Biography

JOHAN HEDIN and ESBJÖRN HAZELIUS are each among the formost folk musicians of Sweden today, and have ever since the formation of the duo Hazelius Hedin in 2008 made a great impact on the Scandinavian folk scene. With the sounds of the nyckelharpa, octave nyckelharpa, cittern, guitar and violino d'amore along with Esbjörn’s heart-warming voice, Hazelius Hedin evoke their unmistakable, deeply touching version of the Swedish folk music, offering the listener a winding journey through the borderland between past and present. Esbjörn Hazelius and Johan Hedin both grew up in the south of Sweden, where the traditional couple dance polska is prevailing. Hazelius Hedins latest release SILVERDALEN is a collection of music from widely different eras. Medieval ballads, emigrant songs, peasants tall tales and dance tunes from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries along with new composed instrumental an vocal music create a liberating span. In "Wrångel" we meet the farmer faced with the maid's unreasonable demands for gold rings, large quantities of beer and nightly bed company. "Den som frisker är och sund", traced back to the 17th century, is surprisingly current with its theme of the importance of a good health. Similar to the previous three albums , the recordings on Silverdalen consist solely of sounds from the acoustic worlds of Johan Hedin: nyckelharpa & octave nyckelharpa, and Esbjörn Hazelius: vocals, cittern, guitar & violino d’amore.