Torgeir Vassvik & Global Fever Orchestra (Norway)

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(18.07.2013, 8:00 PM, Małopolski Ogród Sztuki / Malopolska Garden of Arts)

 

Torgeir Vassvik comes from Gamvik (Finmark county) - the northernmost point in Norway. He creates music on the border of genres, successfully combining his own compositions, traditional songs of the Sami people: "joik" and the sound of the accompanying shamanic drum with the technique of Siberian guttural singing. In Norway, he has established himself as one of the most innovative avant-garde musicians. He collaborates with many outstanding Norwegian jazz musicians. Both his debut album "Saivu" and the next one: "Sapmi" (2011) are receiving excellent reviews.

 

"A pearl: beautiful and unique." ["All About Jazz"]

"Torgeir Vassvik magnetizes. One of the most expressive Saami artists and contemporary joik practitioners. True message." [Andrew Cronshaw, "fRoots"]

"Rooted in the era of unfamiliarity with pop culture; once a song was a force of nature. He balances tradition and his own creative imagination. The results are excellent." ["Aftenposten"]

"<<Saivu>> of Vassvik is an intriguing album; (...) a successful combination of singing and traditional music, contemporary sounds and improvisation. <<Saivu>> cannot be clearly labeled; an intimate and personal album; a unique musical experience." [Mode Steinkjer, "Dagsavisen"]

"Dark, terrifying music. At the same time: refined, surprisingly beautiful with minimalist instrumental ornamentation." ["Klassekampen"]

 

Band members:

Torgeir Vassvik – vocals, frame drum, guitar

Global Fever Orchestra: Erlend Apneset, Jan Lothe Eriksen, Audun Strype

 

(also: WORKSHOPS: Vocal joik technique: 18.07.2013, 1:30-3:00 PM and 20.07.2013, 4:30-6:00 PM, Magazyn Kultury | Kolanko No. 7)

 

Joik is a type of traditional Scandinavian Sami singing, dating back to pre-Christian times, which is now an important element of Sami cultural identity. The joiks tell about love, about the origin and life of the Sami people, about the struggle of good and bad shamans. The lyrics of joiks differ from typical songs – they have a cyclical structure, without a clear beginning or end; a short phrase is repeated, with minor changes, many times. The melody is simple, sung with very tight vocal chords, based on a five-note scale. The function of the joik is to express the identity of a person, place or animal, identify clan affiliation and provide the initiated with an intimate portrait of a person. Joiking, along with the use of a shamanic drum, were important elements of shamanic rituals. As part of a non-Christian culture, these practices were banned for many centuries. The participants of the workshops with Torgeir Vassvik will have the opportunity to learn about the joik tradition and elements of the Siberian throat singing techniques.