Stockholm Lisboa Project

Sol (Nomis Musik, 2007)

As the name of the group suggests, there is a connection between Portugal and Sweden in Stockholm Lisboa Project. Their new CD, Sol, reveals that the four virtuoso musicians who form the band ingeniously combine the folk musics of their respective countries. Vocalist Liana, mandolinist Luis Peixoto, violinist Sérgio Crisóstomo and Nordic mandola player Simon Stålspets research and dig into the folk roots of Portugal and Scandinavia to find common elements.

According to ethnomusicologist Dan Lundberg, both Portuguese and Swedish music share the feeling of saudade in their music. Saudade is the melancholic feel that is found in fado and other Portuguese genres. "Saudade is always present in fado, but it is also a part of Swedish music - even though we don't have a word for it," says Lundberg.

Stockholm Lisboa Project easily amalgamates delicate Portuguese folk pieces with lively Swedish and Norwegian tunes, including fado and polska; sometimes combining both styles in the same piece.