In 2009, Trad.it! was held in the Oosterpoort in Groningen. It was a folk festival with fiddles, bagpipes, and the like.
World music can come from anywhere, even from our own home or nearby. We can take that quite literally, because this festival in Groningen opens with a band from Groningen! Törf (photo) has been playing Groningen traditionals in a heavily arranged style with bagpipes, accordion, flute, and even the Turkish drum since 1975. They also write their own songs, using lyrics from the many dialect poets in the province.
From Groningen, we go to Scotland, specifically the Hebrides. That’s where Julie Fowlis comes from. Like Törf, she sings in the local language, in her case Gaelic. Her band members come in part from Ireland, so we also hear Irish songs and dances.
The Valkyrien Allstars come from Norway, and if you didn’t know that, you might be able to guess it. The Allstars don’t deny their heritage, with their longing melodies and their hardingfeler (traditional violins). But especially the fast numbers have a solid foundation with double bass and drums. So it’s clearly an urban variant of the folk music we hear here. But does that matter to us?
Only a full playlist is available for Törf.
1. Zo geern
2. Wilde veen
3. Moi wicht
4. Dreikeuningenlaid
5. Loat mie heurn
6. De specht
7. De scheepsjoagers
8. ‘t Leste kefee
9. Swieniegel
10. Woat bistoe
11. toegift: Deewiefken
10-20: Julie Fowlis
21-30: Valkyrien Allstars
Performers
Törf: Henk Scholte (vocals), Geert Ridderbos (accordion, davul), Eddy de Jonge (bass and guitar), Marius Greiner (violin, mandolin, davul), Flip Rodenburg (bagpipes, pommer, tin-whistle, vocals), Jos Kwakman (guitar, bagpipes, davul)
Julie Fowlis: Julie Fowlis (vocals), Tony Byrne (guitar, vocals), Eamon Doorley (Bozouki, vocals), Martin O’Neill (bodhran)
Valkyrien Allstars: Tuva Livsdatter Syvertsen (Hardanger Fiddle, vocals), Ola Hilmen, Erik Sollid (Hardanger Fiddle & percussion)
