Music
Press
"Those familiar with Gunnfjauns Kapell´s previous recordings will not be disappointed with Volund; it´s got the same gentle, Swedish-meets-Celtic lilt we´re used to. But their fiddles, flutes and guitars are backed here by more voices and more instruments, creating an orchestral sound at times. This is appropriately handled by all, and neither the choir nor the additional music ever drowns out the essentially traditional, acoustic sound of the band... After Ragnarök, evil is destroyed and humans inherit the earth in a song given a beatiful arrangement by the whole company."
- Steve Winick, Dirty Linen
"A mightily melodic folk-epic-opera, music by Jan Ekedahl and words by Eva Sjöstrand. This is arranged and performed by the band of which Ekedahl is a member, Gunnfjauns Kapell, with the folk music choir Visby Allmänna Sångförening, in turn arranged by Mats Hallberg. Drawing on the sagas of the Icelandic Edda and inspired by the 8th-century picture stones on Gotland, this new-forged song cycle tells of the skillful smith Volund, maker of the sword that at Ragnarök would send fire over the world. King Nidad steals Volund´s treasures and cuts the tendons of his knees, but Volund cuts the throats of the king´s sons, rapes his daughter and takes to the sky on eagle´s wings, fights the gods for his woman, and is killed by Thor, who hurls his eye into the sky where it becomes a star. I hesitate to compare, bur if the folkrooted choral music in Shaun Davey´s The pilgrim reaches you, so will this, with its narrative solos (largely from Gunnfjauns Kapell´s Gunnel J Mauritzson), strong instrumental playing, and winding anthemic recurring choral themes. These persist in the mind long after the last track has died away."
- Andrew Cronshaw, Folkroots
The five-piece band plays traditional and tradition-influenced self composed music from Gotland. Using as main melody instrument a concert flute being played in a more classical style, Gunnfjauns Kapell's sound blends a folky and a classical sound, a mixture that works very well. The other instruments of the band are fiddle/mandolin, guitars/bouzouki and mandolin/accordeon. The latest addition to the Kapell is the young singer Charlotte Berg with her folky, sometimes also a bit jazzy style.
You can easily hear that this is a band who has been together for long - in fact nearly 20 years: The ensemble playing is perfect, the arrangements being tasteful and inventive. Highly enjoyable and relaxing music, carrying the culture and tradition of a musically more unknown island.
- Michael Moll, Folk World
Discography
1984 - Gunnfjauns Kapell (Amigo)
1986 - Gåttar Ei Välling (Sjelvar)
1989 - Dammet Lättar (Sjelvar)
1991 - Sjelvar (Sjelvar)
1995 - Naudljaus (Sjelvar)
1998 - Volund (Sjelvar)
2001 - Dansä Läite (Sjelvar)
Photos
Bio
Gunnfjauns Kapell was born in the fall of 1982 on the Baltic island of Gotland. Four dedicated folk musicians with widely differing backgrounds and preferences came together to form one of the foremost bands within the growing Swedish folk music movement in the 1980s. It was Caroline with her fiddle music from the west of Dalarna, Anneli with her song tradition and balkan music, Bengt with his irish jigs and reels and Jan with his guitar music, folk and classic.
The roots of Gotland is clothed in history and legend. Even the name of the band conjures up memories of ancient Gotlandic mythology. According to the legends, Tjelvar was the first man to inhabit Gotland. With the help of fire he broke the curse that had plagued the island, forcing it under water during the hours of daylight. Gunnfjaun was Tjelvar´s grandson, and Gunnfjauns Kapell preserves the rich legacy of Gotlandic folk music.
Lots of work and many hours was spent the first years to find the right sound and the right material. The first album, Gunnfjauns Kapell, was recorded in 1984 in an old mansion in the countryside of the eastern parts of Gotland. It was made straightforward, two channels and no dubs. A new sound was presented to the gotlandic folk music scene. Carefully developed arrangements to find a form that harmonizes with the song or tune performed with personal style as well as a living relationship, all on a firm musical base in the folk music from Gotland. Influences from other folk music traditions, such as the irish, added to the flavor. In 1984-85 Anneli and Caroline left the band. Annika, Gunnel and Sören joined. The variety of instruments played by the band increased as well as the potential for variations in the treatment. The flute, the whistle, the oboe and another guitar was introduced. The next album, Gåttar ei vällingi (1986), shows a further elaborated sound.
The second half of the 1980s was spent touring all over Sweden. Summers on Gotland with weekly folk music courses and the yearly folkfestival in Katthammarsvik. The third album, Dammet lättar, was recorded in 1989. The second and third albums were compiled on CD, Sjelvar, in 1991.
In 1990 Sören made his withdrawal, and Owe entered the band with fiddle, bagpipe and the gift of the gab. In 1995 the fourth album, Naudljaus, was released. Jan jotted down the first notes to the music of the folk musical drama Volund in 1996 while Eva Sjöstrand wrote the first textlines. The drama had its first performance in Visby the 24st of june 1997 with Gunnfjauns Kapell and the choir Visby Allmänna Sången. The album, Volund, was released in 1998. Gunnel developed her solo carreer in the late 1990s, and Charlotte entered the band as new singer in 1999. The sixth album, Dansä läite, was released in may 2001. In 2002 Gunnfjauns Kapell has done its first twenty years, and it seems proper to celebrate the event with a Jubilee Tour. A waltz by Jan Ekedahl is the farewell gift to everyone that leaves the band. The waltz is included in the repertoire, and thus no one evr leaves the band for real. The former members are always there, ready to reinforce the band when needed. The Jubilee Tour will show a variety of member constellations, all with the famous Gunnfjaun sound!
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