Finally we can organize a full-scale festival again!
We kick off the festival with Dizzy Mandjeku & Odemba Ok All Stars - and their amazing Congolese rumba on Wednesday, July 6th at Larris Scene!
On Førdefestivalen This year we are going both backwards and forwards. And last but not least, we have some great news especially for the youngest. It has been three years since we last organized a "regular" festival. It was in 2019, and it is worth mentioning that we went out with a bang.
2019 was the year when we were one of five festivals in Europe to be honored with the EFFE AWARD (Europe for festivals, Festivals for Europe). Let us take a moment to reflect on the jury's reasoning, in good English:
« Førde Traditional & World Music Festival in Norway provides a remarkable example of excellence as well as artistic and curatorial integrity. [...] It has been a winner off Songlines' best world music festivals worldwide and The Guardian's top 10 festivals in Europe."
— Then came the pandemic that would never end. In 2020 we had to cancel, and in 2021 we created a festival variant that we are all the more proud of that we were able to do, completely safe and without infection. Under the theme Home we had artists from 24 countries, all living in Norway. We had almost as many events, arenas and artists as usual, says festival director Per Idar Almås.
Elaha Sorror & Kefaya - one of two artists on magical club night Friday.
Finally we can dance again
When we now organize a good, old festival again, we go back to the best the past has to offer. The world comes again Førde . But that doesn't mean we're stepping back into the future. This year's festival has a lot of new things to offer, and we're also dusting off some old classics. The new first:
— Last year, Scandic Sunnfjord Hotel completed the construction of Sunnfjordsalen, and the hotel has - including the club scene Larris - two very good concert venues. Previously, we spread the concerts around the hotel on both Friday and Saturday nights, with the result that the audience wandered around quite a bit and perhaps did not find complete peace. This year we are dedicating one evening to each floor, says the event manager and artistic director of the program, Sølvi Lien .
The super band Ayom takes the stage Friday night at Scandic.
On Friday there will be a magical club night at Larris with two bands. Elaha Soroor & Kefaya from Afghanistan play a raw mix of old Afghan folk songs and rough rhythms. With the album Songs of our Mothers, Elaha Soroor has delivered a bold protest against the Taliban and the patriarchy in the homeland she had to flee from. Afterwards, the multinational Ayom takes to the stage with a mix of African and tropical rhythms. Brazilian percussionist Jabu Morales is the frontman for the band, which has achieved enormous popularity. — Both bands fill large concert arenas and play for thousands. In Førde you will experience them at an intimate concert at Larris. It is rare to get this close artists of this format, victory Sølvi Lien .
— What's new at Larris is that we're kicking off the festival with Congolese rumba already on Wednesday: Dizzy Mandjeku & Odemba OK All Stars. After two years of a dance ban, it's going to be fantastic to kick off the festival on the dance floor, says Lien and continues:
Mercedes Ruíz - one of the great flamenco stars from Jerez is coming to Førde .
— There will be plenty of opportunities to dance at this year's festival, even outside of the evenings at the hotel. This applies whether you want to dance old-fashioned dance at Førdehuset every evening Thursday to Saturday, or you want to take a course and learn polka, Rajasthani dance, Bollywood dance or Jølstraspringar. And remember, you don't have to be a couple to take a course.
On stage you can see flamenco with one of the leading dancers in Spain, Mercedes Ruíz, or get close to Hallgrim Hansegård and Torgeir Vassvik in Leakhit, a rare meeting between Norwegian folk dance and joik.
Leahkit with Torgeir Vassvik and Hallgrim Hansegård - in the Theatre Hall.
In the company of good friends
Are you starting to get into the party mood? Then just drive on! On Saturday evening, two bands play in Sunnfjordsalen. First up is Jaakko Laitinen & Väärä Raha with Laplandish Balkan music, Finnish tango and global rhythms; a real party band and talented musicians. Then Puerto Candelaria takes over, the most daring, controversial and innovative band in Colombian music in decades. Fresh and rebellious cumbia, a little softer and a little more exotic.
And then, the icing on the cake!
— We are moving Columbi Egg back to Hugleik, so that it will be as close and intimate as it has always been. We have tested out different concepts at Gabriel Fliflet's traditional club format, but Columbi Egg is best when we sit a little on top of each other, and not least when the event can last a little longer. Anyone who is lucky enough to have experienced it knows exactly what kind of good atmosphere I am aiming for, says the event manager.
Another classic that is making a comeback this year is the festival breakfast. On Saturday morning, there will once again be free breakfast and music in the park at Festplassen, or under cover at the City Hall if the weather is bad.
Even more new
— We are very happy to have Trapp Ned on board, and we will be arranging intimate concerts in the small, charming house by the river. In the series of close-up solo concerts you will meet some of our leading Norwegian folk musicians. The music will flow out into the streets, says Lien.
A little further down the street is Kardemomme café, where we are hosting Meet the Artist, an informal café chat led by former WASABI program director Guttorm Andreasen. Here you can get to know some of the artists better, including Elaha Soroor who plays at Larris on Friday nights.
We are a producing festival, and this year we have three world premieres: Sigrid Moldestad has set music to Jan Magnus Bruheim's children's poems, and is creating a wonderful family concert together with her fellow musicians Kåre Opheim and Jørgen Sandvik. Malin Alander, Guro Utne Salvesen and Ingebjørg Lognvik Reinholdt in the vocal trio Aurom, will present new music by composer Agnes Ida Pettersen and lyrics by Agnes Ravatn. In the new concept Folk Music and Stories, we highlight the Jølster composer and fiddler Anders Viken, through a contrasting meeting between Arne Sølvberg, Øyvind Lyslo and author Arne Henning Årskaug. This is a collaboration with Rom for ord.
Ebo Krdum from Sudan calls himself a music activist. He plays with his trio at Vesle Kinn in Florø, and with a full band in Førde .
The power of music
The theme of Førdefestivalen 2022 is 'Music in Crisis', but that doesn't mean it will be sad and depressing. We play on the power of music in difficult times, the music that binds people together.
— To Førde coming artists from countries we think of in connection with war and hardship, and the audience will meet musicians who have fled their homelands for political or religious reasons. Other theme artists use music to fight for freedom, justice and peace, says festival director Per Idar Almås.
The encounter with folk musicians is often powerful precisely because they bring with them a tradition that is greater than themselves, and which they have often had to fight for throughout history.
Among the team artists we can mention Sami Ulla Pirttijärvi-Länsman, Elias Akselsen who sings songs from the Norwegian tater tradition and Ebo Krdum from Sudan with his desert blues activism. Read more about the theme artists and others artists on our homepage fordefestivalen.no .
Iberi Choir from Georgia will have a church concert and a SUPRA concert, a very special party concert with food and drinks, which will be at Fjordamattunet early Sunday evening. In addition, they invite you to singing lessons while they are in Førde !
Anti-mainstream festival
On Førdefestivalen This year we have 71 events spread across 30 arenas. There will be artists from 21 countries, and 12 of them have their Norwegian premiere. They have never been here before, and it is not like they travel on to the neighboring city to play at another festival there. — Førdefestivalen is a brilliant opportunity to experience music you may not be familiar with before, or don't normally listen to. You get to sit down and really listen, says festival director Per Idar Almås.
As anthropologist Thomas Hylland Eriksen says in "FørdeFESTivalen", the book that summarizes several decades of festival history: " Førdefestivalen "It's like a fruit salad, not a fruit compote. You can still tell the pineapple from the apple."
The different traditions are allowed to stand out as unique and authentic as they are. The festival does not take place in a fenced area, but on a wealth of small and large stages spread throughout the municipality and across the borders to other municipalities. — The journey there and the visit itself is part of the experience. And if you don't want to move outside the city center in Førde "You can stroll and cycle between the venues and maybe take a short break along the riverbank or at the city's cafes and restaurants," says Almås.
Finally some great news!
For the first time, we are introducing superpasses that give you access to the entire festival. The price is only 1500 kroner for those under 25, and 2800 for those older. Superpasses are sold in limited numbers, so be quick!
— Superpass is a fantastic chance to dive into the festival with all your heart, or to get to know the festival for those who aren't. We hope to see you July 6-10! says the festival director.