Yggdrasil (band)
Encyclopedia
Yggdrasil is a Nordic
music ensemble based in the Faroe Islands
. The band was formed in 1981 by the Danish composer and pianist Kristian Blak
, who has written most of the material for the group. From the very beginning, Yggdrasil has included musicians from other countries, having varied musical backgrounds, mainly in jazz, but also in ethnic, folk, rock and classical music.
Most works have been created in relation with other forms of art : visual art, poetry
, ballet
, opera
- or in some cases, with nature (concertos in sea caves). The compositions draw ideas and themes from ethnic material from the North Atlantic region, such as Faroese
ballads, hymns and rhymes, Inuit
songs or Shetland folk music. Improvisation
takes a large part in the interpretation and ranges from free
and ethno-jazz to classical
and world music
.
The band is named after the world tree
Yggdrasil
in Norse mythology
.
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
music ensemble based in the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
. The band was formed in 1981 by the Danish composer and pianist Kristian Blak
Kristian Blak
Kristian Blak , originally from Fredericia, Denmark, lives in the Faroe Islands where he is a composer, musician, and record executive. He is the founder of the Nordic musical ensemble Yggdrasil ....
, who has written most of the material for the group. From the very beginning, Yggdrasil has included musicians from other countries, having varied musical backgrounds, mainly in jazz, but also in ethnic, folk, rock and classical music.
Most works have been created in relation with other forms of art : visual art, poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
- or in some cases, with nature (concertos in sea caves). The compositions draw ideas and themes from ethnic material from the North Atlantic region, such as Faroese
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
ballads, hymns and rhymes, Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
songs or Shetland folk music. Improvisation
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
takes a large part in the interpretation and ranges from free
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
and ethno-jazz to classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
.
The band is named after the world tree
World tree
The world tree is a motif present in several religions and mythologies, particularly Indo-European religions, Siberian religions, and Native American religions. The world tree is represented as a colossal tree which supports the heavens, thereby connecting the heavens, the earth, and, through its...
Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil
In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology. It was said to be the world tree around which the nine worlds existed...
in Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
.
Band members
Past and current members include- Anders Hagberg, flute & saxophone
- Anders Jormin, bass
- Angelika Niesen, violin
- Brandur Jacobsen, drums
- Eivør PálsdóttirEivør PálsdóttirEivør Pálsdóttir is a Faroese singer/songwriter with a distinct voice and a wide range of interests in many kinds of music from rock, jazz, folk, pop, to European classical music. Her roots are in the Faroese ballads....
, vocals - Ernst Dalsgard, flute
- Heðin Ziska Davidsen, guitar
- John TchicaiJohn TchicaiJohn Martin Tchicai is a Danish jazz saxophonist. He was one of the earliest European free jazz musicians. He is of Danish and Congolese descent....
, saxophone - Kári Sverisson, vocals
- Karin Korpelainen - drums
- Kristian BlakKristian BlakKristian Blak , originally from Fredericia, Denmark, lives in the Faroe Islands where he is a composer, musician, and record executive. He is the founder of the Nordic musical ensemble Yggdrasil ....
, piano - Lelle Kullgren, guitar
- Mia Káradóttir, flute
- Mikael Blak, bass
- Ólavur Øster, guitar
- Rasmus Lyberth, vocal
- Tore Brunborg, saxophone
- Villu Veski, saxophone
Discography
- Den Yderste Ø (HJF 12, Tutl 1981) - poems by William HeinesenWilliam HeinesenAndreas William Heinesen was a poet, composer and painter from the Faroe Islands.- His Writing :The Faroese capital Tórshavn is always the centre of Heinesen's writing. He is famous for having once called Tórshavn "The Navel of the World". His writing focuses on contrasts between darkness and...
- Ravnating (HJF 13, Tutl 1982) - dia show by Philippe Carré
- Heygar og Dreygar - folk belief of the Faroe Islands, paper collages from William Heinesen /
The Four Towers ballet based on the poem "Barnetegning" by William Heinesen (HJF 15/19, Tutl 1985) - Concerto Grotto - with Faroese nature as a musical partner /
Drangar - music written to the "sculpture" in Faroese nature (HJF 33, Tutl 1984 / 1993) - Brøytingar (HJF 21, Tutl 1988) - concept and artworks by Ole Wich
- Yggdrasil (HJF 88, Tutl 2002) - featuring Eivør PálsdóttirEivør PálsdóttirEivør Pálsdóttir is a Faroese singer/songwriter with a distinct voice and a wide range of interests in many kinds of music from rock, jazz, folk, pop, to European classical music. Her roots are in the Faroese ballads....
- Live in Rudolstadt (HJF 99, Tutl 2004) - featuring Eivør PálsdóttirEivør PálsdóttirEivør Pálsdóttir is a Faroese singer/songwriter with a distinct voice and a wide range of interests in many kinds of music from rock, jazz, folk, pop, to European classical music. Her roots are in the Faroese ballads....
(live recording from the 2003 TFF Rudolstadt) - The Tübingen Concert (2 DVD, HJF 122DVD, Tutl 2005) - live recording at the University Hospital TübingenTübingenTübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
(GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) - Risastova (HJF 111, Tutl 2006 ) - featuring Kári Sverrisson, as well as the suite "Vágatunnilin" (Tunnel Music)
- Askur (2 CD, HJF 133, Tutl 2007) - live recordings 1982-2006