Summer with light nights, singing and dancing

Dearest blogg readers,

What happened in your peak of summer?
Did you celebrate summer solstice?
See any midsummer fairies?
Met the bear up in bear country?
I wish I did.
At least we saw bear poop in the forest.

Leo sniffing out big shit.

Right now, lovely August is covering us under her wings.

What do you wing?
What's now, what's created now?

I'm working every day with creative writing.
Not so fast today, because I struggle with a cold and fever.
So I go with the flow.
Gathering thoughts, pinning down some pictures from my dreams.
Taking small notes.
The dog needs walks and I marvel at the jungle I'm living in.
In the linden trees thousands of honey bees
sing their song.
I brought my tuning fork with me to listen carefully
to what notes they sing.
Soon this blooming is over for this year.

Living now.
Visioning forward. 
Learning from what happened.


Here's a little retrospect what happened in June-July.

My cd Vida was released on Spotify in the middle of the summer riddle.

Thank you photographer Maja Tekla Jonsson!

Midsummer light nights. Picture taken at 23.39:

Summers journey stop #1 was to dance boogie woogie in Herräng. And of course some lindy hop and blues dance and balboa too. Oh what a lovely week! We are so blessed. My daughter and I in a camping tent and spending day and night to dance.

The journey continued to the vast forests and hills and valleys where I come from. I was lucky to spend some time with my scythe, visiting goats on a mountain farm, fäbod, and walking to the top of the world.

My scythe.

Making traditional messmör.

In the turning of July into August we were blessed with a blue moon and Irmelin performed at Urkult Festival in the high north. There I had the most amazing birthday celebration and enjoyed it very much to welcome a new turning point in my life.

Nämforsen stone carvings from the time of the first people.

Ylva Varik artistry.

Att vara tant är att få göra vad fan man vill.

To be an old lady is to be allowed to do what the *#-/* you want.

My antennas are up in the air. Some questions are going to be investigated.
Some lyrics are going to be written.
Some more music will be transformed from the dreamed into reality.
Some future journeys are going to be planned according to the golden map of the inner landscape.


Come rain come shine, life takes us on an unpredicted journey.
Family, friends and love.
Some endings and some beginnings.
Reunions, a break-up.

I pray our hearts continue to be tender in the sometimes hard world we live in.
Let's be curious.
Let's walk in peace.

Eva

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

Evas julklappstips 2014

Hej julklappstider!
Vi ska nog komma överens i år igen.

Jag väljer gärna att stötta lokala små företag, artister, konsthantverkare och konstnärer.
Eller önskar mig såna julklappar.

Vill gärna dela med mig av några idéer och inriktningar.
Stötta lilla lanthandeln istället för stora varuhuset.
Köp mathantverk och varor direkt hos bonden.
För er som bor i Falun/Enviken, köp julklappar hos Pia i Övertänger.
Högt på min önskelista står en påse med förbrukningsvaror (te, kaffe, kryddor, torrvaror, choklad....) från Handlarn i Övertänger. Bästa service, bra sortiment, bästa knutpunkten i byn. Oumbärligt för de äldre.

I vår globala värld finns också jättefina möjligheter att bidra till att minska fattigdom.
Köp fair trade.
Jag har hittat ett jättespännande företag, Sseko i Uganda som tillverkar så fina skor, väskor, armband,  med jätteviktigt manifest.

En favorit, köp julklappar second hand för att inte bidra till klimatpåfrestningar. 

Anna-Lena Dancy koppar och pralinfat.

Göteborg: Anna-Lena Dancy keramik
Handdrejat är underbara julklappar. Vackra koppar, sköna i handen.
Hennes hemsida hittar du här.

Göteborg: Lohrs PocketMedMera. Deras hemsida hittar du här.
Böcker är underbara julklappar! Läs bra böcker, ställ stora frågor.
Välj att stötta en liten bokhandel fri från de stora bokkedjornas kedjor. En oberoende, privatägd bokhandel.
Här finns mycket mer än böcker, som t ex författaraftnar, utställningar av lokala konstnärer, gött kaffe.
Personlig service. En oas vid Landala torg i Göteborg.

Köp cds av dina favoritmusiker.
Se gärna om de har egna hemsidor där du kan beställa deras cd.
Eller finns utgivna på skivbolag som säljer fysiska ex.
Det är absolut det bästa sättet att stötta den artist du gillar.
Ersättningen från spotify är minimalistiskt låg.

Min sångbok Bröllopssånger och kärleksvisor.
En användbar bok med radikalt kärleksfullt innehåll.
För vardag och fest.
Vackert formgiven av Gabriella Persson.
Beställ av mig via epost info@evarune.se

Sseko Design, hemsidan hittar du här.
Skor, väskor, schalar, armband producerade av kvinnor på väg in i universitetsstudier.
Ett fenomenalt projekt att säkra att de drivna unga kvinnorna kan fullfölja sina drömmar
om högre utbildning och en väg in i yrkesliv med rätt lön och arbetsvillkor.
Se filmen: 



Att ge bort upplevelser, inspiration, nya kunskaper är också väldigt uppskattat.

Göteborg: Körsång i kören Lei-La.
Sjung i kör, utan noter, öppet för alla som vill sjunga folkmusik med mig.
12 tisdagar per termin. Ca en konsert per termin.
Vår kör-blogg hittar du här.

Göteborg: Lektioner i Alexanderteknik.
Barbro Olsson på youtube här.
Och hemsidan hittar du
här.

Göteborg: Lektioner i basal kroppskännedom.
Full av kraft. 

Christina Fors håller kurser du kan läsa om här.

Eva

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

Yoda of the scythe

It totally made my day, meeting with master Birger.
We sat talking about how to cut the meadow with a scythe. All about technique, weather conditions, general advice, and how to maintain the scythe and make it sharp.

Birger went after his best scythe, the one he used in competitions as well as in daily work on his farm lands.
Carefully cutting the grass, beautiful and neat.
He also let me cut the grass and corrected my technique. The tip of the blade must be more parallell to the ground. He make half moon shaped cuttings but slightly shorter from side to side than I tried to do it before.
It was truly a special feeling to hold on to this scythe that has served so long in his masters hands. As if the iron handles had softened and transformed in the contact with human hand.
Birgers lovely wife Terese came to sit with us too and we all had a good talk in the summer afternoon.

I was suggested to go to Birger if I wanted to know deeply about the traditions. He's the elder, the knowledge holder of the traditions that passed down in generations. He had a lot to tell, I say! This is indigenous knowledge for me, connected to the life in harmony with nature here in the north. Connected to my family roots of farmers in Dalarna.

Birger with his scythe.

Birger gave me this whetstone to sharpen my scythe. An honour to be given such!

A rose that unfolded this morning in my garden.

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

Folkvocal - the never ending river of melodies

Doing what we like most.
Singing full days. Creating new songs.
Exploring new grounds the way just we can do.
So much fun, sometimes we just explode in laughter.

Improvising music with these three amazing ladies is a never ending river of melodies where we set sail and aim for new horizons.

What happens is that we have a common ground in the folk music that makes it very easy to start. Where it all ends might be something no one expected. Four personalities but a common language.

The yellow house to the left is where we stay. Prästkragens Inn.

Springtime is in the air.

Ulrika Bodén.

Maria Misgeld.

Susanne Rosenberg.

Here you can see more, Folkvocal, Susanne Rosenberg

I don't know if it's the fresh air or all the focus and creativity that makes us sleep early in the night. Tomorrow is a new day in the djungle of music!
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

8 March International Womens Day

Artist: Malin Bellman

Girls today, women tomorrow.

I'm deeply proud to announce I'm currently working with a girls respect group where we meet on weekly basis in Hjällbo church in Gothenburg.
We have together discussed the goals and ambition of this particular group. It's mainly about getting true friends who support in all situations, who respect you for the person you are, who allow you to be yourself and even push you to become even more yourself. Cheerish the unique of each member.

Among the first things we did was to name the group after an animal and bear was choosen. A perfect choice for courage and strength, and also for the aspect of live your dream.

Right now we are team building through games and fun + discussion, sharing in circle, doing some writing on the topic of getting to know your personality and be accepted for that uniquness.

Today I got an idea. I'll ask the girls if they would like to create a gallery of portraits of courageous women and girls to hang on our own wall of fame. I can name many I wish to see there. I just wonder what suggestions might come from the group.

My heroines, among many others. Enjoy the links to their quotes, or other historic information:

Malala Yousafzai, Shannen Koostachin, Astrid Lindgren, Tove Jansson, Lina Thomsgård Lupita Nyongo, Marie Curie, Miranda July, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Sarah Ogan Gunning, Mother Jones.
Founders of Idle No More: Sheelah McLean, Nina Wilson, Sylvia McAdam, Jessica Gordon.

Colors and beauty

If you are the photographer of this beautiful pic, I would be happy to know who you are and give all credits to you.

Good morning out there. Or should I say good day?
Not in a long time I have felt so great need for a long sleep morning and today I could have it.
No alarm clock. Sleep as long as I want.
To bring in some new fresh energy I chose the photo of this woman today.

The last two weeks has been a lot about starting up a new youth club for girls where I work in Hjällbo, swedish church. Main goal is to get new friends and get energy through laughter and doing fun things where everyone is respected for who she is.
As a leader I work a lot with having the girls talk in rounds where everybody speak and is listened to. It has to do with building up confidence and empower the dreams the girls have and make them believe in themselves.
This form of girls clubs excist in many places around the world and I have books and material to get inspiration.

This new started group has chosen the animal bear to be our symbol and group name. The more I think of it the better it is. The bear is about strength and courage, and having access to your dreams. The bear hibernate through the winter and is therefor living in the dream in a remarkable way. A bear can be a cosy cute teddy bear when needed and it can be big and powerful when needed.
The bear is a holy animal in many cultures around the world. The sign for bear in sign language is to draw a cross infront of your face.



Piet Hein (1905-1996), a danish poet wrote:

For you english speaking people I can recommend website Piet Hein.



Happy weekend everybody!
Eva

Reflections of light and water

A sunny afternoon near the beach on a winter day.

Walk by the sea.

Blue sky after days of rain.

I've spend time with a group of youngster & three other youth leaders, totally marvellous group! Confirmand group.

Four days we shared talk, songs, playfulness, deep talk, games, movie (Matrix I) creativity, candy-eating, prayers, friendship at the youth camp.
Us grown ups enjoyed the beach walk most, perhaps.
Pilgrim walk.
To me it was one of the great parts, as I always like to be outside
with the sky as my ceiling.

The power of play is my greatest memory of this camp.
Thank you for the play!
Long live playfulness!

Eva

Way faring stranger coming home

It was absolutely crowded, almost three people on every two chairs and people standing inside and outside the venue of Gamla Elverket in Falun. Someone said it was the highest number ever in the crowd.
It was a very special manifestation of music, poetry, spoken word that all centered in one person. Tommy Johansson.
Yesterday night was his farewell concert.

I think everyone on stage and in the crowd has a reason to give deepest thanks to Tommy for his determination to stand up for the creative, the misfits, the entrepreneurs, the weak, the abandoned kids in our society. He's been part of giving a room for everyone to work through culture a way out from drugs or loneliness. The open arms at Gamla Elverket, the atmosphere there, is in one way or another part of Tommys work with this place. Of course many other great people are co-creators with Tommy and keep on doing this very special work in Falun.

When culture change the world.

Now it's time for carry his torch further, without him. He's got short time left to live, he's seriously ill.

Nevertheless Tommy was up on stage yesterday, singing his own songs, adding the words "to come home". Courageusly giving us a full speach on his situation, his dreams for Gamla Elverket, his love for life and his dear ones, his fear to die and also his acceptance and peace to let go. He will look forward to play music again with his friends who has gone before him.
The whole room was electrified with emotions in this moment, you could reach out with your hand and touch that strong love that was shared.

You are already young.

On stage there was a great number of musicias who all paid their homage to Tommy. Among others we heard Stina Berge, David Tallroth, Jennifer Fergusson, Pierre Swärd, Pelle Lindström, The Tallest Man on Earth, Idiot Wind.

The Tallest Man on Earth & Idiot Wind

Gamla Elverket take part in an art-project, Before I die. Several notes where placed on the walls.

My thoughts today goes to Tommy and his family. Thank you for this great reminder again and again that we have to live our lives fully and at our best as long as we are here.

Eva

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 

Make room

Advent calendar # 18
Make room for realizing one of your many dreams.

I've been dreaming for several years to spend more time on writing. This autumn I was in a writing workshop focusing on lyrics for music. Thank you Sofie Jansson, your teachings was right on spot! So much inspiration.  I want to keep on this process of creativity. A good tool box for writers was one of the great things with this course. Another good thing is to start write a diary over inspirational things, encounters, everything inspiring. Thanks to the choice of home work we got from Sofie I also tried what it is to go on an artist date with myself. I will have to do that again.

Good night!
Eva

Involving every guest in the room

Advent calendar #15
Tell a friend how much you appreciate him or her.


Yesterday evening was one of a kind.
After some bus adventures in rain and darkness we headed out on the ferry to the islands outside Göteborg. We finally got to the atelier/gallery where this evening's party was going to take place. A fire basket welcomed us, and already in the garden I knew here is a place for diverse creativity.
  
The sweet couple Lena and Mats, artist and musician, invited friends for a christmas singing evening. Gunnar Eriksson is among their friends for years and years, so they asked him to bring along some of his singers and musicians who could guide through an improvised free happening of old songs, new experiences. It was not a christmas concert as we know it since before.
Anders Jormin on double base was there too, what pure joy to hear him improvise and add his musical colors to all the voices. He's professeur in jazz in both in Göteborg University and Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Outstanding musician touring the world.
I was asked to come with and I felt I could not miss out this new approach to making christmas music. High expectations but it turned out even more fun and unpredictable.

This was an evening when we sang for eachother and with eachother, weaving music, having no sheets of music, just singing from the heart. Gunnar inventing new patterns in music instantly, and involving every guest in the room.

Nice food and wine, many a good story and laughter. Storytelling at it's sweet form developed among local jazz musicians, and Gunnar's many anecdotes from his travelling.

After midnight my friend Gabriella and me danced lindy hop to live music. I had brought my dance shoes, you never know when the opportunity comes.

Eva

Living freedom all the way from within and out

When I woke up this morning and opened the news, I was struck by the sad news of Nelson Mandela has passed away.
I quietly shouted out. My daughter asked what it was about and I told her this brave man has after a some time of illness now got his rest and peace. I think it was time for him.

But I strongly feel the loss. It's been good to know Nelson Mandela is with us in this world to share his wisdom in current situations. He's been part of my whole youth and time of growing up, continously.

One of my friends in Cape Town got this reply on her FB wall after the news spread.
"Good night, Madiba. There have been very few people in politics who are worthy of the accolades they greedily claim for themselves. You were different. You were better. Africa mourns in quiet respect because their lion sleeps, tonight."

I will for sure keep on studying what he said. What he did. His example is outstanding. He is part of what formed me to look at freedom and equality for all, and take a stand for the smallest, the children, the poor. On the day, way back in those days, TV broadcasted him walking out of the prison I cried. Tears of joy.





Advent calendar
#6 Make a dance for life in your living room.

Do I really want to dance in my living room today? Yes, a dance can express everything that is life, every feeling. Dancing is a way of making peaceful revolution, a way of living freedom. Didn't we see that many times in the history of South Africas struggle for freedom?

Så kom den dagen då du får vila Nelson, och komma hem till Qunu och till dina förfäder och ursprung. ♥ Oändligt stor tacksamhet och respekt för din kamp för frihet, din begåvning att leda till försoning, kärlek, förståelse. Kärlek är större än hat. Världen går att förändra. Förändringen börjar i varje enskild person. Världen kommer att sakna dig men minnas allt du levde och stod för.

Eva

Kören Lei-La öppen repetition

Kom och sjung med oss när mörkret faller på!

Tisdag 26 november är det öppen repetition med kören Lei-La i Folkets Hus i Hammarkullen kl 19. Alla som vill komma och uppleva hur vi jobbar med sången och folkmusiken är varmt välkomna. Det blir delvis att lyssna på kören och delvis att själv sjunga med.

* I Lei-La använder vi inga noter utan allt lärs in genom att lyssna och härma.
* Körledare är Eva Rune, folksångerska med internationellt arbetsfält och mottagare av Angereds kulturpris 2010.
* Sångerna är folkmusik av olika slag, ibland svängigt och ibland lyssnande stilla vackert.
* Både kvinnor och män sjunger i kören och det krävs inga inträdesprov för att få börja.
* Röstuppvärmning varje gång mellan kl 19.00 - 19.20, för hela kroppens och röstens välbefinnande.
* Terminsavgift 1000 kr för 12 tillfällen. Reducerat pris för studenter, ungdomar, arbetssökande, 500 kr.

Vi håller denna öppna repetition för att välkomna nya medlemmar med start efter nyår, kanske några som är lokalt bosatta? Det vore väldigt roligt att träffa fler från Hammarkullen men det är givetvis inget krav var man bor. Det enda som behövs är lust att sjunga och viljan att under 2 x 45 minuterspass experimentera med sång, klang, rytmer, röstens alla utrycksmedel, medhörning med varandra, memorera texter osv.

Jag inspireras av folkmusik från olika delar av världen, hur människor samlas i helt informella sammanhang för att bara sjunga för och med varandra. Living room song circle. Kören Lei-La ger inte så ofta konsert, men i fredags trallade vi till dans på Folkmusikkafeet Allégården för första gången och det gav mersmak.

Finfin chans att komma och prova vad detta är för kör.

Eva