Unmistakably Nordic in flavor, Sofia Talvik somehow still conforms to American interpretations of her own original music, a North Sea siren blending sparkle and melancholy, creating a special niche of folk music.
To give you a break from all the Santa Clauses and elfs on TV I’m sharing my very own Drivin’ & Dreaming show in this window of the Christmas Calendar. During 2012 I have been touring all over the US and for a while I was ambitious to film and edit it as well. Here’s 10 episodes covering the Drivin’ & Dreaming tour 2012 from North Carolina all the way to Illinois.
You’ll get to see White Trash McGywer fix the RV when it breaks down, follow us backstage, meet a lot of wonderful people and of course enjoy a lot of great music by me and many other artists and bands. It’s been such an adventure and I’m so happy I got to share it with all of you!
I’ve scheduled a last minute gig this Friday, December 7th at the yearly December Nights festival in Balboa Park with San Diego’s House of Sweden. The House of Pacific Relations is made up of groups like the House of Sweden from nearly 30 other countries. Many of these countries have cottages where the groups meet and carry out the objectives of the organization. The cottages are arranged in a ring that encloses a courtyard and stage where the performances are held.
Balboa Park December Nights, the nation’s premier holiday festival, will take place for the 35th consecutive year on Friday, Dec. 7, 5-10pm, and Saturday, Dec. 8, noon-10pm. As always, the event brings families and friends together to spread holiday joy, learn more about the cultural value of Balboa Park and kick-off the “most wonderful time of the year.”
Participating Balboa Park museums open their doors free of charge from 5-9 pm both evenings and more than 300,000 visitors are expected to experience the joy of San Diego’s largest free community festival. Those who attend will participate in a truly multicultural experience, enjoying food, music and entertainment from around the world.
Revelers can watch top-notch musical and dance performances, enjoy delicious and diverse food choices and help spread a heavy dose of holiday cheer. Some of the more well-known traditions include food from around the globe at the International Christmas Festival at the House of Pacific Relations Cottages; the annual Santa Lucia Procession at the Plaza de California; unique gift shopping at the museum stores and with the artisans of Spanish Village; and musical and dance presentations from the San Diego Junior Theatre, San Diego Civic Youth Ballet, Del Cerro Baptist’s Christmas Story Tree, and more.
On my US tour I’ve had the privilige to play with some really talanted people. One of them is Michelle Lewis, a singer/songwriter based in Boston, MA and today’s window is a special greeting from Michelle to all of you. This is a video of Michelle singing “In The Bleak Midwinter”. Michelle’s albums, the perfect gift to anyone who already has everything, are available at http://michellelewismusic.com/wordpress/store/. If you want to enjoy Michelle’s beautiful music in your home, she’s also taking requests for house concerts for 2013. You can contact her through her website http://michellelewismusic.com/.
My favorite food on the Christmas dinner table is the Swedish Christmas ham, but I know that a lot of people out there prefer to not eat meat for Christmas. One talanted artist that was a guest on my Xmas Calendar in 2009 showed me some great ways to celebrate Christmas without meat, and I decided to share that episode with you guys as a re-run.
Stiko Per Larsson is a great Swedish artist who is not only a vegetarian, but also have a habit of doing long walking tours. He’s walked all over Scandinavia playing his music. Check out his music and upcoming gigs here!
