Bazar Blå

Bazar Blå – three master musicians from Sweden who have spent the last twenty years refining their sound and defining a space of their own in the world music scene. To celebrate 2016 they will release their 6th album and premiere a fully new repertoire.

Bazar Blå creates new music that manages to be just as Swedish as it is globally irresistible. Using percussion, bass-guitars, bass-mandola and nyckelharpa - an ancient Swedish folk instrument – this trio has many addictive ways of spellbinding listeners.

2016 marks their 20th anniversary as a trio. To celebrate this remarkable collaboration they have created a totally new repertoire, which will be released as their 6th album. Seven very intense years since their last recording serve as the backdrop of an extraordinary musical road trip and this next evolutionary step of Bazar Blå’s unique sound.

Over the last few years the trio’s existence has been far from obvious. However, on the edge of giving up, some important experiences once again proved that the musical magic is just as addictive as when the first steps were taken. So - dear listener - Bazar Blå are ready for new adventures!

“The role of Swedish musicians and their impact on the world’s music scene is undeniable. Bazar Blå is yet another proof of the thriving and prosperous musical culture of the nordic countries. The virtuosos of this trio offer a palette of unique sounds and a deep intimacy that no listener can avoid relating to. Although loyal and respectful to their Swedish roots, Bazar Blå humbly shapes their boundary-free musical net so fine that ears become keen to get caught in it!”
Ramin Sadighi – Hermes Records, Iran - Winner of WOMEX 15 Professional Excellence Award

The Collaborations:

As frequent travellers through cultural and geographical landscapes, these three musicians are also frequent collaborators with many world-renowned artists outside of Bazar Blå.
Björn is an integral part of the Tunisian Oud magician Anouar Brahem’s latest projects but feels just as comfortable in the heavily groove oriented music of Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin. Johan brings his unique musicality into collaborations with multi instrumentalist Esbjörn Hazelius, concert organist Gunnar Idenstam and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra while Fredrik provide unmistakeable magic to a wide array of boundary-crossing productions. Dance-performances at stages such as the Düsseldorf Opera House as well as the music of Algerian singer Karima Nayt all thrive in his rhythmical universe.

Similar to how ants build their hills - Bazar Blå is the common “hill” where even the most unlikely influences can be brought in, analyzed and transformed into new shapes refining the art of the trio.

The Recordings:

Their debut album from 1998 “Nordic City” was directly nominated for a Grammy in Sweden and has become a modern classic for generations of musicians in and out of the Swedish folk-music scene. The second CD - “Tripfolk” (2000) - contains the irresistible Dance.schott.is and stylistic experiments such as BB Cool and was followed by “Live”, recorded in Switzerland 2003. “Nysch” (2004) was also nominated for a Grammy and won the Danish Music Awards as best foreign folk-album. Their latest release - “Lost” - was released in 2009 in spite of that all original recordings where stolen before the final mixing could start – one forgotten copy of rough-mixes was found in a friends car and could be saved!

The Musicians:

Fredrik Gille has spent decades traveling the Middle East, Europe, North Africa and Latin America in the pursuit of percussion - its traditions, instruments, playing techniques and musicians. A true aficionado, handpicking each instrument in his ever developing set-up according to what characteristic nuances the specific music or dance production needs. At the same time always caring about what new sound-scapes will inspire his surrounding. The rhythmical landscapes of Bazar Blå are just one of many examples of his artistry.

Johan Hedin has mastered every aspect of the Nyckelharpa. His way of using and developing this ancient instrument has made him a role model for many – both younger and older players. New constructions and technical solutions to accommodate highly set musical standards are constantly on the drawing board of this creative musician. Musically he also follows a bidirectional path. On the one hand digging through many hundred-years old manuscripts in search of forgotten traditional dance repertoire and on the other, using these traditions as a springboard to new music in collaborations with musicians from other genres.

Björn Meyer is a passionate creator of ways to expand the musical potential of the bass. The instruments he uses – six-string acoustic and electric bass guitars and bass-mandola, developed through years of discussions with master luthiers and string makers - are as unique as the way he plays them. In order to express musical ideas he often finds the use for unseen and self-invented playing techniques but also specially designed electronic possibilities, which all become unmistakeable trademarks of his style and make him an integral part of the sound of any project he takes part in.