KVAD-DANS FRÅN FÄRÖARNA
DANCED BALLAD FROM THE FAROE ISLANDS
Caprice records, 1978, CAP 1148
There are some places in the world which are really unic because of their location, their history, their inhabitants and their culture. The Faroe Islands are one them. This archipelago has been autonomous since 1948 within the kingdom of Denmark. We don't know much about the first settlers (maybe monks from Scotland) but it is pretty sure that the first Scandinavians arrived there around 650 AD not from Scandinavia itself but from Scandinavian settlements in the Orkney Islands or the Shetland. The people speak Faroese and Danish.
What is really striking culturally speaking is the practice of the kvad-dans, a long ballad sung and danced by many people in a long chain and ponctuated by the dancers' feet. There are lead singers (one or several) in order to secure the unrolling of the dance. Here only excerpts are proposed because these ballads or poetry are quite long telling stories about old kings or heroes. It is believed that that practice became part of the local culture in the fourteenth century coming from the continent. During the Middle Ages in France for example people used to sing and dance simultenaously whether they were ordinary villagers or nobles in their castles. It was called ''bransle'' in old French. Some dances based on the bransle characteristics are still alive especially in Brittany where traditionally two singers led the dance among the dancers (the picture on the back cover shows dancers linked to each other as people do in Brittany). That practice of singing in the dance disappeared with the introduction of the microphones and stages among other reasons. The difference in the Faroe Islands is that anybody can sing along if he knows the lyrics. The English part of the presentation text is detailed enough about the songs and their historical background, the languages used as well as the names of some lead singers. A booklet is part of the album with all the lyrics and some accounts in Swedish about the life of the Faroese society.
It is very impressive although we don't understand anything but those old stories mean something to the people. Side B recorded in 1978 features male voices mingled with the voices of women and children. Kvad-dans is more than a simple entertainment; it is a strong way of keeping one's identity as islanders. The more I listen to it the more I enjoy it although it is possible to get bored quickly. As for any kind of repetitive music the point is the longer the better.
The Swedish label Caprice was established in 1971 and is now Musikverket.
No comments:
Post a Comment