#40 - Kjell Braaten

The Nordic Sound

Send us a text

In Nordic Sound #40, Jameson is joined by Kjell Braaten to talk about Kjell’s approach to skaldic performance and his recent collaboration on the beautiful Lithuanian sutartines project with Stuba and Skaidra Jančaité as part of an ongoing mission to preserve and revitalize Lithuanian communal singing tradition.
Key topics in this conversation include Kjell telling why skaldic tradition inspires him, how music is a form of active and communal remembering of the past, if viking music can ever be authentic, and a deeper discussion about the value of celebrating the living traditions around us that are at risk of being lost.
Jameson Foster is an ethnomusicologist at the University of Colorado Boulder specializing in Nordic music traditions with a focus on pagan revivalism.
0:00 Introduction
1:20 Skaldic music
12:53 Do limitation help creativity?
23:32 Making mistakes as a solo performer
28:59 Sources for skaldic performance
38:00 Music as memory
49:00 Sutartines and Stuba
58:26 What are Sutartines?
1:06:00 Serendipitous Meeting
1:11:14 Living Lithuanian traditions
1:22:00 Why vikings?
Previous interview with Kjell:
Nordic Sound #8 - https://youtu.be/Ch6-4uCUT00
The Nordic Sound is supported by its patrons:
Alex
George
Bets
Carrie
Gen
Leigh
Mike
Cindy
Clayton
Drake
Eric
Jamie
Julia
Mary
Michael
Sean
Simon
Dan
You too can support the project at patreon.com/nordicsound

Support the show

The Nordic Sound is supported by its patrons over on Patreon.com/nordicsound
The Nordic Sound is supported by its patrons:
George
Bets
Carrie
Gen
Leigh
Mike
Cindy
Clayton
Drake
Eric
Jamie
Julia
Mary
Michael
Michael
Sean
Simon
Tony