Hillevi

Emma Ahlberg Ek, Patrik Grundström, Markus Räsänen, Valter Kinbom, Anna Holm Ek, Anders Hällström

A meeting between two strong women in service of music – one from the past and one from the present. Emma Ahlberg Ek möter Hillevi Öberg.

In October 2015, musician Emma Ahlberg Ek entered the county museum archives in Härnösand, Sweden. The purpose of this visit was to find information about a very interesting musical personality, namely the musician Hillevi Öberg (1897-1979). Among other things, Hillevi made her living as a fiddler and cinema musician.

There were few commentaries about Hillevi in contemporary press, and she was also mentioned by the folk music collector K.P. Leffler. Emma Ahlberg Ek, however, wanted more insight, but found nothing else in the archive. At last, she managed to track down a son, Rolf Brodin, still very much alive. A meeting was arranged and Emma made an interview with Rolf, a healthy 91-year-old who could vivify his mother’s life story through his own memories. In this way, a meeting took place between two strong women in the service of music – one from the present, and one from the past.

Now, Emma has revealed Hillevi Öberg – in word and music. She is one of all these outstanding female folk musicians, violinists and musical directors, sometimes mentioned with only a few words in the archives, in a press clip or in the written history of music. This tribute to Hillevi is a poignant way of letting her speak once more.