Sweden

Dancing With the Dansband

What is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the music of Sweden? If it’s Swedish House Mafia, you are going to want to read this blog post.

Many popular artist have come from Sweden including '80s bands like ABBA and Ace of Base as well as newly popular musicians such as Miike Snow, Shout Out Louds and José González.

But before Sweden became the starting point for these chart-topping bands and musicians, the country struck its first chords in traditional Nordic folk music along with the other Nordic countries, Scandinavia and Finland.

Nordic folk music began as the dance music for European nobility and is made up of dance rhythms usually in the minor keys. This music was traditionally not simply for listening, but mostly for dancing along with. Most of these dances are accomplished with a partner, but some dances, namely the minuet, can be danced solo. 

The most common instrument used in Nordic music is the fiddle. Other instruments include accordions and clarinets. One of the most widely used instruments in Sweden was the nyckelharpa (a type of fiddle), which has since gone out of fashion and is rarely used in contemporary folk music.

Swedish folk music went through little changes throughout the years until the 1960s, when radio and the television become extremely popular. The Swedish youth propelled a roots revival in Swedish folk music by establishing folk music clubs and bring folk music to the radio and television.

During this time, popular folk music was comprised of mainly instrumental music and focused on the polska, using more contemporary instruments.

Sweden in the 1970s became exposed to dansbandmusik, which is used mostly for dancing in pairs. The Swedish were influenced by the pair dances that had popularized American culture in the 1950s and ‘60s such as the jitterbug and foxtrot. These dances are normally to swing, jazz and rock music, which was a different musical sound for Sweden.

Throughout the decade, dansbandmusik became popular not only for pairs dancing, but also for pure enjoyment. Many dansband musicians and bands began popping up throughout Sweden and included bands like Wizex and Forbes.

It wasn’t until the 1990s that pop began infiltrating the country’s music scene. ABBA is the most popular band to come out of Sweden by gaining international success and becoming the second most successful group ever following The Beatles.

Although many other bands coming from Sweden have gained international recognition in the last two decades, Sweden also has a great underground music scene. The Knife and Jens Lekman are both popular Swedish musicians.

Lars Winnerbäck

Yes, the most popular Swedish musicians sing in English, but I made it a point to find a Swedish-singing musician. Lars Winnerbäck fit the criteria, and I couldn’t be happier that my search led me to this singer/songwriter.

Born in Stockholm, but having grown up in Linköping, Winnerbäck has released 10 studio albums and sings only in Swedish. The solo artist released his first album, Dans med svåra steg, in 1996 and has since become one of the most popular singers in Sweden.

Unless you can understand Swedish, Winnerbäck’s lyrics are incomprehensible. But one thing I love about this artist is the emotion that rings in his lyrics. According to Swedish-speaking sources, Winnerbäck sings mostly of romance and issues in society. For you indie music fans, he is like a Swedish Ben Gibbard. Not bad.

Winnerbäck’s music is largely influenced by Swedish and American musicians of the like including Bob Dylan and the Swedish singer Ulf Lundell (who has non-coincidentally been considered Sweden’s Bob Dylan).

Much of Winnerbäck’s music is on acoustic guitar and has a mellow, contemplative tone to it. Since gaining popularity in the ‘90s, the singer has landed multiple spots on the official Swedish Albums Chart. 

The musician has been writing, releasing and performing music for about 15 years now, having released his most recent album, Utanför Album 1, in 2012.

Ireland

Dancing the Jig

Irish music has one of the most distinct cultural sounds. Like many other countries with a strong traditional musical influence, the Irish incorporate dancing along with their music. 

The most well known Irish dance is the jig, which is an upbeat folksy dance. The instrumentals include the flute, fiddle and accordion. From the very beginning of Irish folk music to today, the Irish use pretty much any excuse to dance and play music. This happens most commonly at weddings, holidays, street parades and even small events like someone’s birthday.

Besides the jig, polkas and waltzes are other types of Irish dances. The instrumentals include the guitar and bodhrán, which is a type of drum. 

Other than the lively string-based instrumentals, Irish musicians are also unmistakable by their richly accented vocals. Some of the more purely Irish musicians are The Clancy Brothers and The Dubliners, who became known around the 1960s and have since become popular in the US.

In the latter portion of the 1900s, traditional Irish music began making way for Western styles of music including rock and even R&B. The Irish musician Van Morrison is particularly known for incorporating soul and jazz into his music.

It is no secret that the Irish are closely related to drinking and partying at pubs. A popular place for traditional Irish music and dance are pub sessions, which are simply informal gatherings or “parties” at local pubs. One of the pubs most famous for these pub sessions is O’Donoghues in Dublin, which began in the 1960s. 

Irish music has come a long way, but traditional sounds have remained very distinct in Irish songs. Although many recent Irish-American musicians tend toward more modern music, the Irish roots are evident. 

People of Irish descent in both the native country and other countries including America celebrate this part of the culture in music and in dance. 

Flogging Molly

The majority of bands descending from Ireland are English-singing musicians, and one of the most popular Irish-American bands is Flogging Molly.

The seven-member Celtic band actually hails from Los Angeles, but the lead vocalist, Dave King, was born in Dublin. Since forming in 1997, Flogging Molly has released five studio albums and one live album.  

The Irish-punk band has had an extensive career, participating in the Warped Tour, the American Fléadh Festival and has sold over a million records.

Although Flogging Molly’s lyrics are in English, the band utilizes mostly traditional Irish instrumentals. King also has a gruff Irish accent, distinguishing the band from other punk rock bands. 

Most of the band’s music is upbeat and often clamorous, with folksy influences and heavy percussion. Staying true to King’s Celtic roots, the band writes mostly pirate-themed songs such as “Seven Deadly Sins” and “Drunken Lullabies.”

Flogging Molly has been influenced by eighties Irish bands including The Pogues and The Clash, which also have a punk-Irish sound. 

Ukraine

Patriotism in its Best Form

Although Ukraine’s independence only dates back to the early nineties, the Eastern European country has a rich musical history. 

Many traditional Ukrainian folk songs include instruments such as the bandura (a lute-like string instrument), the violin and the sopilka (a duct flute). Many musical ensembles are made up of three instrumentalists and usually include some type of vocals. 

The music of Ukraine as well as the dances make up a large part of the country’s history and culture. Each region of Ukraine is accompanied by a specific style of music and dance. For example, a dance referred to as the Kolomeyka originated in the small western Ukrainian town, Kolomyia. The Hopak is another traditional Ukrainian dance and is often considered the national dance of Ukraine. 

Along with being known for lively dance tunes, Ukraine’s music can also be very melancholy. Many male singers are distinguished for their deep bass vocals, while the women typically shine with tremendous vocal ranges. 

It is no secret that Ukraine’s national history has been tumultuous. Under cruel Russian dictatorship for many years, the people of Ukraine delved into many art forms and found comfort and pride in their nationalistic forms of music, dance and even poetry. Therefore, many traditional songs include a large sense of patriotism.

Ruslana

Ruslana Lyzhychko is currently the most prominent symbol of Ukrainian pop music today. The singer is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest of 2004 as well as her status as People’s Artist of Ukraine. 

The musician who is originally from Lviv, Ukraine began her career as the winner of a song competition and was awarded Music Video of the Year in 1996.

She released her first full-length album, Myt Vesny - Dzvinkyi Viter (A Moment of Spring - Wind Bells), in 1998, receiving high praise. 

Ruslana’s most popular project to date is the powerful and inspiring album, Dyki Tansi (Wild Dances). The album was released in June 2003, and it was the first five-time platinum and best-selling album ever in Ukraine.

The concept album is greatly inspired by Ukraine’s traditional folk music sounds. For example, the album is focused around a Hutsul music sound. The Hutsul region of western Ukraine, where Ruslana’s father was raised, has a more distinct culture from the rest of Ukraine. The music is dominated by powerful drum beats and a rich and structured sound. 

The majority of Ruslana’s album is dominated by this style in combination with more modern dance rhythms.

Ruslana has released seven Ukrainian albums and four English studio albums. Another factor that supplements her popularity is her energetic and entertaining dance moves on the stage as well as her artistic music videos that she produces herself.