In connection with the 100th anniversary for the Norwegian poet Olav H. Hauge, Norwegian Trio Seven Winds will play concerts and have seminars in Beijing, Kunming, Xi'an and Lanzhou.
"Sju vindar", seven winds
This year it is the 100th anniversary for the Norwegian poet Olav H. Hauge. Hauge's first poems were all in a traditional form. He later wrote modernist poetry and in particular concrete poetry. Hauge was inspired by the simplicity of Chinese poetry, and it is reflected in several of the poems. Like in his poem "T..ao Ch..ien" in the collection "Spør vinden" (Ask the wind). The dialogues in Hauge's poems stretch widely within the literary field. When he conversed intertextually with other poets, it could just as well be pre-romantic, classic European, classic Chinese or Norse poetry as post-romantic European modernists.
The music you'll hear is inspired by this. The music is a combination of the different traditions that the musicians represent. The concert was commissioned by "Dei Nynorske Festespela" and www.HT08.no. The music is composed by Becaye, Rolf-Erik and Unni. Together they'll tour Norway, Tanzania, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India automne 2008.
The musicians:
UNNI LØVLID, is from Hornindal in the county of Sogn og Fjordane in west Norway. Unni is one of the most exciting folk music performers around day, who dares to take traditional music to entirely new places, and has the creative imagination to do so. According to the classification system of the national folk music competition Unni belongs in the top category of folk musicians, something which provided her with a fundament for her masters degree at the Norwegian Academy of Music. She was the first musician to be nominated "Performer of the Year" at the Folkelarm festival 2006. Her first solo disc "So ro liten tull" was released in 1999. The recording was subsequently released in book form by Lyche Musikkforlag. It contains 63 traditional children songs from the west coast of Norway. In 2005 she released her second solo-album VITA. VITA is based entirely on Unni Løvlid's voice, and her presence and intensity as a performer. In 2008 Unni Løvlid returned with a new album, for which Løvlid has written all the words and music herself. Unni Løvlid is a versatile musician and artist and has experience from a great variety of projects and genres in the region Norwegian folk, contemporary music and electronica.
www.myspace.com/unnilovlid and www.unni.no
BECAYE AW, originally from Mauritania, began his musical career in Senegal with the legends Mansuur Seck and Baaba Maal by his side. He has participated in many international music festivals and performed with a number of muicians in Scandinavia and Poland. Among others: Ali Farka Toure. Becaye is one of the best African blues guitar players. He has evolved his own unique way of guitarplaying, inspired by kora and other African string instruments. He is playing absolutely unique Sharan style. More - Becaye is also great singer with deep deep voice. He is engaged with many projects in Norway, France and Poland. One of the best known is Kake, with Kouame Sereba (Ivory Coast) and Steinar Ofsdal. Together they released the CD "Kake" in 2004.
www.myspace.com/becayeaw
ROLF-ERIK NYSTRØM has strongly made his mark both on the saxophone and as a composer and improviser, and he keeps himself very active without compromising on quality. His latest recording has recently been nominated for the Norwegian Grammy Award (Spellemannprisen 2006). When Rolf-Erik Nystrøm received the Young Musicians' Lindeman Prize in 2005, the composer Rolf Wallin commented: "His appetite and keen interest in music in all its shapes catches the audience, and through a refreshing lack of self-consciousness, combined with an intense and concentrated stage presence he opens the listener's ears for the new sounds being performed. " An apt comment on the chief characteristics of one of Norway's most versatile young musicians, by a composer who knows him well.
www.rolferiknystrom.com
Ingar Hunskaar, sound. Ingar Hunskaar has mastered and recorded lots of Norwegian records. He's also a producer and musician. He will be doing sound on this project.
www.myspace.com/diktafon
Program:
3pm Nov. 1: Seminar at One Way Street bookstore, Wanda Plaza, Beijing
6pm Nov. 2: Concert at Peking University Concert Hall, Beijing
1:30pm Nov. 3: Seminar at Modern Music Conservatory, Beijing
Nov. 5: Concert at Halfway House, Kunming
Dec. 2: Concert at Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an
Dec. 4: Concert at Lanzhou University, Lanzhou