Ethno Sweden
What is Ethno?
Ethno is a folk and world music gathering built around workshops where participants teach each other music from their own traditions. For young folk musicians, the opportunity to share their music and culture while experiencing traditions from all over the world is both unique and inspiring.
Ethno creates a space for young musicians to grow — both musically and personally — while building friendships, networks and collaborations across borders. Through music, participants develop greater understanding and respect for different people and cultures, helping to promote inclusion, equality and international friendship.
Or, like Ethno Sweden mentor Ian Carr puts it:
Ethno is a music camp where musicians come from all over the world and teach each other tunes and get to know each other and do a big concert at the end and then go away crying, because they don’t want to stop. Myself included. That’s what Ethno is.
How it all started
Ethno started in 1990 in the town of Falun, Sweden, when Magnus Bäckström launched the initiative during the Falun Folk Music Festival. The aim was to bring the status of folk music on par with classical music and jazz, while also creating opportunities for young folk musicians to interact, share knowledge and develop something entirely new from existing traditions.
Ethno’s peer-to-peer learning and teaching approach was a success from the start. Musicians formed lasting friendships through musical and cultural exchange and began creating projects and performances together, fuelling the growth and development of world music.
Where we are now
Today, Ethno Sweden remains one of the largest Ethno gatherings in the world. Every year, around 90 young musicians from across the globe come together in Rättvik at the beginning of the summer to share music, traditions and experiences.
Ethno Sweden takes place at Stiernhööksgymnasiet, beautifully located by Lake Siljan in the heart of Dalarna. The unique setting creates an inspiring environment where music, cultural exchange and new friendships can grow naturally — both on and off stage.
Since 2008, Folkmusikens hus has proudly served as the main organizer of Ethno Sweden, arranged in collaboration with Royal Swedish Academy of Music and with support from Bilda, Region Gävleborg, Dalarnas Spelmansförbund, Sveriges Spelmäns Riksförbund, 12 municipalities in Dalarna, and Region Dalarna.
Ethno World
Ethno is JM International’s program for folk, world and traditional music. It is aimed at young musicians (up to the age of 30) with a mission to revive and keep alive global cultural heritage.
Present today in over 40 countries and on all 6 continents, Ethno engages young people through a series of annual international music camps as well as workshops, concerts and tours, working together with schools, conservatories and other groups of youth to promote peace, tolerance and understanding.
