Frigg

"...this is the essence of what the Finnish fiddling fuss is about. The band flies, in a mix of traditional and their own tunes, all shapely, ingenious and delivered with acute mastery and massive swing and energy."

 

Andrew Cronshaw used these descriptions when reviewing Frigg’s debut album for one of the most prominent world music publications, fRoots magazine, in 2002. Having reached almost 20 years of age, the passing years have seen the septet amass quite peerless curriculum vitae.

 

Frigg has been conquering the world with a fusion of western folk music styles leaning strongly towards Nordic folk music, for which the world music media has coined the term nordgrass, referring to the bluegrass influences of the group. The tight interplay of four violins, string instruments and contrabass, fine-tuned to perfection and spiced with sparkling, humorous live-energy has made an impact on listeners all over the world.

 

Apart from countless European tours, the notches on Frigg’s collective belt include seven North American tours. Many well-known festivals have been marked on their extensive tour map. For example, Celtic Connections, WOMADelaide, Rainforest World Music Festival and Cambridge Folk Festival have all invited the group over for a performance – and the list of festivals could go on endlessly. Via TV and radio, Frigg has reached audiences of millions with their performances in A Prairie Home Companion live radio show and NHK World Japan channel’s El Mundo program.

 

During its existence Frigg has released nine albums. The album “Polka V” from 2012 was chosen the folk music record of the year and a Teosto Prize nominee in Finland. Among the most notable world music publications Songlines has singled out three of the group’s albums for its “Top of the World” chart, and on top of that fRoots, SingOut! and Rhythms have drawn attention to the group several times with extensive features and

praising reviews.

 

Frigg will celebrate their 20th anniversary by releasing its tenth album in January 2020. The band will also take it’s music to completely new dimensions by touring and performing oven-fresh arrangements of classic Frigg melodies together with Finland’s leading symphony orchestras and conductor Jaakko Kuusisto.

 

The originally Finnish-Norwegian group has become wholly Finnish, but Nordic influences remain strong. The delicate and beautiful Scandinavian tone language has been dipped in BBQ sauce and it is being served fresh with pálinka, to be enjoyed in good company. Frigg is proudly its own entity, now more so than ever!