Kongero: Swedish Folk’appella | Homegrown Concert Series 2022

Kongero is a Swedish vocal group, consisting of four women who sing folksongs: Lotta Andersson, Emma Björling, Sofia Hultqvist Kott, and Anna Wikénius. Kongero was formed in 2005 when the original members met at a Nordic folk music conference. There they started singing together and found that their voices and harmonies blended, complementing each other perfectly. Since 2005, they have performed their polyphonic a cappella folk music (which they have dubbed Folk’appella) all over Europe, Asia, and the Americas, singing in concerts and leading workshops in traditional Swedish vocal music and vocal harmonies. Kongero’s repertoire consists of traditional and original songs and tunes. Traditionally, Swedish songs were sung solo by a woman, with Swedish mouth music most often performed solo by a man. Kongero add harmonies and arrangements created by the band members. Kongero’s music tells tales of life, with moving love songs, dramatic medieval ballads, witty ditties, and spirited dances, all sung in their native Swedish tongue. Kongero’s polyphonic music is characterized by tight harmonies, stirring rhythms, and the clarity of their beautiful voices, which bring traditional Swedish folksongs into modern times. For transcript and more information, visit https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-10247