Description
Slovak and Norwegian musical leaders from the fields of jazz, classical music and world music joined together in the Building Bridges project in 2022. The inspiring clash of genres, temperaments and influences of Nordic and local folk music is personified in the album SPEV, which was recorded in March 2024 at the Empire Theatre in Hlohovec.
The Norwegian-Slovak project Building Bridges builds bridges through music. If you build a bridge, it allows you to get to know the other shore – unknown worlds, where distant people become acquaintances, acquaintances become friends. By building bridges, you are not only creating space for yourself, but also for others: a community, a city, a country, perhaps the whole world. We first met the phenomenal musician, composer and improviser Nils Økland in Oslo. When he picked out a Hardanger violin and played a few tunes, I began to suspect that we were in for an exciting new musical adventure together with accordionist Boris Lenko and clarinetist Braňo Dugovič, who move with ease through different genres and styles. Joining him on our journey are singers Åsne Valland Nordli, Gabriela Kováčiková and double bassist Róbert Ragan. Rehearsals, concerts and recording turned into an exploration of new musical worlds where our experiences, poetics, temperaments met, complemented and created magical soundscapes of freedom, beauty, memories and shared discovery. We know that we cannot change the world with this project. But we can contribute to change, inspire, encourage… If music could shape more of our everyday interactions, we would be better off. We live in uncertain times, we need understanding like salt.
Jozef Lupták – cellist, bridge builder
ALBUM contains:
LP vinyl (9 tracks) + WAV download (12 tracks) + pdf booklet
All about the SPEV album: https://www.konvergencie.sk/spev/
Purchase the digital album: https://konvergencie.bandcamp.com/album/spev
Single Most/Bro (stream): https://rukahore.ffm.to/buildingbridges_mostbro
Press Release: https://www.konvergencie.sk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TS-Building-Bridges-24.06.2024_upr.pdf
Playlist
Side A
- Most / Bro
- Hymnus
- Usni
- Var
Side B
- Økludule
- Bygdedans
- Variť alebo objednať
- Sullarkrakk
- Solsnu
Building Bridges
Nils ØKLAND (NO), Hardanger fiddle
Jozef LUPTÁK, cello
Boris LENKO, accordion, bandoneon
Branislav DUGOVIČ, clarinet, bassclarinet
Robert RAGAN, double bass
Gabriela KOVÁČIKOVÁ, voice
Åsne VALLAND NORDLI (NO), voice
Arrangements: Building Bridges: Nils Økland, Jozef Lupták, Boris Lenko, Branislav Dugovič, Robert Ragan, Åsne Valland Nordli, Gabriela Kováčiková
The recording was made on 17 – 20 March 2024 at the Empire Theatre in Hlohovec
recording and mix: Audun Strype
mastering: Audun Strype, Strype Audio, Oslo, Norway
music producer: Daniel Salontay
booklet editor: Andrej Šuba, Mária Boháčová
photos: Róbert Ragan
design & layout: Zuzana Číčelová
production manager: Lea Majerčáková
executive producer: Jozef Lupták
Building Bridges Project Leader: Jozef Lupták, Andrej Šuba, Lea Majerčáková / Konvergencie
Building Bridges Project Partner: Kjell Kalleklev / Kalleklev Management AS
KONV-LP-02
soza – biem: 1749-014-1
ean: 8588006338126
℗ © Konvergencie 2024
All rights reserved
The album was created thanks to the project BUILDING MUSIC BRIDGES – Developing Intercultural Dialogue and Trust through Music which benefited from a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants. The project has been co-financed from the State Budget of the Slovak Republic.
— Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe —
#eeagrants #BuildingBridges