Country & Eastern

Beethoven Grand Tour

Beche — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:02:40 +0000

In swedish: I Beethoven Grand Tour vill vi fånga den Beethoven som binder samman musikalisk tradition med omstörtande modernism, konstmusikens formspråk med improvisatorisk oberäknelighet. I Beethovens gestalt förenas det gamla med det nya, privilegiesamhället med demokratins framväxt, det personliga med det allmänna. Föreställningen blir till utifrån de erfarenheter vi haft från flera gemensamma projekt inom Lyckåfestivalens stora ram, men är även tänkt att fortsätta i en turnéversion för den mindre besättningen recitatör, improvisationstrio och stråkkvartett.

This year the festival celebrates 30 years, so there is a lot of music happening all week. Check out this year’s program.

Here is Indrakvartetten rehearsing

Live jazz at S/S Marieholm, Gothenburg on tuesday may 14

Beche — Sun, 12 May 2013 09:31:27 +0000

Wonderful trumpetist Staffan Svensson will be our guest on the lovely ship S/S Marieholm for our second concert on tuesday. Let’s hope you find us so we can come back after the summer, after all we are

“Probably the best band in the world”

We open at 6 p.m with music starting at 7.30.
Admission 80 SEK; students, seniors and Kartong Inn people 60 SEK

Band member from left in Lotta Andersson’s photo, Livet Nord, Göran Klinghagen, Stefan Bellnäs, Sir Thomas Jäderlund, Bengt Berger, Thomas Gustafsson.

Download a poster if you want:

Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar

Beche — Sat, 11 May 2013 11:26:18 +0000

Singer Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar (1932-2013), the younger brother of rudra veena giant Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and son of Ustad Ziauddin Dagar, court musician of Maharana Bhupal Singh of Udaipur belonged to the 19th generation of the revered Dagar family of Dhrupad musicians. This photo was taken in 1968.

He is featured, together with his brother on two of Country & Eastern’s internationally most appreciated albums Raag Malkauns (CE 02) and Ragini Miyan ki Todi (CE19). The former is an evening raga recorded on february 4, 1968 and the later a morning raga recorded the next morning in their home in Chembur, Bombay.

Here is his hires photo that I took in 1968.

Ustad Zia Fariduddin 1932-2013

Beche — Thu, 09 May 2013 07:48:14 +0000

Some words from his shishya Pandit Uday Bhawalkar:

“I feel blessed that Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar was my guru. I lived with him at his home for over 12 years. A myriad of life experiences and memories flash through as I attempt to reconcile his loss. I first met him at the age of 15 in Dhrupad Kendra as a first batch student and since then have been learning from him. He was an extraordinary person, he always encouraged in me a willingness to pursue the depth of music. He used to wake us up at 4am in the morning and would teach us for many hrs of the day. His command on Swars and Shrutis, creating amazing patterns in fast tempo-ed Alalp (Jhala), Gamakas, Meends, and pronunciation of Alap syllables were incredible. He was a very innocent chlid-like person and used to create quite funny and jolly atmosphere around his disciples. I never heard the Gandhar and Dhaivat of Darbari, Both Nishads in Miya Malhar, amazing Jayjaywanti, Bihag from any other musician. His way of singing Shrutis was almost impossible to reach.He developed many “shishyas” and Dhrupad music will live longer for generations to come due to the teachings of both our Ustads: Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (1929-1990), the rudra veena maestro and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar (1932-2013). Both brothers have done the greatest work in dhrupad, which this world is realizing and will be realizing for coming many decades. May God grant eternal peace to the great soul.”

You will find two exquisite recordings with the brothers on our label. The evening Raag Malkauns was recorded on february 4, 1968 and the following morning the two brothers recorded Ragini Miyan ki Todi, a morning raga.

Beethoven Grand Tour – rehearsals started

Beche — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:50:55 +0000

Country & Eastern has recieved a grant from Statens musikverk to produce a piece that Niklas Rådström presents thus: “In Beethoven Grand Tour we want to capture the Beethoven that connects music tradition with subversive modernism, the language of art music with unpredictable improvisation. Beethoven’s persona combines the old and the new, the society of privilege with the growth of democracy, the personal with the public.”

The first rehearsal just took place in what will be a meeting between the Indra String Quartet, the Berger Knutsson Spering trio, author Niklas Rådström and Berth Nilsson’s Camerata Lyckensis at the 30th edition of Lyckå Kammarmusikfestival in Karlskrona in the beginning of july.

to be continued

K. Shivakumar – one year since his demise

Beche — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:39:47 +0000

Listen to Begda, piece from our digital album Karnatic Harmonium where Shivakumar, age 23, plays with harmonium legend Muthunathesa Bhagvatar and mridangam Vidwan P.S. Devarajan.

Ellika-Solo-Rafael

Beche — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:16:14 +0000

The Ellika-Solo-Rafael album NOW! will be released at the end of this summer.

The album is recorded, here is a sample: Sanka-Virrvals

Ellika-Solo-Rafael

Beche — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:36:14 +0000

Violinist Ellika Frisell and singer and kora player Solo Cissokho has been a celebrated duo for years. NOW they are enhanced with percussionist Rafael Sida.
Ellika plays in the rich swedish folk tradition whereas Solo is a griot from Senegal, a storyteller, praise singer and wandering musician. Legendary drummer and percussionist Rafael Sida from Mexico is a prominent member on the Swedish jazz and world music scene.
This is music from Sweden, Senegal and Mexico in a colorful mix that also highlights the strong musical individuality of each musician. A lyrical, groovy and unique music for dancing, listening or both.
Ellika Frisell and Solo Cissokho first met in Stockholm in 1998. After two prize winning albums and recieving the BBC World Music Award they have taken a further step by including master percussionist Rafael Sida in the group. At the end of this summer we are releasing their first C&E album NOW! You find a sample here.

Beches Brew på Pick’n'Mix-festivalen i Göteborg 12-14 april

Beche — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:18:41 +0000

Göran Klinghagen, Thomas Gustafsson, Bengt Berger, Sir Thomas Jäderlund och Stefan Bellnäs är Beches Brews västkustupplaga. Vi spelar fredag-lördag-söndag i Country & Eastern Café i Musikens Hus varje dag under Pick’n'Mix-festivalen. Massor av fina artister spelar och många kommer att gästa oss, bla C&E-artisterna Christian Spering och Willemark, Knutsson, Öberg. Här hittar Du info om Pick’n'Mix.

Vår nästa cd: NOW! med Ellika, Solo & Rafael

Beche — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:11:52 +0000

För en gångs skull avslöjar vi nästa platta i förväg! Ellika & Solo har blivit tre! Den storartade slagverkaren Rafael Sida har anslutit och deras första album under nya bandnamnet Ellika, Solo & Rafael är inspelat och släpps i slutet av sommaren. De har döpt det till NOW!

Rafael Sida, Solo Cissokho, Ellika Frisell (foto: Anna Simonsson)