Vigo

Heading for Vigo

Yesterday I almost tortured one of the great Madrid singers. Rebecca has a fantastic voice, that I wanted to record. I think we had fun, both of us, but I went "muy loco" every now and then. It is inspiring for me to record a new kind of voice and I guess I have my own way of trying to drag all energy out of that sound.

In the morning I went with Maria and Juan Marcos to attend a rehearsal of the Spanish Television orchestra, where Maria plays the violin. What a privilige! Rachmaninov and Prokofiev were on the agenda and that's just the best classical music!

Now I am on my way to Vigo . Next adventure!

Week of recordings

Today bronchitis stopped an american singer, living in Madrid, from recording with me. I was sad about that, because I really looked forward to it. But I got the chance to record Maria, an old friend who plays the violin for the spanish television orchestra. She got in the swing and heated up one of my songs with some gypsy style funk violin.

And yesterday I recorded Amos from Nigeria. Also an old friend with a great voice and great personality. He really knows how to give a song church feeling. A new blessing is Juanchis from Peru. A young singer whom I played around with in different songs, ending up having a very diverse recording session with challenges and laughs.

So what am doing? Working on a new CD, where I want to include a lot of friends, of course.

More Madrid

The first days here have been exciting. Unfortunately I lost the Internet for a while and could not write about it. But I am glad to be online again.

Last friday I met with the musicians of Coro Gospel de Madrid and had a great four hour session with them. I know their drummer, Samuel, since long, but now they are giving the 14 year old Dani a chance to play the drums and he is fantastic. It was so great to make music with all of them!

Saturday, the day after, all the singers and musicians were together rehearsing for an upcoming concert. The Madrid Gospel choir sound better every time hear them. There many new singers there, but also some of my old friends. 

I was hoping to play the keyboards with them when they perform for the spanish queen. But unfortunately the royal concert was moved to a date when I have another concert in Sevilla. I guess the queen didn't know I was coming, huh? 

This clip has a little of the choir and a little of a future guitar player:

Sunday, yesterday, I had the chance to visit another choir here in Madrid, one that I never met before. I have heard about them many times, through my danish friend Nina Luna, and we finally got to meet. There are a couple of danes there so it was pretty easy to explain that I wanted the schedule of the day to include "fika", you know what I mean?

Gospel Blessing is their name, and they have a very generous attitude towards anybody who wants to join the choir. It was fun and inspiring to teach some new songs and make new friends. 

Day 1

As always I had problems with the travel. The train to the airport was late, and then the flight was delayed. But I am used to that by now.

I am very happy to have arrived in Madrid, and to stay with Nancy, one of my first friends from here and the director of the Madrid Gospel Choir. Thorine and my daughters know this place very well too, so they feel at home when I walk around here during our Facetime-conversation.

Today will be practice with the Madrid Gospel band.

April and May schedule

The train will take me to the airport tomorrow morning at 5.30. Later in the afternoon I land in Madrid, where I start this trip. Nancy and my old time friends in Coro Gospel de Madrid are the first ones I meet. Then for the first time I will meet Coro Blessing, also from Madrid. Coming up is Vigo, Salamanca, Porto (Portugal), Sevilla (where my family will join me) and Valencia. This will be soooo awesome!!!

Spain again

So… it's 2016. Last year was intense. Lots of traveling. I did many trips to St Petersburg, Russia, to be with Total Praise and St Petersburg Gospel Choir. There are many REALLY good things happening in Russia right now!

This spring it's time for a longer stay in Spain again. Me and my family will visit our old neighborhoods in Valencia. On top of that I will visit old friends and new friends in different parts of the country. And I will share some of the adventures on this blog.

I will also keep reporting in swedish on blogg.na.se/gospeljourney.

Hasta pronto amigos!