Conversation with Scandinavian folk band Spælimenninir

Spælimenninir is a lively group of six musicians that play traditional and contemporary folk music from Scandinavia. The group’s home base is the Faroe Islands, but Spælimenninir is not strictly a Faroese band, neither in personnel nor music. Having played together for over 45 years, the current line-up includes one native Faroese, two Americans and three Danes. This international collaboration has resulted in a varied repertoire, which reflects each member’s heritage and illustrates the links between the music traditions of the Scandinavian countries and the United States. In 2023, during their visit to Washington to play in the American Folklife Center’s Homegrown Concert Series, three members, each originally from a different country, spoke with Stephen Winick of the Library of Congress: Kristian Blak (piano), Sharon Weiss (recorder) and Ívar Bærentsen (guitar & mandolin). They gave their perspective on the group, the Faroe Islands, and Scandinavian music and culture.

For transcript and more information, visit https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-10880