Ny dansk folk fik vist sig fra sin mest varierede side under Folk Spot Denmark ved Tønder Festival 2017 – og det gik ikke ubemærket hen hos de udenlandske branche- og medie-folk
To dages program med fire koncerter dagligt på Klubscenen på Tønder Festivalens store plads, plus speed-meeting sessions mellem de håbefulde musikere og de mere end 30 repræsentanter fra udenlandsk musikbranche/medier.
Sådan var indholdet både fredag og lørdag for Folk Spot Denmark-indslaget arrangeret af SPOT og Tønder Festival – og det har kastet mange flotte umiddelbare reaktioner af sig. Det gælder både selve arrangementet og netværks-mulighederne, men ikke mindst den musikalske del af Folk Spot Denmark-programmet, hvis diversitet blev bemærket hos gæsterne:
Fredag med Det Yderste Havs meget personlige nutids-fortællinger til dansemusikken fra Fanø, Sønderhoning. Der var World On A Strings fusion af folk, jazz og indiske tablas. Norske Julia Alapnes’ dagligdagssange med rod i hjemlandets folkeviser – inklusive venlige stikpiller som ”Få ut fingeren” skrevet til medmusikanten Halvard Rundberg (de to er efterfølgende blevet gift). Samt Andreas Tophøj & Rune Barslunds ekvilibristiske accordion og violin duo.
Og forskellene blev ikke mindre lørdag, hvor de tre Zenobia’er krydrede den danske sangskat med nyfortolkning, tango, klaver og trombone. Hvor Floating Sofa Quartet (foto) stod for et helt speciel dansk-finsk-svensk mix af folketradition. Og hvor taget i teltdugen for alvor løftede sig i publikums-jubel til slut, hvor først Mallebrok gjorde dansk middelalder nutidig med sprællevende sangforedrag og særegen elektronisk rygrad. Inden det dansk-svenske folk-mini-big-band Spöket i Köket spillede festen fuldstændig hjem i et medrivende ræs.
Det gav smil fra ører til ører på de fleste – og et mildt sagt forskelligt favorit-valg hos de udenlandske gæster. Og at halvdelen af indslagene var på dansk (og norsk), generede ikke det mindste. Meningen og feelingen trængte igennem.
De første kontakter er skabt
Branche- og medie-folkene er nu draget tilbage til deres respektive hjemlande, for at inkludere Folk Spot Denmark-musikken enten i deres klub- og festival-programmer – eller trykte og æterbårne medier. Vi ved positivt, at mange indledende kontakter ér skabt – nu vil den kommende tid vise, hvad resultatet bliver på længere sigt. Erfaringsmæssigt kan det give afkast efter blot et par måneder – eller op til flere år ude i fremtiden.
Her er nogle af de umiddelbare internationale reaktioner:
I’m quite sure I’m putting everything (all 8 Folk Spot Denmark acts, ed.) on the radio.
Volker Steppat, German Public Radio Bremen (DE)
Look at the faces at the people when they play. They are so proud of their tradition. They are so dynamic, so diverse, so subtle, so complex – and all of these things together: it’s just overwhelming.
Bruce Caldwell, Radio Rabe (CH)
I love the festival, and I’ve seen some interesting bands, and hopefully we will develop it to something over the next period of time. I don’t come across this type of music so often, so that was very interesting.
Gijs Cals, Sedate Bookings (NL)
Spöket i Köket, Julie Alapnes, and Andreas Tophøj & Rune Barslund – these are the 3 acts I’ll put on the table in our network.
Roger Bouwens, Tournee Mondial (BE)
I think I’ve seen an amazing array of stuff – this afternoon (Saturday, ed.) Zenobia and Floating Sofa Quartet. It makes you happy to be alive… What I’ve seen will go down incredible well at festivals in England.
Phil Simpson, booker, Strada Music (UK)
I do 3 types of concert series, and one in particular these acts would be good for is in a church…. I come here and there’s new kinds of rhythms, new kinds of percussion – the last band (Spöket i Köket, ed.) sounded to me as a klezmer band to some extent, and the in the last song it sound like cabaret…!!!
Don Sheldon, Valley Stage Productions (US)
What I’ve seen here has given me an incredible deep dive into the Danish and Scandinavian music scene, and I’m really excited to take that home… I’ve heard some incredible new sounds and new influences and musical colors that I hadn’t expected – also things that are vaguely familiar but with a total different spin on them.
Amy Reitnouer, The Bluegrass Situation/Folk Alliance (US)
It’s been really interesting to see all these artists over the two days. My eyes have been opened to the music, the young Danish Artists are playing. It’s been a really enjoyable weekend, and the networking with other people in this business has been fantastic.
Stevie Freeman – CEO, Americana Music Association-UK (UK)
Being here allows me to see all these different bands that I haven’t seen before, and I have already made contact with two og three of them about maybe coming to our festival.
Paul Wilson, Program Director, Nisswa-Stämman Festival (US)
I’m sure we are gonna put some groups on Zilleghem Folk next year…. It’s a totally different kind of music. It’s excellent. It would fit in perfectly in our festival.
Stefaan de Kerbel, head of Zilleghem Folk (BE)
What I feel of it is something that’s very rootsy but at the same time also very sophisticated…I’m already planning to do a special radio show with the music I’ve heard this weekend, so it fits perfectly into what we do – the quality of the music is there and it has a strong identity.
Linda Fahey, Senior Director of Content, Folk Alley Radio (US)
The audience in Canada that’s consuming music that is based on a traditional foundation would find the Danish artists’ who are also contemporising their interpretation of folk, also very interesting. It’s another taste, another flavour. Without becoming too metaphoric: If we ate the same thing every day, it would be boring, and having some of the Danish music on the menu would be very interesting.
Bruce Morel, president of Music Marketing International (CA)
Foto: Floating Sofa Quartet/PR
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Folk Spot Denmark er arrangeret af SPOT og Tønder Festival
Folk Spot Denmark er støttet af Statens Kunstråds Projektstøtteudvalg for musik.
