With origin in Dango Reinhardt-like music, the guitarist Bergstrøm has let the music wander with stops in both Irish, Arabic and African music.

The initial spark for this project came in 2020 when I got a gig playing for the Norwegian and Jordanian royal families in Jordan. While I was there, I soaked in the sights and sounds, heard music on the radios in the taxis and in the coffee shops, and when I came back, the stringed sound of the oud was bouncing around in my head. I decided it was time to make a fusion project; one combining the Django Reinhardt-style music I play and the Arabic music I”d newly discovered. The next step was to meet a real oud player, so I got on the bus to Gothenburg and took lessons with Ahmad Al-Khatib (a player I had listened to heavily) and was officially introduced to the musical tradition. As I progressed towards my goal, however, more influences began to seep in: I have always loved African music – especially the music of Richard Bona – and was inspired to bring these sounds into my writing. I wrote the tune Solaris in the style of an Irish jig after returning from trips to Worcestershire, UK for lessons with guitarist Remi Harris.
Johan Tobias Bergstrøm – guitar
Jørgen Krøger Mathisen – violin
Håkon Huldt-Nystrøm – double bass
Thomas Antonio Debelian – percussion

Track Listing

• Karaka
• Vesta
• Juno
• Naiad
• Vega
• Solaris
• Strata
• Maru

Additional Details

Label: Losen Records

Genre: Jazz

Run Time: 34:58 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 03/07/25

UPC: 7090025833083