One night in November 1998 seven music enthusiasts with completely different musical backgrounds, gathered to see if we could start playing folk rock together. We had brought a wide variety of instruments with us: a violin, a fiddle, a didgeridoo, a djembe, a bass guitar, an electric guitar, a keyboard, a drumkit plus a number of flutes, tambourines and jew's harps, not to mention voices - several. From this the band BARKA VALL was born.

In our music we want to use old traditional music and bring it to life in our own way. We look for ideas and inspiration in the folk music from the Aland Islands (where we live) and sometimes use some of those old songs as a foundation. But most of our songs we write ourselves and are then trying to get a traditional sound and an old-fashioned feeling in both lyrics and music.

Since we began playing together we have rehearsed regularly, expanded our repertoire a lot and have had a number of successful gigs. We have found that we work very well together and have developed quite a bit in a short time. We have simply found our identity as a band.

Gigs since the beginning in late 1998

• Kobba Hoppers Christmas party, November 28 -98
• Pub Bastun's 25-year anniversary, April 2 -99
• Aland Independence day, the square-stage in Mariehamn, June 9 -99
• The Culture-night at the Aland museum, August 13 -99
• MC-party in Hammarland Torp august 14 -99
• Museumship Pommern, October 2 -99
• Nordens Institut 15-year anniversary, the square-stage in Mariehamn, May 5 -00
• Custom Bike Motorshow, Norrtälje, June 3 -00
• Our CD-release party, Kobba Hoppers clubhouse, Mariehamn, September 30 -00
• The Eckeröhallen opening, October 28 -00
• Kobba Hoppers party, September 15 -01
• III Contemporary Folk Music Festival in Riga, October 6 -01
• World Party III Festival, Mariehamn, November 10 -01
• JC party at Hotell Arkipelag in Mariehamn October 18 -02