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

Singing and dancing the night away

I wish you all a beautiful Christmas filled with love and caring for each other.

One of my favourites, Es ist ein ros entsprungen. Somehow I do enjoy the street life outfits they have while singing so angelic.





Christmas eve is The big Christmas celebration in Sweden. Now this is a christmas when my daughter goes to her dad and his family I've got the perfect opportunity to be part in an open alternative christmas party. Food is donated by two restaurants, there will be music and gifts for the kids, and everyone is welcome. All this revelry happens in the church of Hjällbo where I work part time. Soon time to go there.

Christmas started yesterday for me at the local danc club. I have tired legs today after dancing the night away. Lindy hop and balboa, you rock!

Swing DJ Gasper Hrovat is spinning the discs for us.

Love from 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

Things I didn't think would happen

Today I was asked to be a computer support. Concerning a PC-question! Both of this is surprising to me. I've never felt like some kind of a computer person. From the start I was more of a mac user, because all the musicians in my connections were already using mac. Now I have to dig deeper into the world of PC because that's the environment on my new job as a youth leader in the church.

So that's another thing I didn't think would happen.
I have a regular job. That's revolutionary for me, since I've always been a free lance musician and that's all I know how to do. A regular job with a steady income, that's a whole new culture. I do this on part time, 50%. Maybe I run the music 100% like before, so it's a bit of a puzzle with time.... The appointment is to do this youthleader job for 6 month. After that I don't know but probably it will be music business as usual.

The youth leader job is organized by the church. Regular swedish church. I didn't think I would get a job there either. I don't have the required education. But maybe I have the heart on the right place. I would never ever feel confortable with some sort of conservative religious congregation. But in this case I have found the best place to be. This particular congregation of Hjällbo is open minded, focused on social equality and human rights, inter-religous events now and then. I'm so proud to be part of the future.

I see us all connected. Today I set myslef to understand more of the prayer "All My Relations". I googled, found a little bit on Wiki, and it's also a hash-tag on twitter. I follow blogs and twitter where I see the use of the phrase "All My Relations" as a greeting.

Like this, answering on a blog post:

"All my Relations! Aaron, thank you for speaking the truth in such a beautiful way! Michelle Morning Star Doherty"

To be connected to the whole universe, earth, humanity and everything living upon it. All my relatives.

Here's a clip from youtube, you can listen to the prayer and have it explained.




Tonight at the youth meeting we are discussing the topic of togetherness, community, sense of belonging. That's also a way of celebrating United Nations Day.

Eva

Bengt Hallberg in memory

The piano where we prepared for last summers concert.

Last summer I had the great honour to work with the jazz pianist, late Bengt Hallberg. We did the opening concert of Ljungskile Sommarjazz, doing songs in the borderlands of jazz and folkmusic.

Blogpost: after-singing-with-bengt-hallberg

Rehearsal at Bengts home, June 2012. 

Overwhelmed by this chance to be in the presense of such a great musician and soul filled with music, in the beginning I was a bit shy. Our first rehearsal was at his home in Uppsala some weeks before the concert. So I soon learned how compleetely grounded this remarkable gentleman was in himself without the slightest need to show off, and possessing a fine combination of being grand and humble at the same time.

My last memory of him was after the concert in the middle of the warm summer night. He and his sweet love Mariana came down the stairs from the back room on second floor, a steep stair case, and they were laughing-smiling-talking, being true age-less lovers.

Café Tant Grön, Ljungskile.

On the 28th of June this summer, two weeks ago, I came back to the little café Tant Grön in Ljungskile where Bengt and I prepared and rehearsed for our concert last summer. A strong sense of memories came to me and I sat down at the table where we at that time had coffé between the songs we played.
I didn't know then that it was just a few days before he passed away, on the 2nd of July at the age of 80.


With deepest gratitude I say: Thank you, Bengt. For all the inspiration and great music you have flowingly given to me and everyone.




I would like to borrow this song from Patti Smith, thinking of how Bengt and Marina went out in the summer night the last time I saw them.

Because the night belongs to lovers.....

Allotria top score in Irmelin food guide

Irmelin food guide visits:
Ravintola Allotria, Hämeentie 68 00550 Helsinki, phone: 050 579 1400
www.allotria.fi

We have become perennials at the charming restaurant Allotria in Helsinki. We discovered this pearl on Wednesday when we performed there at Perinnearkku folk music club. After that we just kept coming back, for the most delicious food in creative combinations of tastes. Eva and Maria has tried several of the dishes in the menue, Karin stayed with her delicious salad, wich really means highest score for a salad!


With the flowers we got at todays concert, we are happy and starving after really good performance!



Mr Billy Kelly, who served us food and always being so nice to us. The staff working there has treated us in the most friendly and generous way. We've talked about Finland, Ireland, Faroe Islands, music, culture, food and all things that makes life nice. And today we had the chance to meet the chef shortly and thank him directly for the lovely food. I hope he will put his recipies in a cook book one day, hope it's written in english! The chef is from Boston, US, so that's not too far away guess.


Cucumber sorbet, salmon with rubarb sauce, delicious tastes all the time. Find the menue here: http://www.allotria.fi/?p=alacarte
Below, time for coffé and desert, this is the vanilla icecream with olive oil, made by a italian guy in town.


Karin and Maria chilling out after concert.

Shadows and light.

Below (and behind the roses): The stage where we performed on Wednesday.

Tonight we work on an application for a new Irmelin project.
Keep up the good work!
Eva

Frågor som bråkar

Vad gör man när man inte kan sova? Sitter och snurrar runt på youtube och hittar galna norrmän som gör halling-workout i en park.
Se Martin Myhr göra kruking, Hallgrim Hansegård göra fiskesprett och annat akrobatiskt.

Roy Andersson, filmaren, har en tavla ovanför pianot i sitt arbetsrum: Life is a journey through winter and night.
Fast inga tagelskjuortor tack.

Jag ska göra musik om kärlek.

Kram,
Eva

Dans, underbara dans! The snuff grinders

Lördag 24 april.

Dans! Jag ääälskar dans!

På Stallet Folk och Världsmusik var det knökfullt med streetdansare som hade battle och jammin. Äntligen har jag fått se detta själv. I Angered har jag sett affischer för det många gånger men aldrig kommit iväg på nån battle. Vilken skön stämning! Unga jätteskickliga och fina dansare tävlade och stöttade varandra, killar och tjejer.




Kl 19 var det dans i världsklass med Frikar Dancecompany från Norge, nu i föreställningen The snuff grinders.
Jag klappade i händerna en halvtimme i sträck, publiken gav dansarna allt och det var nästan läge att skrika och svimma. Streetdansare, capoeira och norska laus-dansare, dvs halling och improviserad solodans som finns i norsk folkdans. Mycket akro är det, och jag ryser vid tanken hur stor skaderisken är. Knän och ledband.....och dessa dansare gör akron som är för mig helt obegripliga. Det är bara män på scen. Och de dansar med en sån coolhet och skön stolthet, fjärran från överspända fåniga föreställningar typ Ladies Night. Vi var nog många tjejer i publiken som verkligen njöt att få uppleva all denna dans med så mycket manlighet i.





Dessutom fick vi se Ill Abilities Crew, samt Tommy Molitor. Underbara dansare som alla fyra gjort sina respektive handikapp till en tillgång i dansen. Fantastiskt bra! Stort artisteri, stående ovationer!



Ill Abilities från youtube:



Senare under kvällen fick jag lyssna och dansa till GUF på Stallet. Finfint! Tack!
Glad i hjärtat av så mycket dans!
Eva