Krilja's latest album "Sosnitsa: Roma Music from Russia & Eastern Europe" has just charted on the prestigious Transglobal World Music Chart, entering in at #40! 

The album is available for streaming from Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube Music and all the others. It is also available for paid download from Bandcamp (full cover art & booklet included as bonus material). Physical copies can be ordered from cdon.com and bengans.com, or from our own webshop.

Check it out today!

The world music trio Salamander releases its third album with music from various Jewish traditions - from passionate Sephardic folk songs and somber Hasidic spirituals to joyous klezmer tunes!

On October 19 2023 the trio Salamander – based in Gothenburg, Sweden – will release their third album entitled “Jojnes Trojm: Music from Jewish Traditions & Beyond”. The repertory consists partly of klezmer music, but the main purpose of the album is to highlight other Jewish music traditions which are less well known to the general public. For example, the album contains Sephardic folk songs from the Mediterranean region which originate in the musical tradition of the Jews of medieval Spain, as well as spiritual songs from the tradition of the Hasidic Jews. The lyrics of the songs are in Ladino which is the language of the Sephardic Jews, as well as Yiddish and Hebrew. In addition to the Jewish repertory, there is also some early music from the Renaissance and Baroque eras on the album performed in a “folkified” style, as well as a couple of songs from non-Jewish folk music traditions. The main focus of the album, however, is on traditional Jewish music. The album was recorded in Studio Epidemin in Gothenburg, Sweden, in January 2023, with Johannes Lundberg as recording technician. Johannes Lundberg has also mixed and mastered the album, and he is also featured as a guest musician on double bass.

Salamander was founded in the year 2010, and has since then performed in a wide variety of settings – from intimate café stages to culture centres, museums and folk music festivals all over Sweden. The first album received enthusiastic reviews when it was released in 2014, and likewise the second album “Como La Rosa” which was released in 2018. “Como La Rosa” has also been featured on radio stations all over the world.

The album’s title track “Jojnes Trojm” is an instrumental tune written by the group’s fiddle player Jonas Liljeström. The title of the tune is in Yiddish and means “Jonas’ Dream” – the reason being that Jonas heard the melody in a dream.

The production of the album has been financed in part by a grant from Katz judiska kulturfond (The Katz Jewish Culture Foundation).

Physical copies of the album will be available for purchase from our own webshop as well as in the webshop at Bengans.se (overseas orders available). It will shortly become available in other webshops and stores too. It will also be available for streaming from Spotify, Apple Music and others, and for paid downloads from Bandcamp.

Click this link to pre-order the album on Bandcamp today!

The Gothenburg based world music trio Krilja releases its second album with Roma/Gypsy music from Russia and Eastern Europe. Tradition and innovation come together in passionate Roma songs about suffering and love!

On October 27 2023 the world music trio Krilja will release their second album entitled “Sosnitsa: Roma Music from Russia & Eastern Europe”. With this album, Krilja highlights an aspect of the musical treasure of the Roma people which is less known than the Balkan/South East European tradition which is represented by performers such as Taraf de Haïdouks and Goran Bregovic, and they do it in their own way. The group doesn’t try to imitate anyone – they define their own unique sound, but always with affection and respect for the tradition from which the music originates. The mood of the music varies between melancholy and ecstasy. The lyrics, which are mostly in Romanes but also in Russian and Romanian in a couple of cases, tell of sorrow and pain but also of joy, love and vitality.

Krilja was founded in the year 2010 by Marita Johansson. She is a tireless activist for Roma culture who since the early 90s has collected almost forgotten Roma songs and added them to her repertory. She sings many other kinds of folk music as well, including songs from various Jewish traditions including Sephardic songs and spiritual songs from the Hasidic tradition. The other members Jonas Liljeström and Emil Pernblad also have a long experience of playing Roma music as well as many other styles.

The album was recorded in Studio Epidemin in Gothenburg, Sweden in February of 2023 with Johannes Lundberg as recording technician. Johannes also did the mixing and mastering, and he features as guest musician on the album as well.

Physical copies of the album will be available for purchase from our own webshop (it will be made available in more outlets shortly). It will also be available for streaming from Spotify, Apple Music and others, and for paid downloads from Bandcamp.

Click this link to pre-order the album on Bandcamp today!

40 years after his first LP "Drinkin' at the Bar" - 46 years and ten vinyl and cd records now comes "Roy on the Hill", featuring 12 of his own compositions - songs of experience, and the ups and downs of life and love. The music on this record reflects the influences Billy has absorbed over the years - Irish, Scottish and American folk music, rockabilly, country, blues - roots music.

"Roy on the Hill" was recorded at Nobel Studios, Gothenburg, Sweden, engineered and produced by Dan Johansson and is released Billy’s and Slàinte’s own label Beejayzus Music. The release date is May 1, 2023. It will be on sale at all music outlets including digital (Spotify, iTunes, Amazon etc).

Billy Jones began playing in rock/pop bands in the early 60's, aged 15. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, of Irish ancestry, he grew up in Bathgate which was - in those days - a busy industrial, steel, mining and railroading town in the Scottish Lowlands. He had a long and varied career in Scotland with thousands of gigs throughout Europe and America. He now lives and works in Sweden, with regular home concerts at the Edinburgh Festival.

Billy’s regular band is Slàinte. The core of this group of musicians is Billy (guitar, vocals) and Jonas Liljeström (fiddle, percussion).

Roy on the Hill can be heard on Spotify here, and on Youtube Music here.

A review in the online magazine Americana Highways can be read here.