"Freedom is not the grand finale of history. It is not guaranteed for all time", warned Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in his speech on the Day of Liberation 2025.

This idea has inspired the new work – after the last album Libertad, which placed freedom at its center, the focus now turns to the things that must be preserved.

Delicately fragile is a musical vision that offers hope: that everything of value does not inevitably have to slip away. In a distinctive style – shaped by multi-faceted instrumentation and crystal-clear, multi-part vocals – the songs tell of a world worth living in, of social cohesion, human dignity, and a culture of remembrance.

New original pieces are added, which poetically and powerfully show how fragile the essential can be – and how worthwhile it is to stand up for it.

"Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose" sings Janis Joplin in the Kris Kristofferson song "Me and Bobby McGee". The pursuit of freedom has always driven people to bring about change in order to transform their happiness in life for the better.

For a long time, La Kejoca has been collecting songs that deal with freedom, or with the very absence of freedom. In this search, lyrics were found from the 19th century, when even in Europe it was not a given to express one’s opinion freely. Poems were discovered from the time of the rise of National Socialism, songs from persecution and oppression under authoritarian systems, and pieces from the late 20th century that place personal freedom at the center.

These discoveries have been brought together on the album "Libertad", on which La Kejoca is joined by guest musicians including Jens Kommnick (guitar, bouzouki), Michaela Haitz (bodhrán), Gastón Bajarano (quena) and Jürgen Treyz (dobro, mixing & mastering).

The album Libertad was awarded the German Record Critics’ Award in 2022. In his statement, Mike Kamp wrote on behalf of the jury:

"Because they know exactly what they are doing! The three are not only gifted multi-instrumentalists, but also very good vocalists. Moreover, here they return to their diverse roots in Bolivia, Portugal and Friesland. Intelligent, bold, convincing."

A collaboration between La Kejoca and the Frisian folk band Laway

Every year from the first Advent weekend until Candlemas at the beginning of February, La Kejoca tours from the Rhine to the Elbe together with Borkum’s singing mudflat guide Albertus Akkermann and the Frisian folk musicians of Laway, presenting “Musik in d' Lüchterkark”. 

The CD “Winternacht” was created for this project and contains songs about winter and Christmas, Christmas carols, and rousing tunes.

The EP "Lucky Joker" includes two original compositions: the title track "Lucky Joker", about believing in oneself, which makes many things easier once it has been found, and the country song "Weird Tuesday", which is about life on the road. 

The trio is completed by Dougie McLean’s famous ballad "Caledonia" – a love song to his homeland, Scotland.

"Tracks that have one thing in common: sophisticated, surprising arrangements that offer the listener an hour of entertaining and, above all, varied music."

"As unusual as the selection of the 14 songs is, just as unusual is the variety of instruments. In addition to typical folk and country instruments such as guitar, fiddle and flute, La Kejoca also use, among others, hurdy-gurdy, Celtic harp and blues harp."

folknews.de