Rebecka Slater Lyons (Rosa-Rebecka)

A singer-songwriter with a reputation for intimate and engaging acoustic performances, Rosa Rebecka moved from Sweden to Devon to study the English Folk tradition, sharing her Swedish musical heritage with new audiences.

This one woman show tells the story of its central performer, a 110 year old guitar, through story and song, mapping out a family story spanning the generations with Rosa’s own emotionally charged songs interspersed with Swedish folk music and family favourites.

Rosa’s Great Grandmother Katrina was born on a tiny island in the Swedish archipelago. When she was a girl she was given a guitar, one of the very first to be made by the famous Levin company in Gothenburg. She died tragically young, leaving five small children, who inherited her love of music and this very special instrument, passed down from mother to daughter ever since.

In Travels With My Grandmother’s Guitar, Katrina’s guitar is joined by a host of other instruments, from her son-in-law’s mandolin to a Tibetan singing bowl, each with its own tale to tell. Rosa Rebecka’s haunting, clear voice tells personal stories of love and loss which are at the same time universal tales of life and hope.

Rosa is well known on the south west circuit as a performer in her own right and as support to Martin Carthy, Cara Dillon, Phil Beer and Blair Dunlop.