TEMPI is one of four Danish genre organisations. They work to strengthen and promote roots music in Denmark. They fight to create a diverse, inclusive and sustainable music and cultural life – for artists and performers, for institutions and venues and for audiences and society. They want to represent a genre that is aware of its origins and at the same time has its eyes and ears open to the future. And this year, they will participate in the European Folk Day with more than 45 events!
Sofie Holst Hansen, Souschef of TEMPI, shared some insights with us in this Q&A and some flyers of the bands that will perform for the event:
- EFN: We understand that you are part of the Danish national folk organisation Tempi. How and why did Tempi decided to get involved in the European Folk Day?
SHH: The core of our work is to enlighten people of all the amazing folk music there is in Denmark and what better time to do so than with European Folk Day? Folk music is about community. The community the musicians have. The Danish “hygge” is our country’s community and then we are so lucky that we also have a huge European community.
This is our cultural heritage with all of its diversity and right now a lot of venues and festivals are finding their love for traditional music. We have a big momentum and by celebrating it all around the country we are able to speak as a collective – to the citizens of Denmark. There is a huge strength standing together and offering this.
- EFN: We understand that you are part of the Danish national folk organisation Tempi. How and why did Tempi decided to get involved in the European Folk Day?
SHH: I might be the coordinating power from Tempi but this is an initiative by the venues and festivals. This is their work, their passion and their beliefs in folk music. A strong community that has the same goal: getting more people interested in this genre.
- EFN: What kind of a response have you had in Denmark to the idea of doing something for European Folk Day?
SHH: When I started to contact venues so many already had folk music in the programs. I actually was quite surprised by how fast they replied, how they all said yes and their big commitment from the very beginning. This might have been one of the easiest projects to put to live. It just flew and everybody wanted to participate. They see and understand the value of doing this together!
- EFN: What kind of a response have you had in Denmark to the idea of doing something for European Folk Day?
SHH: Again it all comes down to the beauty of our community.
We decided that we would call it European Folk Day(s) since we have events all week! There will be concerts, dancing and workshops for this, presentations from the musicians, communal dining, movies and an introduction for our folk music archive in Tønder!
I need to figure out how to teleport myself around Denmark to experience it all since we at this very moment have more than 45 events.
