VAAPSTENJEANOE – BIG RIVER – 2024
A musical journey through rivers, landscapes AND history
Vaapstenjeanoe, meaning “the great river Vefsna” in the South Sami language, is the largest watercourse in Nordland county. Many believe that Vaapstenjeanoe is the very origin, the lifeblood that founded the city Mosjøen. She is quietly and majestically, she races past mighty waterfalls at breakneck speed. She is a monumental and eternal monument in the local fauna.
Inspired by the great river Vefsna, Jan Gunnar Hoff composed his piece Vaapstenjeanoe in 2020 as a commission for Helgeland Sinfonietta. The composition Vaapstenjeanoe, with its warm and strong artistic expression, combines elements of folklore, classical and jazz. The classical “Vaapstenjeanoe”- orchestra is completed by great Nordic jazz names such as trumpeter Arve Henriksen, bassist Mats Eilertsen and composer/pianist Jan Gunnar Hoff.
THE IDEA
Both Norway and Estonia have rivers and waterways that bind together and enliven areas, regions and populations. As a collaboration between the two ECC – cities 2024, Bodø and Tartu, the idea is to create a joint project where the the river, its journey and history, is seen in the context of both countries’ different regions and waterways.
The music will cross borders and visit cities in Norway and go further to Tartu and Narva in Estonia. Musicans from both countries will participate. Dedicated video footage from each region will be created and follow the production.
The Vaapstenjeanoe project 2024 is conceived as a journey through rivers, landscapes and history in Norway and Estonia, creating a common basis and strengthening human and artistic cooperation between our two countries.
