About
Born in Piteå, a small town 200 km south of the Arctic Circle in the north of Sweden, Joel Andersson got his first harmonica at the age of 2, and began playing professionally at the age of 13. Growing up with a father who listened to a lot of Irish music, and who always has been playing a variety of instruments, Joel has always had music around him. His dad listened to a wide variety of music (mainly folk music) but the Irish music was the style that touched Joel the most. It wasn't until the age 12 when he heard Rick Epping play an Irish jig on the harmonica that he set out to learn and play traditional Irish music. Today Joel is regarded as one of the finest harmonica players in the world, specialising in Irish music. 2018 he released his debut Solo album “The Irish Harmonica” which have been featured on radio stations in Los Angeles, USA to Galway in Ireland and Germany, Netherlands etc.
People are travelling from all over the world to learn Irish music on harmonica by Joel, people are coming all the way from Chile, USA, Australia, South Korea to Sweden to learn his style of playing.
In an early age his interest for the technical part of harmonicas quickly became bigger and bigger. Today he builds some of the finest harmonicas in the world, cooperating with the world leading harmonica brand Hohner. More on that subject here: www.jaharmonicas.com
He has won prestigious titles in many music competitions. 3rd place at the Fleadh Cheoil na hEiréann, (World championship in Irish music) 2014 in Sligo, Ireland. And an astonishing 2nd place (only 0,33 points from 1st!) at the 2017 World Harmonica Festival in Trossingen, Germany. Joel has toured and given harmonica workshops in many countries from the cold and dark north of Finland, Germany, Scandinavia to Greece, Canaries, England and Ireland.
