Medieval and Traditional Ballads

Scott and Johanna are a duo who perform early traditional Scandinavian/Celtic ballads and tales. Their wanderings have led them from Finland and Iowa respectively - through Europe, Scandinavia, India, and the U.S. Along the way, they have picked up tales and songs that they perform together with the stories behind them, in particular exploring the links between Scandinavian, Celtic, North American, and other story-singing traditions. Their performances have been described as magical, inspiring, haunting, mesmerizing...

"... the Hongell-Darsees summon ancient characters from the depths of our collective unconscious and bid you take leave of the modern world and join your ancestors, huddled together in a hut around a fire as the storyteller makes the hair on your arms stand straight up." (Mel Minter, Musically Speaking, Albuquerque, NM) Their recordings have been nominated for 3 New Mexico Music Awards. They are currently in and have had multiple hits on The Top 40 World Music Charts by Ethnocloud consecutively for 12 months. Their songs can also be found on several traditional music compilations.

After relocating to New Mexico from Scandinavia in 2001, Scott and Johanna have performed all over the U.S. and in Scandinavia at festivals, theatres, arts councils, universities, schools, libraries, and live broadcasts including:

• Metronomen, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Mix Musik, Malmö, Sweden
• Provincetown Playhouse and Scandinavia House, NYC
• Outpost Performance Space with AMP Concerts, Albuquerque, NM
• Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, NM
• Renaissance Faires: Medieval Fair of Norman, OK; Midsummers Fairytale Celtic Ren Fair, CA; Albuquerque Renaissance Faire, NM; Renaissance Celtic Faire, NM
• Folk/Celtic Festivals: Traditional Music Society, Los Angeles, CA; and Albuquerque, NM; Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival, NM
• Scandinavian Festivals: Estes Park, CO; Atlanta, GA; Los Angeles, CA; Thousand Oaks, CA; and Lindsborg, KS
• Storytelling Festivals: Los Angeles, CA; Four Corners, NM; Taos, NM; and Albuquerque, NM
• Universities: NYU; UNM, ENMU, San Juan College, and College of Santa Fe, NM; UA; Coe College, IA
• NPR Affiliates, KUNM, KSFR, WFHB
• TV 2KASA Morning Show
• New Mexico Humanities Council – Inducted as scholars in 2005

Johanna (vocals, woodwinds, stringed instruments, arrangements) was born in Finland. Apart from music, she has a background in theater and dance. She studied theater in France and Bharata Natyam dance in India. She has worked as a performing artist for over 40 years in Scandinavia, Europe, India, and the USA and led the dance and theater company Teater Bava in Sweden for 10 years. Scott (stringed instruments, arrangements, composer) was born in the USA. Since 2000, Scott has performed music throughout the US from New York to California. Before relocating to New Mexico, he spent 16 years in Europe, where, parallel to his artistic work, he worked with ballet companies such as Dance Theatre of Harlem, London Festival Ballet, English National Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, and Hamburg Ballet.