Tonereise - Norwegian Roots Music

Subject: Folklore: Tonereise - Norwegian Roots Music
From: Brendy
Date: 22 Nov 07 - 07:44 PM

Tonereise is a Norwegian band that play music based on old, religious folk music from Norway, but are influenced by American country, roots, gospel, bluegrass, blues etc. This song "Jesus Gjør Meg Stille" (Jesus Grant Me Peace), is one of the rare Christian folk tunes that the late folk musician Ragnar Vigdal is known for.

The link above is the music video on YouTube for Tonereise's song " Jesus Gjør Meg Stille " from their album Arven.

The song is in Norwegian, (so perhaps will not be widely uderstood among the majority of our illuminati, here) but don't let that stop you having a listen.

Gotta thank my old buddy Helge for showing me this

B.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Tonereise - Norwegian Roots Music
From: Azizi
Date: 23 Nov 07 - 03:54 PM

Brendy, thanks for including a link to that video. Here's the comment that I wrote after watching & listening to that YouTube clip:

"I found this song from its mention on another website. Yes, it would help if I understood Norwegian, but I really liked the music. I found the video shoots to be too dark, though admittedly artistic. And the scene of the mountain in the end of the video was awesome."

-snip-

Best wishes,

Azizi

Subject: RE: Folklore: Tonereise - Norwegian Roots Music
From: Brendy
Date: 23 Nov 07 - 10:30 PM

Thanks for listening to that, Azizi.
It is an old Norwegian Hymn that has been given the 21st Century treatment; that was what attracted it to me in the first place.
OK..., I am fluent in Norwegian, and although sung in 'Bokmål' which is one of the 2 Norwegian mothertongues (the other being 'Ny Norsk') it is sung with the heavy Western dialect, and it can be difficult to grasp, especially at the first listening.

I posted that link, in a way to highlight how modern influences can add new dimensions to the way we approach the music of our forefathers.

Irish Traditional music went through a similar metamorphosis in the 1970s, and I know that in Norway, bands like 'Vamp', 'Tonereise, Mari Boine, and to a large extent, my own Irish/Norsk experiment, 'Gael Force', try to find more and more common ground to play the music on.

There are some excellent music heads in Norway, and the folk music is getting stronger there, as a result.

The director of that video, Daniel Volle, tonight won the first prize for Director of the Music Video of the Year' in this year's 'Q-filmfestivalen' in Oslo for that song.

Klaus Vigdal, the gentleman who sings the song, has a voice reminiscent of Irish 'Sean Nós' singers.
That is another interesting aspect of this band.

Tonereise's Website has an English language section, complete with a Master's Thesis in Ethnomusicology about Ragnar Vigdal in PDF format: "Signifyin' Vigdal. - Aspects of the Ragnar Vigdal Tradition and the Revival of Norwegian Vocal Folk Music"
(... the dissertation is in English...)

B.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Tonereise - Norwegian Roots Music
From: Azizi
Date: 23 Nov 07 - 11:55 PM

Thanks, Brendy.

I'll check out that website too. Like you, I'm interested in "how modern influences can add new dimensions to the way we approach the music of our forefathers".

Best wishes, to you and also to your band.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Tonereise - Norwegian Roots Music
From: skarpi
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 09:33 AM

Thanks for that Brendy , I liked the music :>)

all the best Skarpi Iceland

Subject: RE: Folklore: Tonereise - Norwegian Roots Music
From: Brendy
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 12:30 AM

Thanks, Azizi for the good wishes, and I thought you might like that Skarpi... ;-)

Daniel Volle, the director of the video (I just found out, today) is only 18 years old.
He also won another prize for another film, last night in a different category.

Nice start to a career....
Thanks again Azizi and Skarpi.

B.