Two dream projects at this year's festival
Ten on the roof - here photographed at Oslofolk by Knut Utler.
Irene Tillung leads and has put together Ti på Taket. Javi Asfari Rad leads and has put together NOWOR. Both lead large ensembles of musicians from different genres and cultures, and they also have another thing in common; both define their projects as dream projects.
Irene Tillung from Vossing is a graduate of the Norwegian Academy of Music. She came into contact with folk music while in Oslo, and has since spent more and more time on it. In recent years she has had many irons in the fire, with nine album releases, tours with Tindra, Frøholm/Tillung, Maar and Eli Storbekken and, not least, music for the four-hour Gerhardsen Documentary.
In 2017, she put together Ti på Taket, which debuted with the album Hildresyn .
— Only when I moved back to Voss after 19 years in the capital did I find the peace and energy to develop the project I dreamed of.
Complications of the ear canal
In 2020, Irene Tillung wrote commissioned work to Vossa Jazz, which is held every year during Palm Sunday. After that, the plan was to perform the commissioned work on Førdefestivalen . That year, both festivals were cancelled as is well known. So the plan was to be carried out this year, but when Vossa Jazz instead of canceling, moved its festival to the fall, the plan fell through. The Legislative Assembly could not be performed in Førde .
In such a situation, it is good to have solution-oriented musicians. -Irene Tillung suggested that they should create a new concert for Førde , based on traditional material, tells Sølvi Lien , the event manager for Førdefestivalen . -Tillung brought along several of the musicians in his dream band, and now they are coming to Førde with the brand new TRAD WITH TEN ON THE ROOF.
Irene Tillung plays the accordion and accordina herself, and with her are: Tore Brunborg – saxophone; Erik Sollid – Harding fiddle; Erlend Viken – fiddle, octave fiddle; Isa Caroline Holmesland – violin; Lise Voldsdal – viola and violin; Kaja Fjellberg Pettersen – cello; Juhani Silvola – guitar; Ellen Brekken – double bass and Pål Hausken – drums.
Norwegian World Orchestra - photographed by Nina Holtan.
Javi Afsari Rad is originally from Iran, but has lived in Norway since 1986. His music is a mixture of the Persian music he learned in Iran and Western classical music. Afsari Rad has established many constellations over the years, the largest of which is this one. He has formed NOWOR, which is an abbreviation for Norwegian World Orchestra. Here are the musicians Afsari Rad has played with over the years.
— It's a dream I've had for a long time, to bring together the musicians I've worked with over so long.
Like Tillung, Afsari Rad mixes different styles and genres. NOWOR has a great diversity, not least when it comes to different traditions and cultures. The musicians have a background in classical music, while others come from folk music from Morocco, Iran, Ivory Coast, India, and Senegal. By mixing so many different traditions, Afsari Rad hopes to create something new and exciting.
Javi Afsari Rad himself plays the Persian santur. With him in NOWOR are: Ibou Cissokho - kora; Sidiki Camara - percussion; Harpreet Bansal - violin; Emilie Heldal Lidsheim - violin; Adrian Fiskum Myhr - double bass; Gregor Riddell - cello; Andreas Bratlie - tablas.