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         TRADITION WITH PASSION

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News

BERGÅ FOLK PROJECT'S DEBUT ALBUM GOT REWARDED AS THE BEST ETHNO ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2022 IN THE FINNISH GRAMMIES!
 

What a day, what an honour! We are
very grateful and happy about this, and truly surprised. Cheers! 

Topi is missing from the pic, as he was meanwhile performing in Celtic Connections with Frigg.

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. On their self released debut album, 'Bergå Folk Project' (2022), 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. The debut album has been collecting great reviews in Finland and worldwide, and it got rewarded as the best ethno album of the year in Finnish Grammies Emmagaala. 

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

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: FriggENKEL, AkkajeeIlkka Arola Sound Tagine, Matti Johannes Koivu & Uskomaton Folktrio, UTU, Vesala-Järvelä-Rahmel, and the improvisation theatre group Stella Polaris.

BERGÅ_FOLK_PROJECT_PROMO_PRINT_3.jpg ©Antti Kokkola
Bio
BIO
Gigs
G I G S

UPCOMING GIGS: 

 

PAST GIGS:   

2.9. Loviisan Sibeliuspäivät, Loviisa

9.8. Espan lava, Helsinki

14.-15.7. Kaustinen Folk Music Festival

29.6. Espan lava, Helsinki
2.6. Album release gig, Hietsun Paviljonki, Helsinki

 

Music
ALBUM

Our ethno-Emma rewarded debut album was released in May 2022. We hope you enjoy it <3 You can find it from all the streaming platforms and buy it from our gigs and now also from Bandcamp! 

MUSIC
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Press gallery
BERGÅ FOLK PROJECT PRESS GALLERY
GALLERY: BFP WORK IN PROGRESS
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BFP INSTAGRAM FEED
Social
CONTACT & BOOKING
Contact & booking

Booking:
Fazer Artists Management Inc. / Mari Lankinen
mari.lankinen@fazerartists.fi

 

Tech. spec., stageplot, interviews:
bergafolkproject@gmail.com

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