Tradition with passion

BERGÅ FOLK PROJECT

Founded in:

2019

Genre:

Folk music, world music

Origin:

Finland / Helsinki / Loviisa

Band members:
Aili Järvelä - vocals, violin, pump organ
Esko Grundström - double bass, accordion, kantele, vocals
Iida Savolainen - viola, vocals, bowed lyre, violin
Topi Korhonen - guitar, mandolin, pump organ, trumpet, vocals

+ featuring
Abdissa "Mamba" Assefa - percussion

Pronunciation:

[bä:rio]

The band

Four musicians, twelve instruments, eight sung languages.

These are the elements that make up Bergå Folk Project, a new group formed by professional folk musicians. They perform the folk song arrangements by the one Luciano Berio well known in the
field of classical music. The group seeks out to bring the folk songs that inspired Berio back to their roots with new, innovative arrangements. The group’s international repertoire sung in eight languages and played with twelve different instruments presents the audience a variety of world-
and folk music styles along with powerful performances and awe-inspiring artistry!

Bergå Folk Project consists of Aili Järvelä, Iida Savolainen, Esko Grundström and Topi Korhonen.

Bergå Folk Project released their debut album in 2022.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Bergå Folk Project came into being with a peculiar gig offer by Aleksi Malmberg, the intendant of Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, who commissioned a back-to-the-roots rendition of Italian contemporary composer Luciano Berio’s folk song suite. The suite in question is known to many connoisseurs and performers of contemporary music, but was unfamiliar to the group put together to face the challenge. Thus the arrangement process began with great enthusiasm and curiousity, even with a tinge of fear.The arrangements were premiered by Bergå Folk Project at the Encounters Club of Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra in September of 2019. After a successful debut and with an enthusiastic reception by the audience the group decided to continue their journey all the way to the studio and to the stages.

The repertoire of Bergå Folk Project consists of folk songs from Azerbaidžan, Armenia, Italy, the United States and France. In addition to the the languages of the countries mentioned before there are songs also in Occitan, Swedish and Finnish. All of the songs except for two are traditional and arranged by the group.

The memebers of BFP have been active participants of many different productions and groups of different genres. Along with their own solo projects they perform with acts such as: Frigg, ENKEL, Akkajee, Ilkka Arola Sound Tagine, Matti Johannes Koivu & Uskomaton Folktrio, UTU, Vesala-Järvelä-Rahmel, and the improvisation theatre group Stella Polaris.