Track Listing

1. Suvetar - Goddess of Spring - Gjallarhorn
2. Ahma - Maria Kalaniemi
3. Bambumiehta - Bamboo Honey - Wimme
4. Polska After Mats Berglund/Såld Och Solde - Harv, Väsen
5. Spaken - The Lever - Harv
6. Full Rigged Ship/The New Rigged Ship - Aly Bain, Ale Möller
7. Polska After Johan Erik Taklax - Sven Ahlbäck, Maria Kalaniemi
8. Knarklåten - Bulldog - Hedningarna
9. Laiksa - Värttinä
10. Seagull - Swåp
11. Hö Berg Och Djupa Dalar - High Mountains and Low Valleys - Ranarim
12. Storpolskan - The Big Polska - Nyckelharpa Orchestra
13. Riverside Aby - Timo Alakotila, Karen Tweed
14. Viridissima Virga - Greenest Branch - Garmarna
15. Malört - Hoven Droven

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #62586 in Music
• Released on: 2001-10-02
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
This is the third album in NorthSide's compilation series that's perennially billed as "cheaper than food." At three dollars, it's hard to argue. This Minneapolis-based label is known for its eclectic mixture of Nordic roots music, with artists espousing both conventional and modern interpretations of their homeland sounds, be they from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, or Samiland. Fiddles, acoustic guitars, accordion, and percussion abound here, but unorthodox instruments such as synthesizers, electric guitar, and didjeridoo occasionally surface. From the shamanistic techno stylings of Wimme to the entrancing, poppy vocal harmonies of Värttinä to the lively strings of the Nyckelharpa Orchestra to the electronica-meets-early-music vibe of Garmarna's latest, it is hard to deny the passion and artistry of these groups. Some tracks are more outstanding than others, and the appreciation of each lies purely with an individual listener's taste. Some of the artists represented herein are far more diverse than their singular entries would suggest, but this disc offers a good starting point for new listeners. There album also includes four exclusive live tracks as a bonus. Hey, for three dollars, are you really gonna complain? --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews

Another joyous bonanza of Scandanavian tunes !
I'm a huge fan of this series. Not only are these some of the most affordable samplers, but they are some of the most enjoyable. Number 3 in the series is as strong as the first two, with some familiar names and some new folks, too !!

Normally samplers are a bit of a hit-and-miss. You like some of the songs, but grimace a little at others. Not this series. Nordic Roots have a consistency and logic to the order in which the songs are presented that make them a very coherent and pleasant listen from start to finish. Even the Hoven Droven song fits in !

There's a joy to scandanavian music that is reminiscent of the most upbeat Celtic tunes, with which they also share a certain mournfulness. Imagine dancing around the may-pole with fiddle and/or accordian accompaniment or visualize the slow-swirling fog of the moors, and you'll have the right idea.

Nordic Roots 3 starts off strongly, and you'll get a good sample by listening to the first two tracks !!

Shimmering, Sparkling, Glittering Music
Nordic Roots 3: another wish come true! The rainbow colors on the cover, a setting sun reflected in a stream is an apt representation of the mysterious and intriguing music within! Sparkling streams, lush, verdant landscapes viewed from a mountain top, and fields of wildflowers are as hypnotic and magnitizing as Nordic music itself!! Headliner musical artists: Hedningarna, Swap, Gamarana, Vasen, Varttina, Ranarim, Wimme, and Maria Kalaniemi, just to name a few, play their best and most shining examples of Nordic style music. The nyckelharpa, keyed violin, hardanger fiddle, violas, percussion, flutes, guitar, and even a didgeridoo add more mysterious sounds to the already haunting oom-laut accented Swedish and Norwegian female vocalists. Accordion music never sounded so magical and sweet as when played by Maria Kalaniemi. "The Greenist Branch" sung in Latin and accompanied by Swedish instruments played by Gamarna adds a whole new dimension to the meditative Latin words of one of the most famous German female mystics. Ranarim, one of my favorites, provides an extraordinairy rendition of "High Mountains, Low Valleys", which was recorded live. The music on the whole CD, has a Celtic lilt, with some Eastern European mystery, along with the American Appalachian fiddle sound, a cross-over mixture that is indeed indescribable but every bit as
powerful and captivating! The "joik" chanting by Wimme (Finland) has a Native American sound and feel, which is tremendously moving combined with the modern techno sounds. It actually has some Buddhist-like meditative undertones that are intriguing beyond description. Nordic Music is indeed a natural wonder and is worth exploring by anyone who loves traditional and roots music. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

A fine continuation
The Nordic Roots samplers are a bargin, no lie, so go ahead and pick up the whole set, but while this one is fine, it's not the greatest sampler they've done, and if you are only curious about Nordic music, grab the second one instead.