The first Irish - latin Fleadh

Bodhrán: Svend Kjeldsen

MA Trad Music Performance (First Class Honours),

MA Ethnomusicology (First Class Honours)

Svend hails from Aarhus, the second city of Denmark. He started playing fiddle as a teenager, quickly developing a keen interest in Irish traditional music, subsequently discovering the bodhrán, which gave him strong connections in Irish traditional music and for 20 years, - vital bonds to South Sligo. Years of playing experience was consolidated with an MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance (1st Class Hons.) from the University of Limerick, under the professorship of Micheal O’Suilleabháin. He has recently been conferred an MA in Ethnomusicology (1st Class Hons.) from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, where he has taught bodhrán and Irish traditional music since 2009.

Svend is known for his playing with Riverdance. He is a founding member of Moving Cloud with whom he has recorded three albums: "Cuckanandy" (2002), "Sweet Nyaa" (2005) and "Welcome: Who are you?" (2008).

Svend plays with the Irish group ErrisLannan (working together with the great Irish fiddler Mick Conneely, box player Brendan Boyle and singer and guitarist Adrian Burns), releasing 2 albums: “Live” and “All about (:Time)”. His playing developed further with the Scandanavian-based “Humdingers”, releasing the album “Humdingers – Live in Oslo” . He has more recently toured with the quartet “Crónán”, working together with fiddler Siobhán Peoples, box player Murty Ryan and singer and bouzouki player Cyril O’Donoghue.

In 2007, he performed together with Indian tabla player Sandeep Raval and Irish percussionist Mel Mercier at the World Bodhrán Championships in Milltown, Co. Kerry, and later that year he performed with Micheal Ò Suilleabhàin (piano) and Mel Mercier (bodhrán & percussion).

In 2008 and 2009 he was chosen as one of the adjudicators at the World Bodhrán Championships and a member of the bodhrán ensemble "Pulsus", together with Mel Mercier, Neill Lyons, Conor Lyons and Brian Morrissey. Together with fellow bodhrán-player Brian Morrissey and solo stepdancers Eileen McLaughlin and Kathleen Duffy, he has composed and performed the percussion piece "An Phléasc Mhór".

Svend has also worked as studio musician for artists from outside the Irish idiom, for example Jette Torp, Søren Krogh and Phønix.

For more than 15 years Svend has been a much sought-after teacher of bodhrán around Europe. His bodhrán-pedagogy and his didactic skills ensure the students a steep learning curve. He has been associated with South Sligo Summer School for many years, and is now a resident teacher at the Coleman County Bodhrán School that takes place each year in Gurteen, Co. Sligo.

Among his own tutors, you find the master bodhrán-players: Junior Davey, Johnny McDonagh, Colm Murphy, Mel Mercier, Frank Torpey, Tommy Hayes, John Joe Kelly, Donal Lunny (bass bodhrán) and the three Sligo-handstrikers Seamus Tansey, Batty Sherlock and Ted McGowan.

Where?

CaFlà will take place in Cagliari. Cagliari is the capital city of Sardinia in Italy. The festival will be in the old town, in the piazzas of Marina neighborhood which is the fishermen ancient district.