Welcome 2015 with all your adventures in music

A new year has just begun.
First of all I want to thank you all my readers, you who visit my blog.
I truly wish you a beautiful year and lets all pull our forces together for
a year of more tolerance and love in the world.
Music, dance and story telling makes the world go around.
I know so many beautiful initiatives, activists,
thinkers and peace makers all around the globe
to make me want to contribute also what I can bring on the train.

One thing is to celebrate truly who we are and
be daring in creativity.
I've decided to fully live my dream of releasing
a solo album.

It's getting closer and closer,
the launch of my new cd, Vida.
February 12 in Göteborg,
please come to celebrate with me in Hjällbo church.


I just heard some music on the radio that makes me so happy.
For the first time to me, I found this gem of new jazz, Chlopy Kontra Basia.
The pure happiness of language, without knowing the meaning of the lyrics,
I just love the sounds.




Chlopcy Kontra Basia - Oj Tak


Got to keep on working now, the day is bright and  I have lots to plan and organize. 
Final steps of the cover and textbook of my CD. 

Eva

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

Pure love for sounds and voices

The creative has a good soil here.
Key persons make a huge contribution in bringing the good things together. Thank you so much initiative makers, crew and leaders of this lovely voice festival, Naturstimmen - Klangfestival in Alt St. Johann, Toggenburg.
The pure love for sounds and voices made a great impact on me.
For example:
This house with a black smith on the bottom floor, powered by a water wheel. Water and fire energy steaming up in the rest of the house.
On the other floors in the house it was room after room filled with  music of many kind. Music therapy, music exploring, music to touch and be touched by. Instruments with pentatonic scales so beginners can feel the happiness of being creative with tones. And vibrations.
On the top floor Irmelin had our course every morning, sharing the songs of the north. Thank you participants who signed up to spend four whole days with us. We had a lovely time with you!

Here's Bernhard Betschart performing his pure yodel from Muotathal. Irmelin had the pleasure to perform together with him on the night out at the lake Schwendisee in the Alps of Toggenburg. Nature gave us blessings of rain and it was pure life being there listening to Beny's yodel answering in with our shepherd calls from the north.





“Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?”
― Mary Oliver

After Toggenburg I continued to Hochdorf to work with cellist Annika Dobler, a long time music partner. We were both members of Rosenbergs Sjua and have several tours together all around in many countries.
The magic linden tree in their garden. Perfect for en evening session with music in the garden.

Last concert was performed in a local church in Hochdorf in the morning, Annika and me singing away in a non-picture-only-colors-and-shapes reformert church. It was a cleansing experince and very etheric.
Then finally, time to just relax!
On my last day in Switzerland I had an afternoon & evening free. We took the train to Luzern. Annika and Alain showed me around to their get-away-places of tranquility in the middle of a city.
Seebad in Luzern.

Seebad in Luzern. My friends grandmother used to come here every day.

My first swim for this summer, in Lake Luzern.

Strolling the streets of Luzern on a summer evening.

Have a beautiful day out there!
Eva

Autumn gold #snyggtmedute

My dogwalks, my prime time.

This is where I breathe fully deep.
My inspiration.
In spiration.

Eva

Dynamic work, love my work

Last week was a over dose of administrative work, wich is normal from time to time. Reports, applications, making half year book-work of economy, buying a printer, restoring my broken Sibelius-program.

For the broken Sibelius-program (writing music scores on the computer) successful restoring I owe my thanks to computer wizard Pär Johansson! Feels great to have Sibelius again! I made all music notations for my book Bröllopssånger och Kärleksvisor in Sibelius, and soon after giving away all my material for the making of the book, this Sibelius-program broke down completely. Exhausted program maybe?

So this week starts totally different. To balance up I've made yoga, been singing, prepared for my lovely choir Lei-La tonight. I go out in the sun light and sing for myself, the birds, insects, plants and trees around me.

Yesterday I spend the afternoon walking 3 hours in the forest, in sunshine on magic path systems leading up to a small remote lake. Two women and three dogs having the most lovely time in the fresh air. And this is for free! It's there for us to enjoy.

Today started just great as well. In the morning I had a good time making music with Sara, preparing some ideas of music for Myst.
I also got a phone call wich was very inspiring, on the subject "The mysteries of human voice".

Rolling deep into music

This week has been full of creativity with writing new songs.
It was about picking up small seeds of melody and lyrics that came some years ago when I was visiting the Faroe Islands. By that time the seeds was not ready to flower.

Now, I feel I have traveled some distance, discovered new sides of you and me and everything. It's now that the time has come to fulfil the song that was started long ago.

One notice, when I find my flow in writing music, I totally loose the fantasy in cooking. Anyone experiences the same? It's like I have to put other things aside when I want to focus on music. I don't like to spend too much time with the cooking then.
Rich in spirit, but not so much with the ideas of what to put on the dinner table :-)

More inspirational was my dreams at night. Truly set the sparkle for some new material. One remarkable dream after the other. I write down some of the most significant pictures coming to me in dreams.

Learned a lot this week

Here are a few things that stood shining out, right in front of me, like if life have to shout sometimes to my stubborn senses.

* You can guide yourself to not be so shy.

* You can guide yourself to feel more secure about making mistakes. It's not so dangerous to make mistakes.

* Be a lion!

Just by dancing balboa this Sunday I got back home so full of energy, so happy, feeling more relaxed and happy about myself than I have done for a long time. Wow, there has been so much good things accomplished at work, and then it's this increadible community of dancers where I can go and meet friends.

Next day, Monday, was a kind of back lash during daytime. Was told by an unknown worker at Försäkringskassan that it looks like I'm not working full time, my income is so small. But I am! I'll tell you, I work so much I can push everything, several weeks are 7 days work days, not a single day off. Gladly learning year by year how to improve my work, my art, my entrepreneurship. And here's someone that put me in a box and think I have to be like everyone else, comparing apples with oranges (comparing employees to self-employees). It made me quite sad, and mad.

Oh, did I tell you, I made 23 concerts in two weeks? And the same day I spoke with this lady at Försäkringskassan I got three new concerts booked!

Well, Monday evening, again, fly high in joy. Because we danced and sang for Idle No More, joining in for the rights of indigenous people and sustainable living on Earth.

Tuesday new talks with the square people who just don't really understand how I can make it. I don't really think it's so way out. I'm doing fine. It's me and my decisions for my little family to live healthy. No one else can sit in another telephone and understanding my ways. Because it's just my ways and it works for me.

Today I heard from another woman, mother, artist, that I have to be a lion. I have to fight more. Next time I talk with those people who want to compare apples and oranges I can just say thank you that you care for me, but I'm doing fine. Sharpen my claws. Don't take the shit.

My friend the artist told me at the end of the phonecall: Good luck to you with your VERY important work!

Eva

Following the star

Good day dear reader,

today I want to put the light on why art is an important part of society progress.

A very interesting result I've heard of is the systems for upholding free culture with free lance artists in a country will indicate how this country have it on economics over all. Countries in Europe with exsisting systems of support for their free artists also see a better economy in business and society. Countries with non-exsisting systems for free artists face some serious problems with the same. Today it's about Italy and Greece in Europe who don't support arts like some other countries do on a national level. Italy focus only on their historical buildings and call that supporting culture. But it's not that we are talking about, it's the possibilities for artists to live and work as artists without being forced to be commercial. Experimental art has to have a place too. Arts has to be diverse, otherwise it dies from mono-culture starvation. The same as in ecological systems, each spieces has a place in the network.

The interesting question is if it's culture itself that make a country flower? Yes, many researches has been done in this, and it's quite well known that culture helps us a long way in the democratic processes and most of all, to understand ourselves and others. What it is to be a person, a human. To feel what our history was, and to get courage to move forward.

I think of the democratic process in South Africa. Songs and dance kept the whole process going forward in times of big trauma. It made people not only survive, but to be able to create one of the finest revolutions ever happened. Yes, many died, but it could have been a much worse scenario with war on another scale.

Pussy Riot is another example. They have put a snow ball rolling, and Putin is terrified and has banned Pussy Riots music. Wich probably only will feed the democratic process even more. It will be interesting to see what's coming up next there.

The Arabic Spring is yet another example where many artists play an important role to be the voice of the people when the powers oppressing are trying to silence that voice.

Who said arts is just for amusement? Go ask theese brave artists who are risking their lifes.

Like the three wise men who followed the star.....there is no other way but to follow the light.

I can recommend you to visit Alfons Karabudas blogg on artists role in democratic process.

On the web site of Freemuse I read: All that is banned is desired.



Warmest wishes from a beautiful winter-Göteborg.  -8°C out doors, but in my heart it's a fire for the love of arts.

Eva

(the picture I've found on facebook, it doesn't tell who made it, please contact me if you have any wishes with my borrowing of the picture.)

After singing with Bengt Hallberg in duo concert

I've returned now after a few days in Ljungskile on the west coast, where I had the great chance to sing concert with pianist Bengt Hallberg. It was pure joy and delight to be given this opportunity to meet Bengt and create music in the boarderlands of jazz, improvisation and folk music. It was also a great deal of nerves I can say.

Bengt is the most lovely gentleman you can ever think of. A man with this personality is seldom found, so humble he is in his greatness. I guess he has seen everything along the touring road as a jazz musician since the beginning of the 1950's!

His touch of the piano, and the remarqueable sound he creates out of a piano. I could listen to him starting alone in both our two sets. I was carried out on this journey he took us with for. It was like seeing places, hearing images of his long life in music.

We did 7 songs together in each set. I also did two a capella songs.
The audience gave us all support and love, it was compleetely full this evening, sold out. People stood queing an hour before start.

On request we did a mix of unknown folk songs, plus some of the most loved and well known folk songs in the field of jazz + folk. Songs like Visa från Utanmyra, Kristallen den fina, Jag vet en dejlig rosa.
First set was a lot about light and love. In the second set came the first broken hearted love song, a sea shantie, and after that the mysterious story of Visa från Utanmyra. And we did 5 songs of the Anna Sjöbom collection. They're just my big favourites, I'm happy Bengt like to play them as well.
Bengt did so beautiful out of this material, being the great improvisation musician he is. After the last encore, Sixteen tons (Bengt asked me what jazz standards I could sing, as a surprice for the audience, I couldn't resist suggesting one song from the life of mining men), we got standing ovations.

Late in the evening I said good bye to Bengt and his lovely Mariana, and they smiled and left in the dark night. You just can't imagine that this man and woman, so full of spirit and energy is in the age they are, they just radiate young minds.

I had to watch television, a documentary about the Olympic games in Sydney, to unwind all thoughts and feeling before being able to fall asleep.

If we ever get the chance to make this concert again, I will come running from whatever corner of the world.

There's no photos in my camera from this evening, I was not in the mood of making photos. The photos I've choosen for this blog just reminds me of the atmosphere and energy of this night.

This concert was initiated by the local jazz club in Ljungskile: L'Jazz, and it was the opening concert of their week long festival, Sommarjazz. Thank you a thousand times you came up with this wonderful idea! Thank you for running a jazz festival!

Eva

Gone singing

Good evening,

have you felt like this? Preparations for a concert (that has been long looked forward to) is going fine, because I've done it with no stress. I've included all the different types of work I like to involve in the process. Like going through the lyrics loud, working with my whole body and balance, meditating on the stories and so on. I've been constantly singing the songs, sometimes with only the song existing in my focus, sometimes singing when I'm cooking or cleaning.

And now my heart is so open that I have difficulties being in crowds of people, on the bus, in the food store etc. As soon as I hear children cry I get totally involved. And the news paper, about the killings in the cinema in Colorado, and tomorrow the year day of Utøya. How is it possible to sing about love without crying? And I feel that love is bigger that all tears, all grieving, but life is so hard to understand and so huge. There must be sorrow without borders for the families who lost their loved ones. And yet, light and love will win, so sure love will win, there's no doubt at all.


I cannot sing just by my own power, not a chance, but if I imagine all the musicians that have carried the songs before me, and other people that carry light to this world, the heroes I know who walked the path of understanding and tolerance, love and light. If I imagine them standing invisible behind me, and I'm the channel they use today to say something of the stories that help us being humans and walk on this earth. Oh, I must encourage my own powers too, I'm after all a woman that have lived for some years to learn a few things, I can be in my own age and not make myself smaller.

Yes, that's how it goes, many thoughts on my mind tonight.

Tomorrows concert has been on my mind so long. It's a great feeling to prepare for a concert, I love that process. But it has many ups and downs, sometimes I feel too small to carry on the task, sometimes I feel so sure about how good it's gonna be. Now it's only the final preparations left, to pack my bag with microphone, clothes, shoes, hair and make up, and bring along some of my favourite dresses. I just have to have a number of dresses to fit different moods :-) Yes, I'm still like the hemul in dresses.

Tears from the sky and a road with sunlight.

 

Rain on peony.

Time to bloom! Eva

Dreams of Faroe Islands

Do you also return to places time after time in your dreams? This night I was in the green atlantic islands of my dreams again. I often come back to the Faroe Islands. In the dream I was travelling on a boat going between the many islands, and I saw huge whales just under the surface. There was a mother whale and her baby, they where light grey in their skin. Some of my friends where on the boat as well. I woke up with a feeling of happiness and peace.

All my life I've been interested to go to places where I have a view. Like mountains, the northern mountains of Sweden, wich in some ways are a little bit similar to the Faroe Islands.

I love to see the sky from horizon to horizon.

And the sea.

I can study the colours of the sea and the sky, colours that hardly can be captured in a photo. Fog and haze and light create the miracles of beauty in theese places.

Somehow I have prefered to walk there, while my sister is a true sailing woman, adventurous on the sea.

I'm more a mountain soul.

When I climb up I get so excited to see what's behind the top of the mountain, what's the view on the other side?

Last summer on Mykines.

I'm longing to go back.

Take a look at the clouds and the sky today, maybe you will see some extraordinary light and beauty.

Eva

Learn to say no

This day was a long challenge, and I haven't felt so stressed in a long time. What is it? Haven't I had some time to relax after all the gigs in April? Is it the final process of creating the song book? Was it all the economical paper work and deadlines for applications and reports? Yes, I think so, and the out sight of looking to a mountain of new paperwork to be done. I almost felt like crying.

Isn't it amazing? All musicians I know say the same, it's just endless of administration eating up our time. And we all agree on how much we long to make music! Good meetings today, and visionary work compleeted, new plans for Hannu Kella and me in one project, and another project too together with some other musicians. So much to look forward too....I will tell you more later about this new thing coming up.

In the evening the relaxed-fun part of the day started. My daughter and I sat down to play Harry Potter-cards, eating forgotten Easter sweets we found, it had become a little bit hard, but who cares.

I would really like to share this with you. A lesson in how to say no, and to honest and loving to yourself and others. Could be the lesson of the day for me.



Last year I took a course in mindfulness. It was excellent, and I have since then used a lot of the lessons there. But I have to admit I should re-read some of it. It's easy to forget, to forget what's really important to me, and how I can take good care of myself.

Music music....

Time to put my two babies to bed....dog and daughter, two big sweethearts!
Eva

Let's do something!

Today I saw the film "Sing your song", a documentary of Harry Belafonte and his tremendous history in arts, music and social activism. Stunning history! And not always the history told as I learned from his daughter Gina Belafonte, producer of the film. Gina met us the audience here in Göteborg today and after the screening we could ask her questions and she really met us with a warm heart and openess.

It's all really touching. There's pictures in this movie from the most heart aching moments of human despair, from the violent days of racism, apartheid, famine and war. Each time Harry Belafonte heard the cries he acted: Let's do something! He was constantly movement-building and searching for Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities, Freedom for the people who lack this.

He got very close to Martin Luther King and the non violent movement. He met Mandela, who greeted him: "-Ah, there you are Harry-boy!" when Mandela came to the US for the first time after being released from his 27 years in prison.

The story is really long, how he always stood up for human rights. And Harry Belafonte called himself a constant optimist, that's the only way to have hope.

The film is a great portrait of a unique artist who devoted his whole life for the believes he had, to make his country a good place to live for all inhabitants. In his old days he put a lot of focus on children and young voices all around the world. Being a Unicef embassador he really gained a lot achivement.
It's also scary to see how other forces tried to stop him and destroy for all the leaders of the movement, blacklisting them, threatening them. Bravery is what' always been needed if you want to really make a difference. How hard the struggle was at some point.

Harry once asked Martin Luther King if he feared for his life, and the answer was firm: I care mostly for doing a good job. Life is somehow short, and it's not so much about how long you live but what you do with your life.

As always when I see the documentary pictures of killings in Soweto during the 1960th I can hardly breath, I get an immediate pain in my body. But most of all, I feel so uplifted to see the determination and the achievements and how people stood up and joined for freedom and equal rights.

Listen to this interview:



And here's some happy jumping film-festival visitors!
Long live hope!
Eva

360° view and hight fright-lunch

Dreams are some days reality, in a very specific way. Dreams of my heart.

Säntis, one of the best hiking places to go in Switzerland. Mountains has always attracted me, they are so powerful and timeless. One word has been repeated a lot the whole day: amazing! The wonders of my life's adventure has now taken me here. I wouldn't have been here if I've never met my love.

Right on the top there's a small space for hikers to sit and enjoy the vast views. Like birds on a roof. The mountain Spitzeli sides fall steep on each side. It's having lunch under height fright, with a viwe of 360°, and side by side with my love. That's the way I like it most.
Sun was shining on the mountains the whole day, but lower lands was under the fog sea. Reminds me of one of the best chapters in Michael Ende's The never ending story.

Looking from Spitzeli towards Säntis.

To live fully 100%, that's what it's all about, isn't it?

Eva

Sailing out this year: part 1

Seems like this year of 2011 turn to be a year with a boat theme. I try to summon up all inspiration for tomorrows concert at Galtabäck boat museum, and it's huge this time. I've recieved so much connected to boat trips I can fill endless of concerts with the music I feel inside. Irmelin started in January this year to sing sea shanties, preparing for both live concerts and recordings. North Sea Stories. Keep watch for that!

And tomorrow it's time to do a completely new concerts with Pers Nils Johansson with sea shanties, and it's not the same repertoire as Irmelin do. There are incredibly many beautiful songs from the sea. Some songs tell about heroic seamen who has to endure storms and thunder, even die for the sake. Some are about love, and longing for your sweetheart who is far away.

Now this summer, it's boats wherever I go. Here's where it all begun, in June.













Ahoy everybody, sing out loud and sail along!
Eva

Vardagsglädje

Igår kväll såg jag min dotter komma gående med en nyfunnen kompis. De småpratade med varandra där i kvällsolen när de gick mot oss. Då upplevde jag ett sånt där ögonblick av stor inre glädje och tacksamhet, hur de till synes små händelserna som är vår vardag egentligen är så enormt stora.

Att flytta och etablera nya kontakter, det tar tid. Och vi vuxna kan inte veta hur barnen väljer att göra. Var och en väljer själv så klart. Ting tar tid.....

T.T.T. slit och vet,
ting tar tid.

Gruk


En dag innehåller så mycket.
Sångövning idag. Jag minns ett kapitel i Den oändliga historien (Michael Ende) där Bastian möter ett sjöfarande folk vid dimhavet. För att färdas över dimhavet måste skepparna, alltid två eller flera, sjunga tillsammans och rikta sin vilja i samma riktning. På så sätt klarar de att ta sig fram, samt att inte åka vilse på dimhavet.

Är det inte ofta så?

Stämmer detta? Jag sjunger, därför är jag till?
Det finns en väldig lockelse i att musiken i sin energi tilltalar mig med all sin renhet.

Musiken finns där som en fyr på dimhavet.


Eva

Wadah Khanfar talar om den demokratiska revolutionen i arabvärlden

Här vill jag gärna dela med mig av en intervju med Wadah Khanfar, chef på Al Jazeera. Det är stora saker som händer med den demokratiska revolutionen i arabvärlden. En intervjuare frågar i slutet vad vi i väst kan göra? Wadah Khanfar svarar att Al Jazeera redan märkt att väst visar att vi bryr oss, att vi surfar in och tar del av nyheterna och att det civila folket på gatan på så sätt blir sedda. De unga i dessa länder som har tillgång till internet har blivit medvetna om univeriella värden och frihetens möjlighet. Vi i väst behöver fortsätta knyta kontakter med denna unga generation och deras föräldrar, som även de gått ut på gatorna för att stötta sina ungdomar. De totalitära regimerna har bett föräldrarna hämta hem sina vilseledda tonåringar, men föräldrarna har istället ställt sig på de unga fredliga demonstranternas sida. De unga har lyckats kombinera förmågan att bära drömmen om en annan framtid, ett fritt och demokratiskt styre, och samtidigt vara så realistiska att de utan att skapa kaos fortsatt kräva de totalitära regimernas avgång.
Ja, just nu händer det historiska saker!

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

En regnig höstdag.....

Fredags-sista spurten inför helgen. Kunde inte låta bli att stanna upp vid denna fina dans-film.....
Turf Feinz



Kramar, Eva

Alexanderteknik bra för musiker

Här är min lärare i Alexanderteknik, Barbro Olsson i Göteborg. Jag har gått hos henne i ett par år, men numera mest repetitionslektioner inför skivinspelningar eller större konsertjobb. I början gick jag ganska ofta för att bygga upp en rejäl erfarenhetsgrund inom Alexandertekniken. Jag tycker att jag verkligen fått goda verktyg att förstå hur balansen och kroppens egna goda koordinationer fungerar, och det motverkar spänningar och vanor som inte gynnar sången eller vardagslivet. Att återuppta yoga efter att ha studerat Alexandertekniken var en sån aha-upplevelse och glädje.
Som musiker har jag stor glädje i att kunna en del Alexanderteknik. Och jag tror det tar hela livet att vidareutveckla det.

Önskar skön fredag!

Eva