Rootnites went east in 2026!

Author: Teodora Skrobonja

The first Rootnites event hosted by AFF kick-started 2026 on January 10 at Boo Folkets Hus, situated in picturesque Orminge in the secluded area of Nacka. For the first time, Rootnites was organized as a whole-day festival, packed with a variety of different shows and activities that kept musicians and audiences busy throughout the snowy Saturday afternoon until the very last bus.

The event started with bluegrass and old-time jam circles, merch stands and beers from the bar, and continued with workshops in fiddle, banjo, and bluegrass harmony singing, hosted by Magnus Norrman and Peter Cedermark.

Over a dozen names and acts popped up on a whiteboard in the hall announcing spontaneous open-stage performances that set the tone for the evening concerts. The sound technicians’ expertise and the stage lighting created an incredible atmosphere, crowned by a retro microphone that collected the sounds and emotions of the performers at the center of the stage.

Solo musicians, duos, and trios lined up one after another, playing country, bluegrass, and folk/Americana, as well as original singer-songwriter tunes that offered novelty and content not always heard at regular Stockholm jam sessions.

Birch Meadow Singers opened the concert as a choir backed by a double bass, guitar, banjo, and bouzouki. The repertoire of the 20-piece band included a number of gospel songs — the a cappella tune “Little Baby in a Manger,” the Christmas standard “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” as well as the all-time favorite “I’ll Fly Away,” which blasted the stage in all its “Oh, glory!”

Deep Holler, a traditional bluegrass quartet based in Strängnäs, delivered a high-energy performance with the classics “Clinch Mountain Backstep,” “How Mountain Girls Can Love,” and original songs “Simple Man” and “Let Me Rest,” as Bengt Sjöberg, the frontman, singer, and guitar player, steered the group with his powerful vocals.

Old Timey Remedy, Stockholm’s prominent old-time band led by Magnus Norrman, often seen performing in Stockholm and at bluegrass festivals, treated the audience to fiddle tunes and harmonies that blended miraculously with the rich, nostalgic sound of an up-tempo frailing banjo, ukulele, guitar, fiddle, and harmonica.

Hillfillies, the final act, rounded off the evening with a country vibe and a touch of rock and roll through their original songs and a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Tougher Than the Rest” – among the rest. Otherwise an all-female group with an instrumental lineup of dobro, guitar, banjo, and bass, Hillfillies welcomed guest member Kaj Otaki to perform with them on stage for the first time, as he brightened the sound of the band with his mandolin picking.