It is early on New Years eve 2020-21, in my oven a Moroccan tagine is simmering with a delicious vegan meal that I am looking forward to eat a little later in the evening, in the fridge I have a bottle of København Kombucha brewed on Oolong tea, which is going to be my champagne, and on Spotify the Milanese mezzo soprano Cecilia Bartoli is singing Rossini.
My youngest son Carl Alfred moved to Valby with his girlfriend this fall, and he is now preparing himself for the last few months at Frederiksberg Gymnasium. My oldest son Svend Alfred was home for a couple of month in the fall, befor sailing via Poland to Berlin to work there. While I am writing this, he is on his way to Portugal to work on a little ships yard near Lisbon. Both boys are happy despite all challenges, and I am very proud of both of them.
As we all know it has been a strange year with political disturbance, and Corona virus all over the world, the latter resulting in a complete halt to nearly all travel and touring activity.
I think this i probably the first time in 35 years that haven’t been outside the borders of Denmark for a full year, and even thou I really don’t miss especially the airports and the flights, I still do miss getting around with my music, meeting my Danish as well as my international friends and acquaintances.
I have spend the time on developing, organizing, recording and editing podcasts about folk music, on composing and recording music, and on preparing on better times when we can get out performing our music again.
My main podcast is called Katten i Sækken (The Cat in the Bag) and it is about what is happening on the Danish folk and trad scene right now. It has been coming out every month since 2014, and it will continue in 2021, supported by amongst others the Danish genrer organisation Tempi, and the The Danish Arts Foundation. Thank you so much for that!
2020 was the year when singer and percussionist Mia Guldhammer and I was supposed to record our debut album at the small but exclusive festival Musik over Præstø Fjord, but the Danish festivals was cancelled, and now we are recording at Louise Nippers Soundscape Studio at Frederiksberg in Copenhagen, featuring a team of great guest musicians.
The video above we did record in November in a very old jail situated next to an old church at Kastellet (The Fortress) at Østerbro in Copenhagen. Vi are singing an old song called Hyttevisen, together with the lovely soprano saxophone player Charlotte Anderson, who is also going to appear on our new album.
This link will take you to our fund raising page on Indiegogo.com, where you will get much more info – we very much appreciate your support. Thank you so much!
We do expect to release our debut album during the spring 2021, an we are very much looking forward to that.
Now we are all waiting for the new year to bring happiness, hope and relatively normal conditions so that we can all get out playing, singing and dancing. And with this innocent but deeply felt wish for the new year, I bid you goodby and see you later out there where the music lives. Now it is time to eat my delicious meal. Best wishes!