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Miriam Ariana and Lene Høst Can a bustling Brazilian song and Swedish slangspolska happily coexist? Can a Denmark-based duo without a squeezebox do justice to a Dominquinhos song about a sensitive accordion? "Sanfona Sentida" The answer seems to be "yes, indeed." Vingefang - Miriam Ariana (voice and strings) and Lene Høst (voice, guitar and percussion) bring a clarity to their music that seems to demand the word "delightful." Whether it is their own compositions or a journey through the music of France, Denmark, Sweden and Brazil, they make it all their own, with only a gentle bit of assistance on two tracks, and a bit of overdubbing by the duo on a few others. Much of the set is up tempo and vibrant, with the Brazilian influenced material like "Pedido a Padre Cicero & Magdalena Polska" and "Sanfona Sentida" standing out. "Tidsrøverne" ("The Time Robbers") is a bright a cappella piece about our need to catch up with the dance of time.
There are gorgeous ballads, too. "Jeg er Her" is an original lullaby written by the two musicians to those who have lost someone they love. A gentle but uplifting piano and violin line carry a song that encourages the listener to "celebrate memories and take them with you in the dance of life. The violin and voice setting of "Det er Hvidt Herude" ("It's White Outside") by the 19th century Danish poet Steen Steensen Blicher is austere; perfect for a song of winter. As our friend Morten Alfred Høirup explained to me, it is about the time of the year when Denmark is the coldest. On "Kyndelmisse" (candle mass), the candles are lit and one is admonished to make sure that half of your feed for the animals is still in stores. If you have that, everything is going to be alright. "Jeg Er Her" Ariana and Høst seem to know the value of simplicity and use it to great advantage on these eight tunes and songs. Vingefang is a delight. - CF Find the artists online: www.vingefang.com
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