This spring Fasching launches a concert series celebrating the unsung heroes behind the music – four Swedish independent labels that play a crucial role in the country’s music scene. Over four nights, we highlight labels that represent everything from classic and avant-garde jazz to innovative folk music and playful improvisation.
Each label curates its own evening with concerts, record sales, and mingling – a chance to experience their unique contribution to the music culture. Often run by musicians themselves, these labels are a vital part of the ecosystem that keeps Swedish jazz and alternative expressions alive. Without their passion and perseverance, many creative projects would never see the light of day. That’s why it’s important to give them the space and recognition they deserve.
For us, this cultural commitment is the true Swedish Music Miracle!
Pt4: Supertraditional
Supertraditional is the record label where fresh, contemporary dance music meets ancient folk traditions! In recent years, their award-winning releases have kept coming, and in 2025, their roster includes artists such as Sara Parkman, Valkyrien Allstars, Sofia Karlsson, BITOI, Aevestaden, and Ale Möller. Contemporary folk music at its finest!
On Stage
Ellika and Rafael
A masterful meeting that sounds modern, personal, and intimate. That’s the result when Ellika Frisell and Rafael Sida celebrate the polska and the three-beat rhythm on their latest album Färg och tid (2023).
During the first wave of the pandemic, the two musicians—both in their seventies—isolated in their countryside cottage in Sörmland. With all the time in the world, something happened. The musical couple became a true duo for the first time, and Frisell stepped into the role of producer, learning the technical side to record their music herself.
“Music is color and time,” said fiddler Päkkos Gustaf (1916–2000). That quote became the title of their album: Färg och tid (“Color and Time”) – traditional Swedish folk reimagined for the 21st century. A close and personal encounter with two of the most defining tradition-bearers and trailblazers in Swedish folk music, Ellika Frisell and Rafael Sida. With over fifty years in music, they continue to inspire and break new ground – here performing as a duo for the very first time.
Aevestaden
The Swedish/Norwegian trio Ævestaden made their debut with the album Ingen mere gråter (“No One Cries Anymore”) in 2021, earning them the Folk & World Music Award in the open category that same year. Seamlessly blending traditional and modern sounds, they quickly secured a place on the Nordic folk scene.
In autumn 2023, they released their second full-length album Solen var bättre där (“The Sun Was Better There”) via Supertraditional to critical acclaim, followed by a long tour. This spring, they’re dropping a few singles in collaboration with artist Sigurd Ytre-Arne, while also working in parallel on their next Ævestaden album. Expect a sneak peek at Fasching!
Alexander Zethson / Berrin Sahin
A world-class meeting between Turkish vocalist Berrin Sahin and keyboard wizard Alex Zethson. Two musical worlds and two beloved artists come together – for the first time and exclusively this evening.
Berrin Sahin was born in Dersim, a Kurdish-Alevi province in eastern Turkey. She plays the bağlama and cura, and sings in several languages, weaving spiritual and traditional roots into her own form of modern folk music. She’s usually heard with Systrarna Sahin, the group she leads with her three sisters, or in collaborations with pianist Johan Graden and the legendary Ale Möller.
Alex Zethson is a pianist, keyboardist, and composer who also runs the label Thanatosis, which will also be featured at Fasching this spring. Zethson can be heard in Je Suis!, Angles 9, Goran Kajfeš Tropiques, and Fire! Orchestra, and has taken part in collaborations with Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Ensemble NU, Norrbotten Big Band, Olav Mjelva, Mariam the Believer, and the post-bop trio Yokada.
Foyer Exhibition
Spelkvinnor i Dalarna (“Women Fiddlers of Dalarna”)
An exhibition about the Grammis-nominated project Spelkvinnor i Dalarna, which highlights nine female fiddle players from the Swedish region of Dalarna. These pioneers worked in a time when fiddling was a male-dominated field, and their contributions have long remained relatively unknown.
Through unique recordings from the 1960s and ’70s and intimate portraits, the exhibition offers insight into their role as both tradition bearers and innovators of the folk music from Dalarna.
