THE SOUND OF COURAGE: THE FESTIVAL
Featuring Lindy Fay & Veland (NO), Vilma Jää (FI), Sara Parkman (SE), and others
What does courage sound like? And what role does music play in the fight for equality? The exhibition The Sound of Courage – Music and Equality in the Nordic Countries explores these questions. As the highlight of the accompanying program, the Nordic embassies, in collaboration with the Kesselhaus at the Kulturbrauerei, invite you to a special mini-festival.
On Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., some of the most exciting acts on the Nordic music scene will come together: From Norway come Lindy-Fay Hella & Sondre Veland, who create fascinating soundscapes blending folk, ritual, and natural sounds through their voices and percussive improvisation. Also performing is Sara Parkman (SE), one of the most influential voices in Scandinavian folk, who powerfully blends tradition, feminism, and performance. Vilma Jää (FI) rounds out the lineup with her unique blend of traditional and contemporary forms of expression. More artists from Iceland and Denmark will be announced.
Blending Nordic folk, experimental sounds, and strong artistic visions, the evening will musically explore the exhibition’s themes—in an open, powerful, and surprising way.
A festival for music lovers, culture enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to discover extraordinary voices from the North.
Lindy Fay & Veland (NO)
Coming from the Stril area north of Bergen, Norway, the singer Lindy-Fay Hella and drummer & percussionist Sondre Veland are teaming up on stage for a unique and lively performance. They will present material from Hella's solo opus “Seafarer" and the various albums that she created in collaboration with the collective Dei Farne.
Throughout their years of touring together with the Norwegian band Wardruna, Lindy Fay and Sondre have spent most of their spare time hiking and exploring new places.
They discovered that improvisation with voice and rhythm is often happening on these long walks together and bringing that energy and spontaneity onto a stage felt like a natural step. Lindy-Fay has then invited her acolyte Sondre and his untamed and wild expression to Berlin! The music itself is inspired by folktales, nature and the mystery of what we can sometimes sense but not necessarily see.
Sara Parkman (SE)
Sara Parkman is a Swedish folk musician who has redefined the genre by blending tradition with bold innovation. With a career spanning over 15 years, she has won a Swedish Grammy, earned multiple awards, and built a reputation as a groundbreaking artist.
Her music moves effortlessly between the sacred and the raw, the homestead and the nightclub.
Beyond being a violinist, singer, and composer, she is a cultural force who challenges and reshapes folk music’s boundaries. Always evolving, Parkman continues to push artistic and emotional depths with every project she takes on.
VILMA JÄÄ (FI)
Vilma Jää is an ethnopop artist who draws her power from deep emotion and darker themes, reimagining folk music for the present day in a strikingly original way. Traditional instruments intertwine with electronic beats, while Finno-Ugric vocal traditions meet contemporary pop aesthetics.
Vilma first gained international recognition through her role as a folk singer in Kaija Saariaho’s acclaimed opera Innocence. Her debut album Kosto (2023) firmly established her as one of the most compelling voices in Finnish music, earning both an Emma Award and the Folk Music Album of the Year prize.
With her singular voice and fearless artistic expression, Vilma moves effortlessly between ancient tradition and a bold, modern pop universe. Her songs are powerful reflections on the environment, humanity’s place in the world, and the forces that shape us. Released this year, her second album Loitsui ja Taikoi further expands Vilma Jää’s distinctive musical world. A magnetic live performer, she gives folk music a new face — building something urgent, spellbinding and entirely her own on the foundations of tradition.