GUDRUN HOLCK

Biography
Gudrun Holck

NEWS:

TOURING IRAQ 2010 FOR THE SECOND TIME
From september 27th till October 8, 2010 Gudrun Holck and her Band will represent Denmark at The New Iraq's first international Zeriab Music Festival in Baghdad and Babylon Cultural Festival being held in Babylon.

Gudrun Holck participated in the first official Cultural Delegation to Iraq from any western country in december 2009 and performed 16 concerts in 9 days with Danish, Iraqi and Kurdish Artists, invited by the Iraqi Cultural Minister. The tour was widely broadcasted at Iraqi, Kurdish, Arabic and Danish Medias. (but on respective languages).
The 2009 tour has led to a number of invitations for touring, collaborating projects and interviews in 2010 and 2011 in Iraq, Kurdistan, Syria and other Middle Eastern Countries as well.

From May 26 till June 9, 2010 Gudrun Holck participated in Tuerkce Olimpiyatlari (The international Olympiad in Turkish songs & language) held in Ankara & Istanbul. Her 3 singing students won silver medal in the finals.

In april - may 2010 Gudrun Holck Band toured Mexico, performing at Ollinkan Festival for the second time, now with her new album "STAERK". The Band has created a complete new live set up show including more groovy world electronic beats to pump up the music for dancing and festival gigs. Gudrun will still perform her unique a cappella nordic vocals parts breaking the beats.

Gudrun Holck

Singer, performer, composer, producer

"Everything starts with song.
I have always been fascinated
and inspired by the many possibilities
within the human voice."

Gudrun Holck in a live concert
interview in Bolero, Danish
Radio P2, June 21st 2003

The music of Gudrun Holck is based on the many possibilities within the voice, giving it a very personal expression.
It cannot be defined as a particular genre or style, but is inspired by contemporary as well as ancient vocal traditions.
Music originating from ancient roots bringing something new to the world.

GUDRUN HOLCK BAND IN CONCERT
- short presentation:

Wild world scandinavian vocals, electronica beats, alternative rock and groovy afro beat rhythms in an amazing performance.... this is what Gudrun Holck Band deliver at their performances. Danish singer performer and songwriter Gudrun Holck, studied Afrobeat for a year with late Fela Kuti in Lagos.
This year, 2009, Holck released her 2nd solo album 'STAERK' ('STRONG') with her world electronica beat blend. Title track is co-written with Italian Alberto Cottica from THE Italian folk electronica band Fiamma Fumana.

Discography:

At her first album MUSE (2004) she created a blend that was later named Global Vocal.

At her latest album STAERK (STRONG) with release, January 2009 she also includes electronica, beats, smples and alternative rock creating a blend of World Electronica Rock.

The life story of Gudrun Holck
Gudrun Holck was born and raised in Copenhagen and as a child she was occupied with the power of our voice. As a young girl she was busy on the dance floor as well as with music, and she joined choirs, and bands of all persuasions. Fascinated by the great sound and the mystic of a big band, at eighteen Gudrun lost her heart to African music. At the same time Gudrun was also active in many grass root organisations, and among other things she helped arrange the 'Images of Africa' festivals in Denmark.

It was something that would strongly influence her future choices, and in the early 1990'ies she packed her bags and left for West Africa to fulfil her dream of travel and music. To travel is to live, was her motto, and she travelled without a return ticket to Vest Africa. She wanted to be close to the musical roots of African music, and the people behind it all. It gave her four years in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin, and Mali where along the way she met many people who played an important part on the African music scene, the most influential of all were Fela Kuti with whom she studied Afrobeat for a year, staying at his residence Kalakuta Republic in Lagos, the cultural capital of Nigeria.

On her return to Denmark in the late 1990's and with her bags full of African mystery, Gudrun felt the need to look closer at her Nordic roots, and develop her own unique sound.
She travelled to Sweden to participate in 'Falun Folk Music Festival' in 1997 & 1998 where she met Eva Rune, the Swedish Folk Singer. Eva & Gudrun started to exchange vocal techniques and vocal expression, arranged traditional Nordic music and composed songs themselves. Together, they founded a group, named 'Nordiske Stemmer med Udsigt til Verden' ("Northern Voices with a View to the World") and in the year 2000 the group was one of the main artists in the Swedish - Danish Vocal Festival called 'Stemmer i 1000 Ar'('Voices in a thousand Years'). As part of the repertoire, Eva & Gudrun also included the famous Swedish classical / folk composer, Karin Rehnqvist's fantastic piece, called 'Puksanger - Lockrop' ('Timpanum Songs - Herding Calls'). This performance was the first performance ever in Denmark of 'Puksanger - Lockrop'.

Meanwhile in 1996 Gudrun had joined the Danish-Zimbabwian Band; 'Muzi DanZim Band' and together they toured Denmark for a year in 1996 - 97, among other performing at Roskilde Festival.
In 1998 Gudrun was back in Vest Africa to study Griot / Mandinge and Wassoulou singing style and contemporary compositions with Habib Koite and Toumani Diabate and several great singers in Bamako, Mali for some time.
In 1999 Gudrun gave duo concerts in Damaskus, Syria with Michael Sunding on piano.

In 2001 Gudrun participated on a trip to Russia with her friend, the Russian Folk singer, Juliana Svetlitchnaja. Together they participated in an Etnographic Expedition to the far Northern part of Russia to gather and preserve ancient Russian folk music.
The same year Gudrun was committed to compose a female choir piece of Greenland Drum Songs for the Greenland Female Choir 'Nordisk Kvindekor i Nuuk' as part of a complete concert program with roots and world vocal music. Including Gudrun as a guest choir director, solist and composer performed at 'Katuaq', Greenland, November 2001.

From 1999 - 2003 Gudrun was a member of the Danish female choir 'Usmifka' that has specialized in singing style of Bulgarian female choir, known as "The Mysterious Female Voices of Bulgaria".
Gudrun also developed her own style of vocal a cappella solo performances from 2000. Gudrun travelled to Bulgaria with 'Usmifka' twice to sing and work with Bulgarian singers, directors and composers.

From 2003 2006 Gudrun performed her own blend of groovy Global Vocal Music with her seven piece band 'Gudrun Holck & Orchestra' on tours.
In 2004 she released her first solo album 'Muse' on the Danish Indie Label, Mild Records. 'Muse' was dedicated to Fela Kuti and had great reviews that you can read here: www.mildrecords.com/artists/gudrun/index.html

In 2005 Gudrun was awarded a working grant for her music from The National Danish Art Council.
In 2006 Gudrun featured on Travelog's album 'Balad Djemil'on 9 out of 17 tracks released on 'Mild Records'.
In 2006 she started the first song writing studio sessions for her new album in Venice, Los Angeles with Producer Michael Jost. She also travelled to Italy to develop her new blend of music identity, working with Italian musician and producer Alberto Cottica from the folk electronica group 'Fiamma Fumana'.
Later the same year 'Gudrun Holck & Orchestra' went on tour to Mexico City to perform at 'The Olinkan World Cultures Festival' as the first Danish Band ever.
From 2004 - 2007 Gudrun to part in the International World Music Conference, WOMEX as a part of the Danish Music Export Program.
In 2007 Gudrun founded her electronica based five piece band 'Gudrun Holck Band'.
Gudrun dedicated the autumn of 2007 and most of 2008 to finish her next album working with the other four album producers Sound Astound (DK), Joakim Frystein (Norway) and Claude Di Bongue (France/Cameroun). On January 19th 2009 Gudrun releases her second album 'Staerk'.
Read more her:
www.gudrunholck.com
www.musicistheweapon.dk
www.myspace.com/gudrunholck

For the last seven years Gudrun has been based in the multicultural area of Copenhagen called Vesterbro. In 2002 she gave birth to her lovely daughter, Aviaja.

Vocal instructor and Authorized Complete Vocal Technique Teacher (2005)

Gudrun Holck is an authorized Complete Vocal Technique Teacher 2005, from the very first team of singers who graduated. She worked at Complete Vocal Institute in 2005 2006 as a CVI teacher .Due to the update rules of the CVT teachers Gudrun extended her teacher license by a re-autorization examination in 2008.
Gudrun Holck has been teaching singing, vocal groups, musicals, choirs, private companies, music schools, workshops proffessionally since 1994. Gudrun has been travelling around the world studying ethnic vocal expression and technique. She teaches vocal techniques in all musical styles and she has given workshops and masterclasses in Denmark, Greenland, Sweden, Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso. Gudrun has specialized on expression, performance, improvisation and 'The Creative Process'. Additionally she gives workshops in songwriting from the perspective of world wide inspiration & influence.

Discography
Gudrun Holck solo albums:
'STAERK' ('STRONG') released in Denmark, january 2009 at the indie label Music is the Weapon.
'MUSE' ('Muse') released world wide, june 2004 at the indie label Mild Records.
Gudrun Holck featuring on albums:
'BALAD DJEMIL' by the duo Travelog featuring Gudrun Holck at vocals on 9 tracks. Released november 2006 at the indie label Mild Records

Gudrun Holck LIVE CONCERT VIDEOS:
Watch Gudrun Holck Band videos (2010 + 2008) at: www.youtube.com/gudrunholck

Watch Gudrun Holck & Orchestra videos (2006) at: www.myspace.com/gudrunholck

Gudrun Holck Singles released in Denmark 2008 - 09:
'Dans Danmark'
'More Hardcore 4 The Woman'
'Chanting For The Unborn Child'
'I Slam That Door'
'Staerk'
'Them & Us'

RADIO AIRPLAY & streaming:
Songs from all albums have been played in the Danish radio programs and World radio programs world wide and have streaming.

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