Photo of Anna Nelson courtesy of Michael Müller, author of "Gästriklands spelmän - om spelmän, händelser, platser och berättelser" 2024 Used with permission
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Tång Anna Olsdotter—later known as Anna Nilsson and eventually Anna Nelson—was a remarkable Swedish fiddler who carried her musical heritage across the Atlantic when she emigrated to Minnesota in 1887. Born in 1834 in Överbyn, Högbo, Gävleborg, Sweden, she grew up in a region known for its ironworks and skilled craftsmen. Music ran in her blood—her uncle, Hans Hammarberg, was a well-known fiddler, and her family’s tunes are still played in Sweden today.
Anna was raised as a foster daughter on the Tång farm in Säveräng, a small village with only one farmer, four tenant farmers, and a soldier. According to oral tradition in Högbo, she was musically gifted and played the violin, an uncommon pursuit for women of her time. In 1860, she married Nygårds Nils Nilsson, and together they had five children. Eventually, the Tång farm was sold, and on August 9, 1887, Anna and her family left Sweden for North America. Settling in Blue Hill, Sherburne County, Minnesota, Anna adapted to her new life while keeping her musical traditions alive. Four of her five children joined her in the United States, while one daughter remained in Högbo, where her descendants still live today. Anna’s legacy endures not only through her journey but also through a tune attributed to her: Tång Annas Gånglåt, a lively walking tune still played by fiddlers in Gästrikland, Sweden. In an era when female fiddlers were seldom encouraged or documented, her tune remains a rare testament to her musical voice. Her story, recorded in Michael Müller's "Gästriklands Spelmän," highlights an extraordinary journey of music and migration, ensuring that her name and music live on in both Sweden and Minnesota’s folk traditions. Credit and thanks to Michael Müller and his book, "Gästriklands spelmän - om spelmän, händelser, platser och berättelser" for providing valuable information for this story.
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