1. Event: Tanzimpro/Balfolk Workshop in Múltí Kúltí

    When: Saturday the 26th of March 15:00 until 18:00

    Where: Múltí Kúltí, Barónsstígur 3, Reykjavík

    What:

    Tanzimpro (“Traditional European Dance-improvisation, also known as “balfolk” or “eurodance”) is a form of music and dance which has evolved all over Europe for centuries, and continues to do so today. Casting aside the nationalism, gender roles and silly costumes so commonly associated with “folk dance”, tanzimpro focuses on the intense, flowing connection between dancers, music and musicians as everyone involved improvises and reacts to each other.

    If that sounds like fun, come along and learn the basic grooves for a variety of common dances (wickler/slängpolska, schottisch, polka, waltz, mazurka, polska… if we have time!) as well as techniques for building connection with your partner and the music, and ideas for improvisation and variations.

    No need to bring a dance partner along if you don’t have one, you’ll probably end up dancing with everyone anyway :)

    Entry is free, donations for the musicians and dance leader are gladly accepted.

    Who:

    Barnaby Walters (Hodgepig, Buzz, Duo Gerhardt & Walters) is a hurdy gurdy player and builder who, after spending ten years playing various folk and traditional music, discovered tanzimpro two years ago and wondered what he had been doing with his life for the previous eight years. Trying to make up for lost time, he has since danced and played for dancing in Iceland, Turkey, France, England, Germany and Austria, most recently as half of Duo Gerhardt & Walters.

    Benjamin Bech (Bech and Bomholt, PÚLK, Vildspil, Tyrolerband) is an excellent dancer and clarinet player from Denmark, currently researching Icelandic traditional dance music.

  2. Video: Benjamin Bech playing Icelandic dance tunes at VAKA 2015:

    https://youtu.be/bBxX0JYgnq4

    These tunes are three of the pieces of music Benjamin has discovered whilst researching old dance music known to have been played in Iceland. All three feel to me like polkas, although the second (“ræll”) could probably be played as a schottish too.

  3. Anyone know the name/origin/lyrics of a probably English xmas-themed folk song with this chorus:

    Bring in the green bring in the green
    for it is our desire
    to celebrate the holiday
    with food and drink and fire

    Various google searchings reveal nothing, and I never got a copy of the lyrics.

  4. tradition.is was thoroughly enjoyable and filled with excellent music+dancing — met new friends, learned new tunes+dances+singing styles and generally had a good time. Longer blog post upcoming, for now here’s my post-festival :

    Not all necessarily related to the festival, but learned about in the duration. Amusingly, last.fm/music/BLM has a big photo of the BLM which performed at tradition.is, but is about someone completely different!