Search - Kirsten Braten Berg :: From Senegal to Setesdal

Born of a chance backstage meeting, From Senegal to Setesdal marries the golden tones of Kirsten Bråten Berg (Norway's premier folk vocalist) with European mouth harp and the West African do-do (mouth-bow) and djembe (drum) player Kouame Sereba. Along with kora, Solo Cissokho's 21-stringed harp, Berg and her cohorts have created a sound of stunning grace and authenticity, performing traditional European melodies, West African lullabies, and a handful of folk tunes that are a mellifluous conjoining of elements rather than the overwrought fusion one might expect. Each member of the quartet sings, and while Berg is assuredly the best-known vocalist, the throaty tones of the men complement her richness with contrapuntal melodies, at times flowing seamlessly from one tongue to another. But the secret ingredient here is the presence of dual mouth harps, each providing rich texture, ambient drone, and mystical vibrations, each note a bread crumb on the path toward home. --Paige La Grone