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Arne & Asbjørg
Sølvberg and Kjell Plassen
These are three important names in the world of traditional
Norwegian folk music and dance.
Arne M. Sølvberg (b. 1950) comes from Stryn in
Nordfjord, a neighboring community to Skjåk. He plays both
the flat fiddle and the Hardanger fiddle at a high national level,
and has won the Landskappleik and Spellemannsprisen (Norwegian
Grammy) for his solo CD, "Nordfjordslåttar".
He also plays the wooden flute and the mouth organ. He studied
folk dance at the university in Trondheim. Arne has pursued being
a professional free-lance folk-musician in addition to being
a sheep farmer. In recent years he has taken many trips over
Stryn mountain to play together with Kjell Plassen in Skjåk.
The duo goes under the name of "Jakup" and has become
popular as instructors at Grotlitreffen, Springfestival in Skjåk,
and at the Førde International Folk Music Festival.
Asbjørg Hustveit Sølvberg.
(b. 1950) Was born in Fjaler in Sunnfjord, but now lives in Stryn
and works in a nursery school. Asbjorg has been a folk dancer
her whole life. She and Arne met in the folk dance community
in Oslo in the 1970's and they now have been married for 32 years.
They have taught folk dance for many years, and the family tradition
is continuing through their three children who are now grown
and are among some of the best folk dancers in the country. Asbjørg
and Arne won the Landskappleik for Dans in 2004 for their springdance
from Nordfjord.
Kjell Plassen (b. 1940) comes from Skjåk in Gudbrandsdalen.
He had an early beginning in music, playing the two-row button
accordion and became a master on that instrument. Then the chromatic
accordion became more popular, so today that is the one he usually
plays. Kjell became a much sought-after carpenter and master-builder,
but now during his retirement, his accordion playing has seen
a new flowering. He has especially explored the rich round-dance
tradition (waltz, reinlander, polka, and mazurka) in Skjåk.
Kjell's great-great grandfather was none other than the fiddling
legend himself, Fel-Jakup (1821 1876). Many of his relatives
have immigrated to America, so maybe some of them will come to
Nisswa to meet Kjell?
Jump
to Arne's webpage
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