Gjallarhorn

Gjallarhorn features world music that is firmly rooted in the Swedish folk music of Finland, as well as the Norwegian and the Swedish traditions. Its talented performers offer the listener a personal, punchy, and yet nuanced, sound-world which rings to the echoes of the ancient Scandinavian folk traditions.

Through their intense and witty interpretations, allied to an innovative combination of instruments, the group creates a fascinating landscape around their mythical medieval ballads, hymns and whirling minuets.

Gjallarhorn's dynamic and expressive arrangements of world music have brought the old Nordic tonalities to modern audiences within fields as diverse as jazz, rock and world music.

As one of the leading exports within the field of Nordic music, the group also frequently tours the international arena, appearing in leading world music festivals.

Gjallarhorn has been fêted in many countries. Honours received include the coveted French "LaMonde de la Musique CHOC" and "Trad Magazine Bravos!!!" awards.

• Jenny Wilhelms - lead vocal, violin, hardanger fiddle
• Adrian Jones - viola, mandola, kalimba
• Göran Månsson - various wind instruments
• Petter Berndalen - various percussion

The narrative of Gjallarhorn's songs spring primarily from Nordic mythology. The Gjallarhorn (pronounced "Yallarhorn") is the horn with which the gatekeeper god, Heimdal, sent messages from the gods of Asgård to the mortals of Midgård. The name of the horn is related to the word gjala, which means 'to shout' or 'to sing out.' Sjofn, their second release, is named for the love goddess, an enchantress with a seductive voice. It is said that her voice has magical qualities causing people to forget their fear that there is not enough love for all. Her skin is smooth like an otter and her eyes shift colors.

Gjallarhorn on Sjofn
"Sjofn is an ancient Scandinavian goddess who awakens love and passion between people. She is the guardian of this recording where the lyrics feature meetings between lovers of both a human and spiritual kind. She is also a protector of the annual spring feasts that were celebrated in the Nordic countries in days of old. Bonfires were lit to honor both her and her fertility-goddess sisters every spring in the hope that they would sow seeds of love and grow in man and soil, bringing love and a good harvest to the people."

Check out the band's website at www.gjallarhorn.com

Discography

1997 (reissued 2003): Ranarop/The Call of the Sea Witch Orig. Warner Finlandia, now Vindauga Music (Finland) VDMCD902
2000: Sjofn, Vindauga Music (Finland) RANARCD 1, NorthSide (U.S.) NSD 6052
2002: Grimborg Vindauga Music (Finland) VDMCD 802, NorthSide (U.S.) NSD 6071

The Word on Gjallarhorn

• "a melodic mystical tour." - Utne Reader
• "...reaches you through the language barrier with effortless beauty and strength." - Rootsworld
• "...this is full-blooded, gutsy beauty." - Folk Roots (Oct. 2000)
• "This is the new image of world music" - Folk Roots
• "A thoroughly Pagan delight..." - All Music Guide
• "This quartet of Finns...hits with the power of a fierce Nordic wind. " - Fiddler
• "Gjallarhorn creates a dramatic and distinctive 'wall of sound.'" - Sing Out!
• "...this enchanting recording is one that should not be missed by any adventurous fan of modern world music." - CDNow
• "From her fierce kulning to her honeyed purring, she practically stirs from the flames the ancient fertility goddess Sjofn." - City Pages
• "(Sjofn)...an album that constantly amazes with its depth." - amazon.com
• "It is only with great difficulty that I tear myself away from this disc to review anything else." - Jon Davis, Exposé
• "This group fuses contemporary and traditional music to create a unique experience." Horizont Music /Germany
• "Gjallarhorn has the sound that's most ear-friendly to Westerners, partly due to the lush vocals of Jenny Wilhelms, a folk diva with a Sandy Denny-ish ability to evoke deep emotion." - Tower epulse
• "..like nothing we have heard before by the quartet led by the celestial voice of Jenny Wilhelms; which to my concern, is one of the most revealing female leading voices of the nowadays prog scene and the one that has been eternally consistent... This production is impeccable and a must to unpredictable and audacious proggers. You'll get hooked on their music." - Prog Archives
• "Don't ask me to pick a favorite track. Ask me to pick a favorite album, and Sjofn now gets serious consideration." - Musiczone
• "This is one well-thought-out musical vision that makes for a surprisingly diverse listen -one in which multi-instrumentalists carefully choose combinations of instruments and textures for each piece." - CMJ New Music Report
• "It's got lush vocals, primal rhythms, richly textured instrumentals, haunting melody, all wrapped up into one of the most beautiful musical packages I've heard all year." - Green Man Review
• "That Wilhelms is a major star is beyond doubt, and that this band deserves massive success goes without saying. Brilliant." - Mondo Mix