In Setesdal, southern Norway, playing, dancing, and singing (stev/stevjing) is an integral part of the traditional practice of music and dance. The melodies are named after dance tunes called gangar, and they are mostly dance tunes. Usually, the melodies of the ‘stev’ songs are played on instruments, and the lyrics describe the practitioners' dancing or playing.
The melodies are related to the “gangar” dance and are mostly dance tunes. The lyrics describe the dancing or playing of the practitioners. There are a series of songs called ‘Stev’ that are often sung in between dancing and playing, either by a solo singer or by two or more singing in a dialogue with each other known as stevjing.
The dance is performed by solo couples, multiple couples, or multiple couples in a clockwise circle with a change of dance partners. It can be performed in either a modest way or with a lot of intensity. Traditionally, Setesdal is performed on the Hardanger fiddle, Norway's national instrument, and the jaw harp.
Traced back to the 18th century, Setesdal has been in continuous transmission. With new song texts being written for traditional stev tunes and new tunes composed, it's constantly evolving, and is passed down through social gatherings from older expert players to younger ones.
Every summer, Setesdal Folk Music Contest takes place in Rysstad. It's organized by Setesdal Spelemannslag and includes contests, concerts, and workshops featuring a number of top names from the Norwegian folk music scene. The event usually takes place on the weekend at the start of July and August. Culture is at the forefront these days.
People talk about “taking care” of their customs and making them relevant in the digital age. Multipronged efforts are being made to strengthen the arts, teaching Stev in school, organizing “pop-up” concerts to find unexpected audiences, and making irreverent Facebook pages that mix traditional and contemporary culture.
While the older generation is concerned about maintaining the youth's employment, they emphasize the importance of diversifying their economic base. The result is that the historically isolated valley is now opening to visitors, who are insular and recognize that the community's survival depends on diversifying its economic base and sharing Setesdal's natural beauty and cultural wealth with outsiders.
It is a Norwegian folk song, stev has four-line lyric stanzas. The English version is stave, which is a stressed syllable in a metric verse.
The setesdal region in southern Norway, north of Kristiansand, was once known for its ancient traditions, particularly song and dance marked by improvisation and a beat as visceral as the blues.
The practice of traditional music in Setesdal is played by playing (stev or stevjing) instruments, dancing, and singing together (stev/stevjing). The melodies are related to the “gangar” dance and are mostly dance tunes. The lyrics describe the dancing or playing of the practitioners. There are a series of songs called ‘Stev’ that are often sung in between dancing and playing, either by a solo singer or by two or more singing in a dialogue with each other known as stevjing. The lyrics are verses telling stories. The dance is performed by solo couples, multiple couples, or multiple couples in a clockwise circle with a change of dance partners. It can be performed in either a modest way or with a lot of intensity. Traditionally, Setesdal is performed on the Hardanger fiddle, Norway's national instrument, and the jaw harp. This music is traced back to the 18th century and has been in continuous transmission. With new song texts being written for traditional stev tunes and new tunes composed, it is constantly evolving. It is passed down through social gatherings and from older expert players to younger ones.
Every summer, Setesdal Folk Music Contest takes place in Rysstad. It's organized by Setesdal Spelemannslag and includes contests, concerts, and workshops featuring a number of top names from the Norwegian folk music scene. The event usually takes place on the weekend at the start of July and August. Culture is at the forefront these days. People talk about “taking care” of their customs and making them relevant in the digital age. Multipronged efforts are being made to strengthen the arts, teaching Stev in school, organizing “pop-up” concerts to find unexpected audiences, and making irreverent Facebook pages that mix traditional and contemporary culture. While the older generation is concerned about maintaining the youth's employment, they emphasize the importance of diversifying their economic base. The result is that the historically isolated valley is now opening to visitors, who are insular and recognize that the community's survival depends on diversifying its economic base and sharing Setesdal's natural beauty and cultural wealth with outsiders.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/practice-of-traditional-music-and-dance-in-setesdal-playing-dancing-and-singing-stev-stevjing-01432) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stev (https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/05/27/norwegian-folk-music-is-worth-preserving-says-the-un) (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/24/travel/norway-setesdal-fiddle.html) |Subject=dance, Music, Verbal Arts and Literature |Country=Norway |SDG=(08) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities }}