Norwegian singer-songwriter Ingrid Jasmin Vogt attempts to match distant musical traditions. The folk music of chilly Norway with Spain’s passionate, steamy flamenco music, spicing it all with West-African aroma. Fortunately, she does it with excellent musicians – trumpeter-bassist-producer Mathias Eick, keyboards player Eyolf Dale, Hardanger fiddle player Tuva Færden and percussionist, traditional harpist Thov Wetterhus and ngoni string player Sidiki Camara. The rich production highlights the warm, angelic voice of Jasmin and the suggestive delivery of her dramatic, story-like songs, sung in Spanish and Norwegian.
Luna is the debut album of Jasmin. She was one of the producers and released the album on her own label. She assembled for the recording of Luna jazz musicians, traditional Norwegian folk musicians, African musicians, flamenco guitarists and synth players. You already understand that she has a unique and fearless musical vision of her own and that she was determined to realize it. Jasmin is clearly well-versed in both traditions – Norwegian folk music and Spanish flamenco but does not feel bound by the traditions.
Jasmin’s songs touch on the themes of love, violence, loss and learning to move on. The rhythmic flamenco motifs are abstracted into traditional Norwegian dances and enrich both traditions. Jasmin’s fragile and openly emotional delivery serves perfectly the tasteful, often stripped-down acoustic arrangements, and tells about the reserved, melancholic dramas with their poetic images, even before fully understanding the lyrics. This approach works well even when Jasmin sings over electric beats in the exotic song «Safir» and the brief, wordless «I Will Not Get Over It, but I’m Learning to Live With It».
Eyal Hareuveni
Ingrid Jamin (v), Mathias Eick (tp, synth, v, b), Eyolf Dale (p, synth), Tuva Færden (Hardanger fiddle), Mattis Kleppen (b), Thov Wetterhus (mouth harp), Sidiki Camara (ngoni, perc), Eiolf Seglem Ødegård (synth), Jesús Morente (flamenco g), Yannick Corre (flamenco g, palmas, perc), Almir Meskovic (acc), Aleksander Kostopoulos (dr, perc)
