| Ellika Frisell is one of the leading exponents of Swedish fiddling, born and bred in Stockholm. Also a highly respected teacher, she has always been open to new ideas, up for the exploration of other music outside of Scandinavia and this results in a highly individual style. This style is rooted in the music of the Bingsjö tradition and the music of luminaries such as Ole Hjorth, Jonny Soling, Nils Agenmark and Päkkos Gustav.
Her musical mark is unmistakeable within the many groundbreaking groups she has played with - notably Filarfolket (one of the most adventurous of the early Swedish roots revival), Kapell Frisell, Den Fule and more recently Rosenbergs Sjua.
She has won international acclaim for her work with the Senegalese kora player Solo Cissokho and she cites the Indian violinist K. Shivakumar as a great inspiration, whose music and ideas she uses both in performance and teaching.
It's hard to describe the magical quality of Ellika's music captured succinctly on this CD: there is always an elegance, a mischevious dance-like quality to her phrasing which keeps you entranced. Her attention to precise ornamentation and depth of tone while retaining a delicacy of atmosphere is breathtaking. |