Folk It!

fri 1 aug 2025 21:00 hrs

Folk It! Nordic Sounds, with recently released CDs from Denmark by the Go’Danish label, based in Velje.

The label was founded in 1997 by Erling Olsen, also involved in the Tønder festival, as a cooperative. By the end of June, the counter now stood at 444, but that was broken a week later. Go’Danish gives the impression of Danish folk music is alive and kicking. In any case, it is very active in promoting the country’s musicians and does not limit itself purely to traditional, but also represents contemporary music – though always with a link to Danish traditional music.

We present you with five recent recordings from the last six months, in which there is a lot of variation. Often standard in contemporary Danish folk are the violin and accordion. The latter is sometimes replaced by harmonium or piano. Guitar, mandolin and similar string instruments complement with a rhythm section. There are no real typical Danish folk instruments – perhaps apart from violin and accordion – unless you count the remarkably frequent clarinet among them. Musically, dances like the polka, waltzes, minuet and the like mainly come to the fore. There is also a certain influence of Celtic music, both in arrangement and instrumentation (bouzouki, open tuned guitar). Last time we played a special CD of “embellished” Danish hymns. This time, the “odd duck” is a CD of pub songs. Skǻl, or: cheers.

Dreamers’ Circus – Handed On – Go Danish GO1424CD