One of the new great folk music groups give their interpretation of a classic from 2001 - and 1934.
Several historical threads are intertwined when Ævestaden presents their version of Nivelkinn during Oslo World this year. The poem cycle was written by Aslaug Vaa in 1934, as part of her first book, Nord i leite. Here, the reader is invited to the fantasy realm of Nivelkinn, which has strong similarities to Kviteseid, where the poet spent much of her childhood. In 2001, Øyonn Groven Myhren and Odd Nordstoga expanded on Vaa's work in their interpretation of the Nivelkinn cycle. The recording received the Spellemann award in 2002, and has become a central work in recent Norwegian folk music. It was therefore natural, 25 years later, for Odd Nordstoga to contact one of the groups at the forefront of a new and vital generation in this music, and ask them if they would consider giving their interpretation.
Swedish-Norwegian Ævestaden consists of Eir Vatn Strøm, Kenneth Lien and Levina Storåkern. The trio's combination of traditional acoustic instruments and electronics produce both catchy hooks and the trance-like, psychedelic nature of folk music. Through a healthy mix of word of mouth among concert goers and media hype, they have become a big favorite, both live and on record. In recent years, they have collaborated with the heavy improvisational trio Kanaan, and released the album Ni blomster i en åker. Their palette is broader and more open than ever – while their signature, in Storåkern's fiddle, Lien's mouth harp and the soft and intense vocal harmonies, remains intact. In other words, Ævestaden is an ideal band for such a reinterpretation. Norstoga himself says the following: “The music and lyrics are there, and the material can be stretched in many directions. It is music that I have received many requests for. I think it would be incredibly fun if someone else, someone younger in the folk music scene could use it. Just as new productions of theater plays are created, this can also be used and reinterpreted. Not least, conveying the lyrics of Aslaug Vaa has value in itself.”
