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Rating: The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in having new eyes. (Marcel Proust).
Cheremule is a remote village not far from Sassari, inhabited by about 600 souls. One of the many islands within the island, so to speak. Apart from the landscapes and countryside, these places usually have little else to offer. Discovering, therefore, that a Norwegian singer-songwriter would be holding a concert in this village, honestly surprised me a bit. This surprise was confirmed the moment I arrived at the location, which appeared as desolate as I had imagined: not a single passerby on the streets, inhabited only by silence and the light of the street lamps. This fact also posed a difficulty for my group, as we didn't know whom to ask where the Fox Sound was, the venue where the concert would be held. Luckily, we found a bar, which, in the villages of Sardinia, holds an institution of equal importance to the town hall. There, a few patrons, under the influence of alcohol, gave us all the necessary directions, not before, of course, inviting us to have a drink. Arriving at Fox Sound - essentially a pub, not very large, but intimate and nice - and having learned that the concert would start very late, we decided to drown the wait in mugs of beer, which began to crowd our table.
At a certain point, a smiling tall guy, with blonde hair tied in a ponytail, entered the venue. An understanding glance with friends: "He's certainly not from Cheremule, let's get ready for the concert." A few minutes later, indeed, having picked up his acoustic guitar, Terje introduced himself to the audience, who were a bit distracted at that moment. In perfect Italian, he first spoke about his land, then shared some details about his tour, always showing a nice smile, and a sincere, pure demeanor. Then, he began playing, immediately demonstrating his guitar skills. Despite being alone, he manages to handle the sounds without leaving gaps or intervals. He provides rhythm, depth, and richness to his songs, even though they are essential. Furthermore, he possesses a lovely voice, which he uses delicately at times, and forcefully at others, conveying energy or suffering. Nothing transcendental or particularly original, to be clear, but truly very pleasant, promising, and interesting. As the concert progressed, he indeed managed to captivate the audience's attention.
His compositions clearly convey a complex and varied musical DNA. The references to artists of the caliber of Elliott Smith, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley are undeniable. The latter, in particular, is strongly evident at several moments during the concert, for instance, during the performance of "Winter Morning," a song from his self-titled album produced by Paolo Benvegnù. During the evening, he also presented some tracks that will be part of his next CD. These do not deviate substantially from the path Terje Nordgarden seems to have taken: a refined, essential Anglophone pop, but at the same time deep. In short, the coordinates of his music are quite clear.
Despite this, he managed during the concert to offer an unusual gem compared to these artistic references. At a certain point, indeed, Terje began to intone one of the most beautiful songs by Fabrizio De André: "Il Suonatore Jones." This delicate and evocative approach to Italian songwriting hits the mark. However, I like to think that his is not just a musical tribute, but, given the song's lyrics, also a broader choice of content. For the suonatore Jones, in fact, playing is a yearning for freedom, as he does not accept that his art could simply become a job. I hope then that Terje Nordgarden, in making music, always maintains his sincerity, his energy, his smile, and the freedom he wished to share with us in a corner of the world that perhaps today seems less remote to me than I thought.
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