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Sula with special guest Andy Irvine
Over Seas (Go Folk, Denmark)
$15.99

Eskil Romme, Rod Sinclair, Erling Olsen and their special guest Andy Irvine present 11 songs and tunes from the Celtic and Scandinavian music and tradition, blended to find their common historial background.

Listen:
To live is to fly
Madame lover tynd cafe...

Also by Sula: fastland

Musicians:
Eskil Romme, accordion
Erling Olsen, fiddle
Rod Sinclair, guitar, banjo and vocal
Special Guest: Andy Irvine: bouzouki, bass bouzouki, mandolin and vocal

When Sula catches a song from Scotland or further west, it quickly suggests a Scandinavian tune. Sula plays them together, and they fit together. It's a marriage, not a perfect fit. There are rhythmic differences between the songs from the West and the Nordic tunes. Sometimes they chafe. Old shared roots reappear in the melodic filigree.

For the Over Seas recordings Sula was joined by Andy Irvine playing bouzouki, bass bouzouki, mandolin and singing. Andy has a background in Balkan music, and has played with Sweeney's Men, Planxty and Patrick Street.

At Chewton Festival near Castlemaine, Australia, in January 2003, Andy Irvine and Sula, their shows over, are cooling their heels in a retired church building. Outside, it is 45° C. The talk is of Celtic and Scandinavian roots. Andy is interested in being part of Sula's new CD project. Songs and tunes are mailed round. Sula and Andy go to Ole Ellingsgaard, the eminent sound engineer at the West Jutland Academy of Music, and the results are before you.

Andy Irvine about this project:
Dear lads!
I think it's a lovely album and it brought me right back to those hectic October days in Esbjerg! Pesky Polskas and Sneaky Schottishes. I had a lovely three days playing with you lads and Ole and yourselves have made a grand job of mixing it.

I hope it'll be a big success and that you ask me to play a few gigs with you when it comes out!
Love, Andy

About Sula:
SULA is the Latin and the Faroese name for the gannet, the albatross of the north. Sula lives on the wing and on the sea, landing on rocky cliffs only to nest. Sula flies over the northern oceans and the coasts that bred this music.

The trio SULA – Eskil Romme (accordion) and Erling Olsen (fiddle) from Denmark and Rod Sinclair (guitar, banjo and vocal) from Scotland – met at a folk festival on the Faroes in the late eighties, and have since played in Denmark, Germany, England, Scotland and New Zealand.

SULA’s trademark is their unique mix of traditional and newer Scots and Scandinavian songs and tunes. Cultures that have never been far from each other, but each with their own distinctive historical colouring, the Scots and the Nordic traditions have common roots lost in time. SULA brings them up to date with an understated yet energetic touch that lets the melodies and songs speak for themselves.

The Band Rod Sinclair from Fife, Scotland, sings and plays guitar and 5-string banjo. Moving with the folk music revival from Scotland to Europe, Rod has played and sung from Greenland to the Mediterranean, from Russia to the US Great Lakes. A writer, broadcaster and teacher, Rod has been associated with the Tønder Festival in South Denmark since its start in 1974.

Eskil Romme of Fyn, Denmark, plays robust, fluent accordion, saxophone and pipes. Inspired by traditional dance musicians and contemporary folk players on both sides of the North Sea. Eskil has travelled widely with Spælimenninir, Suleskær and Sula and is musical director of the Halkær Festival in North Jutland.

Erling Olsen of Jutland, Denmark is a fiddler in the traditional Nordic style. Erling has played throughout Scandinavia, USA, Canada and Great Britain with Spælimenninir, Suleskær and Sula. His style is light yet vigorous, beautifully matched to both songs and accordion music

Andy Irvine needs no introduction, in my opinion!