Folk Alley Sessions: Folk Spot Denmark

(recorded at the 2018 Tønder Festival in Tønder, Denmark by Beehive Productions)

This past August we traveled to the Tønder Festival in the southern region of Denmark where we filmed live session videos in collaboration with Folk Spot Denmark. Folk Spot is a support organization whose mission is to promote Danish roots, folk, and traditional music to the rest of the world. These six acts (of the eight selected by Folk Spot) reflect the unique variety of styles and cultural influences within the genre of Danish Folk and Roots music.

Mary Jean – “Under The Jungle Green”

Danish-American songwriter Mary Jean Moore describes her music as ‘tribal pop’—an experimental blend of synth, ambient and pop infused with African drums and percussion.

LSMR – “Trim Your Wick”

Louise Støjeberg and Martin Rauff are a songwriting duo who’s music is a blend of Scandinavian pop/folk/blues and Americana. Støjberg received the ‘Folk Singer of the Year’ award at the Danish Music Awards Folk in 2017.

Elmøe & Hoffmann – “Squirrel”

Elmøe & Hoffmann were winners of the ‘New Talent of the Year’ award at Danish Music Awards Folk in 2015. Emma Elmøe has played classical music since childhood, while Villads Hoffmann’s roots are in heavy metal. Together they have found common ground in Nordic folk music. They are joined here by pianist Juilan Jørgensen.

Vingefang – “Pedido à Padre Cícero & Magdelena Polska”

With roots in Scandinavia, Lene Høst and Miriam Ariana have both travelled and lived in France, Brazil, Sweden and Tanzania, where they have absorbed the different styles of music and cultures of these countries and combined these influences to create Vingefang. They are joined here by cellist Maja Freese.

Huldrelokkk – “Trummerum”

Huldrelokkk is a trio playing acoustic folk music from their respective Scandinavian countries—Norway, Sweden and Denmark—as well as their own original material. Their blended harmonies and the unique manner in which they perform (in costume) fuse into a distinctive timbre of sound and sight which is both other-worldly and traditional at the same time.

Pøbel – “Saltarello Mediterraneo”

Pøbel plays medieval dance music on a multitude of authentic instruments such as the hurdy-gurdy, vielle, bagpipes, lute, shawm and various medieval drums. By bringing authentic instruments, tunes and costumes to the stage they provide a snapshot of what a medieval band might have looked like in the late 1400s.