

Exited to share happy news!

Happy news on the first of December!
I wish to give a big THANK YOU to Swedish Arts Council for the support I've been honoured for my upcoming solo-album in hard competition with many a fine music project. I am totally filled with joy for this. It's highly appreciated, so thank you thank you!

The music is recorded together with Mattias Pèrez on guitars and Anders Jormin on double base in October at Studio Epidemin. Petter Eriksson is our sound man.
My own compositions, my lyrics, and a wave of inspiration and musical ideas shared among the three of us. Thank you Mattias and Anders for bringing in your voices in the swirl.

We are so exited to share it all with you!
Stay tuned for more.

Eva

Mattias Pèrez at Epidemin in October.

Recording mood at Studio Epidemin in October.

Voicing - meeting - sharing - circle Folk Voice Tradition 2014

Giving and taking in its most beautiful form. Mutual inspiration!

Folk Voice Tradition 2014

On the last day of our conference we did reflections and circle talking about how to proceed. How can we build stronger circles and voice the tacit knowledge we share? Very empowering! Wordsmith and painting artist Malin Sverige showed us beautiful paintings she created in our conference, her reflection. When her pictures was displayed the whole room started to sing in a collective improvisation.

I wonder how this could be possible in any other conference?

The past weekend I spend time in Stockholm with an amazing gathering of the tribe of folk singers. I'm been awestruck by the power and creativity, filled with new inspiration.

Reunion of friends I've known since many years. Friends from my time as student at KMH (Royal College of Music) Friends from the first ever, the glorious, the turning point: Ethno -90.
Irmelin songsisters, great to be here all the three of us!

And happy to make new friends!

We had to use english as the official language since we speake so many languages in this group and not all of us share the same language root. Finnish, Latvian, Estonian and Scandinavian languages.

I have to say that listening to the songs I couldn't follow the lyrics was maybe the most memorable for me in the concerts. Music has the power to take a grip even if there's no common language. Music is the common language and it speaks clearly about what it is to be a human.

A warm big THANK YOU to Susanne Rosenberg and the crew for empowering the diverse family of singers, storytellers, artists, holistic improvisators.

Eva

Sitting on the train up to Stockholm, enjoying the November peace. Working on the order of songs for my new album.

KMH, The Royal College of Music in Stockholm. Old meets new.

Singers from Sibelius Academy in Helsinki in a song of lamentation.

Singers from Latvia, amazing vocal traditions!

Silence and sound

Women who run their own business...

In this old photo is my grand dad Sven, sitting on the table, and his mother Emma, sitting on the chair. Emma was like me and many other, a single mother with her own business.

Emma, the daughter of a miner.

Today I've been doing parts of the business side of my project of producing a solo album. I have compleeted and send in an application to the Swedish Arts Council. Deadline for this application is tomorrow. I have never written such an application before, and now I aim to release a cd on my own label. So it's up to me to take care that I at least send in an application. Competition is sky high but if you don't try you don't get anything anyway.

Here's the art side of the cd. Lyrics I have been working on since 18 month back now, some parts of it even older.

Eva

Petrichor - the scent of rain

My daily joy.

My daily challenge.

Creating my own music.

So this is the first announcement, I will record a solo album by the end of October this year.

And it's the first album on my own label.

After a long row of amazing collaborations I have decided to do something like this. Channel all the lyrics and melodies that I have made myself.

When I look at all the twelve songs I have choosen for this album, I notice there's rain in several of them.

Rain as the sign of freedom, water of life, of relief.

And there's a lot more coming too. I go to my roots, I have a lot of inspiration from my mountains where i grew up. It's also about dance.

I will let you know more as the work proceeds.
You are most welcome to  check my blog for more updates around this new baby of mine.

Eva

Work in progress with Folkvocal

Sunny beautiful Stockholm!
I wake up this morning and find myself in one of the most beautiful cities in the world - Stockholm.

The four of us composers for project Folkvocal are now stepping up to the next level. Susanne Rosenberg, Maria Misgeld, Ulrika Bodén and myself. Refine and pull the forces together. Three days of intense work and hopefully we have a unique, extraordinary, crazy, beautiful score ready on wednesday.



I have a small story that stuck in my mind.
The other day I was walking in my neightborhood and saw a man somewhere in the age of 50 +. A little bit rough looking, quite big, someone that might make other people afraid just at sight. He was stopping and looking beside the road. Then he took his camera and made photos of the white spring flowers that are growing abundantly right now.

It's a great challenge and art to never judge people by their looks. I try to work on that every day.

Walk with light steps

Circular economy.
Second hand is first hand.

Mirror second hand. Wall clock from Lisa Tofft.

The old school art of re-cykling. Weavers created rugs with many patterns out of worn out clothes and fabric. Your favourite dress in wich you danced all night long might be the material that carries your foot steps.....

Handcrafted rugs.

Handcrafted bed cover. Leo on top of things.

Dior Lounge Wear, Saks Fifth Avenue. Nylon with zipper front. From the 70's?
The colors and patterns makes me happy every day.

Eva

Between singing and spoken word

Our days of work is just over.
Susanne, Maria, Ulrika and me singing all day long. Preparing for next step of contemporary composing within the folk music context.

Increadible how the paradox of time is confusing my mind. Time went so quickly. At the same time it feels like I've been there in the sweet little village of Noraström for a long time. We manage to do so much together with the music.

Ideas we brought into our project has now been tried out in reality. Many improvisation structures has been very fruitful. We go back home now to compleete the music for the larger ensemble. We'll be 8 folk singer performing this!

Below Susanne and Ulrika are singing  instantly from a book of hilarious written text, deep and poetic. It requires long experience to do it in two part singing. We all took turns doing improvisations, and sometimes all four at the same time.

Eva

Retreat for music writing

Time to open the door to the musical treasures.

For three days I will be away in the far north of Sweden, outside Sundsvall in a small village. Together with the amazing singstresses, Susanne Rosenberg, Maria Misgeld and Ulrika Bodén I will dig deep and weave a totally new creation of vocal music. Contemporary folk songs.
Putting pieces together, contributing each one of us, circling the ideas around and try it out live.
This is the first meeting. So far we have been preparing one by one at home, just mailing ideas to eachother.

So I'll put my boots on the ground and go to the living room song circle.

We'll stay at a small countryside inn, a house build 1810 for the priest and his family in those days. I imagine the walls are full of forgotten songs.

Eva

The lady with the hawk eyes....

...has recieved all my tax papers for 2013 today. It's such a relief to hand it over. She knows my business since many years now.

This releases all energy to focus on Myst rehearsing  upcoming days. Tomorrow I'll meet the band, plus composer Roger Johansson. Number four out of four workshops we do together in our own incubator for new music. It's all about co-creation and stepping outside ones comfort zone.
Bring out the forces!

Wall in Switzerland.

Yes please, give me clear sight.

For to celebrate myself in this moment when the tide turn (...and the sea calls out once more) I bought myself a pair of leather boots at the Noa Noa shop. Irmelin has a Noa Noa fling since many years, we often chooses to have that danish design outfits when we perform. Now I can walk on with really nice new boots.

To eco-nomy from ego-nomy

Advent calendar #22
Write a short poem of three lines.

In this time of the year it's obvious that commersialism is a problem to many of us. The way we consume, buy and try to fill our lives with stuff. And a majority on our earth have just no possibility to take part in this, the question of poverty is a painful reality.

The child birth in Betlehem wich started our Chistmas history is somehow forgotten. How this child was born into poverty, and had to flee to Egypt  just a couple of weeks old with his young parents. To escape threat of life. This is what the story tells, if you believe it or not.

I love Christmas-time, I'm lucky to have a good history of how to gather in the family, open the doors for friends around us who maybe don't have a family to go to. I've spend Christmas in many different ways, in foreign countries, in big gatherings of friends, in smaller family settings. I feel I'm ready to have one more type of Christmas. Tell you later.

Then I came across this little excellent film on sacred economy. As another voice in the ongoing debate.





If you might think that new ecnomy systems have support from small groups of die hard fans, then take a look at the Idle No More movement, who proudly carry indigenous way of caring and sharing, respecting Mother Earth and maintain life in a beautiful way.
Women hand drummers called to the front. Idle No More 1 year anniversary
I love theese pictures!

Eva 

Best cds in my player 2012

Ahmad Al Khatib, Youssef Hbeisch: Jadayel. Maria Misgeld: Romans i moll.

John Doyle: Shadows and light.

During the year that passed I had some cds that kept spinning in my player, over and over again. I would gladly like to share some brilliant work made by musicians from near and far. Some cds has been with me for many years and they will steadily be my companions here. Other cds just released now, hot from the print.

2012

January:
Lhasa, The Living Road Toutoutard 2003
This great voice will never be silent, her artistry is forever. This cd is the first I encountered of her works. Heard first in the dining room at Dala-Floda Världshus in the unforgettable settings of Paul and Christina Aarts food, music, style of folk art from different corners of the world.

February:
The Boswil Concert, Paul Hanmer and McCoy Mrubata. 2010
Paul Hanmer, piano, organ. McCoy Mrubata, saxophone.
Künstlerhaus, Boswil, www.africanmusic.unibas.ch

Mars:
Ilmajousi - Luftstråk. KMH Förlag 2001
Maria Kalaniemi & Sven Ahlbäck

April:
John Doyle: Shadow and Light, Compass Records 2011
John Doyle performed at festival Lempo in Finland where I first heard him live. Totally mindblowing music, him alone on the stage. Great honour for me to guest him on one song. Unforgettable.

May:
Moses Hightower: "Búum til börn" Record Records 2010
I heard them live in Germany when I toured with Nordic Wedding Music. Lovely to hear music sung in islandic language.

June:
Tetra: Hiyya, Footprint 2010
Lovely a capella quartet from Göteborg.

July:
Algérie Voix des Femmes: Compilation cd by Blue Silver. 1997
My absolute favourite track is Djurdjura ura's Azemmour.

August:
No other listening then just dig into Irmelin repertoir, work in progress. Sometimes I go into a kind of music fasting when it comes to consuming music from other artists. It's not so concious from my side, I just go inte to the process of creating my music and then it fades away with listening to other. Or I dont have so much time to listen to other music. I can imagine that the brain is working that way, to give a lot of space for the process of creativity.

September:
Hornroh Modern Alphornquartet
Phonag Records 2009
www.hornroh.ch
Our new friends in Hornroh! Irmelin had the chance to meet and work with Hornroh while doing the performance Blaue Stunde in Basel, in september.

October:
Maria Misgeld: Romans i moll.
Misgeld Music 2011.
www.misgeldmusic.com
Maria's own soloalbum, the album following her first one, "Margits sånger". And again, she's made a touching, vivid and profoundly beautiful piece of art. I will listen to this album for a long time to come.

November:
Otonal.
Mattias Pérez and Nano Stern 2009
A meeting between Chile and Sweden guitar mastery. My friends and former collegues, I long to the moment we will reunite in music one day.

December:
Ahmad Al Khatib, Youssef Hbeisch, Bela Quartet: Jadayel.
My full review can be found in december blogpost.
Jadayel has been spinning in my player ever since. The more I listen, the deeper it goes. Wonderful.


Have a good journey out there!
Eva

Winter images, I love grey and green!

Two warm weeks took away all snow. But today it's minus degrees again and a wonderful day for a walk.
Sun and snowfall at the same time.
I have to hurry and get out immediately.

Some spend their time creating a good looking home.
I like to spend time on finding out good music.

Walking the dog gives me some clear thoughts and fresh air.

Many shades.
Instead of just black and white, we are surrounded by the many shades of colours. I wish we could look at life the same way. See all the nuances.

Step by step, finding how to live a life with creativity at center, and also let go of the same when it turns to a squirrel wheel in a crazy world. Life is much bigger.

Eva

My November thoughts

It's been more than a month since the song book was released, and Irmelin has recorded songs for our new album. It's been phonecalls, emails, new applications, rehersals. I've almost forgot how it is to have free time. So I experience the classical signs of post production stress. I'm finding mysef in a time of emptiness. Too much happened in very short time. My life journey has taken me to some unknown roads. Some days it's a bit hard to navigate forward but it seems like this is what it is to be a person 2012 on earth, I see lot of this around me too.

In the middle of this emptiness I know something new is going to happen. A change of view. An adaption. I already see some of the patters of the old are fading away and leaving me with a new sense of light. Can it be that I became looked in my own old thoughts and ambitions?

Oh, this evening was a pearl, to sing with the children and go in there with the full aim of having a good time together. It's all about sing together and enjoy it. No need to prove anything. No need to worry. It's actually a great gift to see the faces of the children and see their families gathering. Beautiful it is. Simple as that, in a smaller church on the outskirts of Göteborg, on a November dark evening.

I just want to express that in the middle of my tiredness I feel a great thankfulness too. On the bus travelling home from this event I found a poem that spoke to me:

"Gift" by Czeslaw Milosz (1971)

En dag så full av lycka.

Arbetade i trädgården, dimman lyfte tidigt.

Kolibrierna stod stilla över kaprifolens blom.

Det fanns på jorden inte en sak jag ville äga.

Jag visste inte någon värd att avundas.

Vad ont som hänt hade jag glömt.

Skämdes inte för tanken att vara den jag alltid varit.

Kände i kroppen ingen smärta.

När jag rätade på ryggen såg jag blå hav och segel.

A day so happy.

Fog lifted early I worked in the garden.

Hummingbirds were stopping over honeysuckle flowers.

There was no thing on earth I wanted to possess.

I knew no man worth my envying him.

Whatever evil I had suffered, I forgot.

To think that once I was the same man didn’t embarrass me.           

In my body I felt no pain.

On straightening up, I saw the blue sea and sails.

Colours in music, words like music, and Skottvång jul

This afternoon and evening I've been surrounded by poetry and music. First it was our last and final meeting in the course for Henric Holmberg, on poetry. Oh, I will miss this good work we've been doing there, and all the nice people who participated. Thank you Henric for all your knowledge and artistry with poems.

In the evening I've been in a first meeting with master percussionist Youssef Hbeisch from Paris, and also in this meeting were Roger Johansson, composer, and Ahmad Al Khatib, fine master of arabic lute, oud. We've been playing-singing for eachother and with eachother, and I've been listening to Youssef and Ahmad when they play together. It's beyond words the way they create music. The scales, the colours, the turns in the musical moods, it's just amazing to sit so close and be swept away in another kind of poetry without words. Air and earth, and water....



Yesterday Irmelin did a christmas concert at Skottvång Mines together with Emma Reid on fiddle, and Daniel Reid on saxophones. A very nice encounter, indeed. Good King Wenceslas, what a hit-song! We did that one and a couple of swedish "staffans-songs" and other related to the time of the year. Lovely audience we had, I'm so thankful that we can go to such wonderful places like Skottvång and enjoy the very best in terms of good atmosphere and caretaking for musicians, good sound system + enginer, good food, bless you for this home made high level christmas food there! You have to visit this restaurant at some point!

If it wasn't for lots of preparation work before going to New York, I would have been dancing lindy tonight...but New York is kind of a good excuse....
I wish you a very good evening!
Eva

Pedagognätverket/Pedagogues Network

Nu är det skolstartstider, och så även för Kulturskolan/Musikskolan. Jag är coordinator för Pedagognätverket folk- och världsmusik, folk- och världsdans, en mötesplats för lärare som på ett eller annat sätt jobbar i detta fält, heltid eller deltid. Nätverket stöds av Riksförbundet för Folkmusik och Dans samt Eric Sahlström Institutet. En till två gånger per år ordnar jag nätverksträff, och det finns också ett forum på nätet: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=197685239327

Schools start up everywhere around us now, so also the culture schools/ music schools. I'm coordinating Pedagogues network folk- and worldmusic, folk- and worlddance, a meetingpoint for teachers who in one way or another work in this field of music and dance, full time or part time. This network is supported by Swedish Folk Music and Dance Association and Eric Sahlström Institute. The network has one or two meetings a year and a forum on internet found on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=197685239327

Syftet med nätverket är att stärka positionerna för alla pedagoger som arbetar i vårt fält, för att säkra tillgången av musik och dans för barn, unga, vuxna, att de kan utöva själva. Nätverket styr själv vilken inriktning vi ska samverka i. Vår förra träff fokuserade på yngre åldrar, 6-10 år. Ewa Johansson Kristeberg och Magnus Pettersson ledde workshop och delade med sig av sina unika erfarenheter kring barns musikaliska utveckling och kreativitet.

This network aims to strengthen all pedagogues working in our field, to ensure that children, youth and grown ups can enjoy dancing, singing and playing themselves. The network itself decides upon what questions the network should work with. Our previous meeting was about working with younger agegroups, 6-10 years old children. Ewa Johansson Kristeberg and Magnus Pettersson held this workshop and shared with us their unique skills with childrens music development and creativity.

Nästa möte kommer att hållas i Tobo utanför Uppsala 10-11 november, och vårt fokus kommer då att vara pedagogiska material, vad som finns och vad som skulle behövas för att möta moderna behov i musikutbildning.

Our next meeting is held in Tobo outside Uppsala on the 10-11 of November, and our focus then will be to look at what new books and music collections are needed to meet the needs of music educations in modern days.

Vill du haka på? Varmt välkommen, det är kostnadsfritt och det är bara att kontakta Anna Kronlund på RFoD eller Sonia Sahlström på Eric Sahlström Institutet eller mig direkt. Alla typer av anställningsformer och egenföretagande, på hel- eller deltid är välkomna.

You want to jump on the train? You are most welcome, and it's free. Contact Anna Kronlund at RFoD or Sonia Sahlström at Eric Sahlström Instituet, or me directly. All kind of employments or business, full time or part time are welcome.

Eva Rune

Nu är det riktigt riktigt nära

Welcome to my world....
Nu är det så nära man kan komma, den stora flytten. Sista kvällen i huset. Det har varit så otroligt mycket att göra så jag har t ex inte hunnit skriva så mycket här eller kolla internet på nästa ställe, vilket gör att det eventuellt blir en liten paus i bloggandet. Men inte för länge, och jag har alltid tillgång till nätet på mitt kära kontor på Oceanen.

Det nya svarta: luvjacka plus frack. Senaste nytt här i Angered. Den riktigt observante fashionistan noterar också de rutiga nylon-bagarna, lite Africa-Chanel för det rätta stuket i förorten.

Jag ser ljuset i tunneln nu. Imorgon blir det släpkärror och bärhjälp av vänner. Mina vänner är verkligen änglar.
Det har varit några härliga höjdpunkter i kaoset. Som när vi på väg till banken för sista papperspåskrifterna fick bensinstopp i en rondell. Den fina gamla volvon har liite problem med mätare, både bensinmätaren och trippmätaren.....det var lite rock n roll och sitta där på banken och känna den intensiva doften från skvättande bensindunk mot jeanstyg.

Ja, volvon, eller turnépulkan, har fått jobba på intensivt ett tag. Den är för det mesta hur arbetsvillig som helst, och tar stora lass med kartonger och smått och gott. Här står den så snällt på parkeringen vid mitt nya.

Det går inte att packa från morgon till kväll. Musiken måste också ta plats, och det har den gjort med besked. Jag har ätit musik för att orka. Kavla upp ärmarna med flyttjobbet och ha skön musik i lurarna samtidigt. Taj Mahal funkar bäst. Även John Linberg Trio. Varje dag har jag skrivit på ett nytt arrangemang för Irmelin, där jag nu börjat som medlem. Jätteroligt! Sången jag filar på är en fransk folkmelodi som klingar så nordisk så jag förstår inte hur detta kan ha gått till. Docs Beline sjunger med den mest fantastiska röst och gör exakt samma blåtoner och ornament som skulle kunnat hittats här i norden. Är det någon som vet vem Docs Beline är? Hittar inget på google. texten har jag dock bytt ut till en svensk sjömansvisa, en riktig killer-song. Återkommer om detta med Irmelin som känns oerhört spännande och roligt för mig.

På återhörande!
Eva

Flyttkartong-stadiet

Liten kvällsfunderingsstund. Ensam i köket. Hittade en bra bild men den har inget med denna dag att göra, och just därför. Det är bra att fästa ögonen på livet utanför flyttkartong-stadiet. Jag fäster blicken på att det ska bli vår igen, att det ska komma något nytt runt hörnet. Frid, frihet, acceptansen av en mängd känslor. Det känns faktiskt väldigt bra.

Många turer upp och ner för vindstrappan blir det varje dag. Nu börjar det synas mer och mer att huset faktiskt töms på grejer. Förråd och vind har fått mera luft, färre saker och istället vadar vi omkring bland flyttkartonger och högar i varje rum. Det sägs att det kräver mycket energi när man ska ta beslut. Och så är det förstås, det finns en viss gräns hur mycket man kan fatta beslut om vad som ska vara kvar och vad som ska vidare.

Igår var det dans, som vanligt på måndagar. Fantastiskt. Det var sagolikt roligt, fast jag borde vara trött. Vet inte vad som händer, men det bara flyter på med dansen nu, känns som om det får mig att sväva. Vem behöver inte det? Musiken kommer in i varje cell i kroppen.

Idag har jag angripit de mest undangömda hörnen i alla förråd. Det gick bra med god hjälp av John Lindberg Trio, Miss T-bones, Louis Prima, ZZ Top, och annan rock n roll. Allt går lite lättare om man dansar samtidigt.

Eva

Musik i sinnet

Hej!
Det är lite glesare mellan inläggen här på bloggen nu. Det är för mycket som händer här på dagarna. Huset ska packas ihop. Och jag har en rolig premiär på gång den 15-16 januari med mina fina medmusiker Mikael Godée och Mats Eriksson. Vi ska äntligen presentera Nordic Wedding Music för publik. Så samtidigt som jag packar och städar så lyssnar jag på musik och övar sångtexter och tänker på arrangemangen av låtarna.

Just nu tycker jag denna starka sångerska, Cheikha Rimitti, ger ett helt lastbilslass med inspiration och styrka:



Det är vissa dagar en stor process att gå vidare in i sitt nya liv. Jag vill bara tacka alla vänner som ger mig kraft, stöd, uppmuntran på vägen, och att ni står ut med mig.

Kram,
Eva

På äventyr i Ytterby

För mig är det ett äventyr, ja väldigt spännande faktiskt. Jag tog pendeltåget till Ytterby idag för att se en lägenhetsvisning. Innan visningen hann jag ta några promenader och se samhället. Det är en spännande tanke att en för mig ganska okänd plats möjligtvis ska bli det jag kallar hemma i framtiden. Och det första intrycket får man bara en gång. Snö, mörker och kallt väder. I många hus har folk ställt fram adventsljusstakar och hängt upp stjärnor. Det ser mysigt ut. Hur ser gångvägen till skolan ut? Var handlar man mat?
Ur Friskis och Svettis lokaler strömmar musik och folk kommer och går till olika träningspass. På den lilla servicebutiken hänger några ungdomar och surfar på sina mobiltelefoner. Ytterby tågstation verkar inte ha vänthall längre så det är nog servicebutiken som kan erbjuda lite värme för dessa 16-åringar.
Jag gled över till Olssons Bageri och Konditori och beställde in kaffe, macka och en nötkaka. Det gäller ju att ha lite energi när man ska på visning.



Själva visningen var bra, det är väl som det är mest. Jag har börjat vänja mig vid vilka frågor jag ska ställa och vad jag ska titta efter. Så nu kommer en spännande period här framöver, jag hoppas snart kuna veta lite mer i vilken riktning flytten ska gå.

Godnatt!

Eva