Black metal fans arrived for Easter
March 27, 2013
The annual Inferno Metal Festival Norway was once again attracting crowds of black metal music fans in Oslo during the Easter holidays. It’s become a tradition after Norwegian black metal bands put the country on the international map. Inferno launches the black metal festival season, drawing fans from around the world who come to see [...]
Filmmaker celebrates right to use ‘Beatles’ music
March 26, 2013
The Norwegian producers behind a film version of a highly acclaimed Norwegian novel “Beatles” were both relieved and jubilant, after their project was granted rights to use original music by The Beatles in the film. The deal marks a major breakthrough in getting the film made. “This is a very decisive deal for us,” said Norwegian [...]
‘Monroes’ guitarist dies of cancer
March 18, 2013
Eivind Rølles, guitarist for the Norwegian pop duo “The Monroes,” died during the night after a lengthy battle with cancer. He and colleague Lage Fosheim are perhaps best known for their hit song in 1983 “Sunday People,” which also got international air play. “The sorrow is without words,” Fosheim told newspaper VG. Rølles was 54 [...]
Tributes roll in for Børretzen
November 5, 2012
Musicians, literary figures and songwriters were among those paying tribute to Odd Børretzen, who died over the weekend after a career spanning six decades. Børretzen was a multi-talented entertainer who among other things wrote around 30 books and also became a pop star at the age of 70. He was described as an author, poet, [...]
Boine supports harassed Sami woman
October 10, 2012
Mari Boine, one of Norway’s most respected musicians, went on national TV this week to speak out against an ugly incident of harassment against a fellow Sami woman in Trondheim over the weekend. Such discrimination must not be tolerated, Boine told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) on its nightly TV newscast Dagsrevy. The incident outside a bar [...]
A-ha wins royal honours
September 7, 2012
The members of Norway’s most internationally successful rock band, a-ha, have been informed they’ll be receiving one of their country’s highest royal decorations for their contribution to Norwegian music. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that a-ha members Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen and Pål Waaktaar Savoy will be decorated with The Order of St Olav, granted by [...]
A-ha photos go on display
August 30, 2012
Norwegian photographer Stian Andersen is mounting an exhibit of “inside” photos he took of Norway’s most internationally popular rock band a-ha and the people around them during their successful career. Andersen will also release a book on the band in mid-September. The exhibit was due to open Thursday at the Oslo gallery Stolper + Friends [...]
Norwegians tops in streaming
August 17, 2012
The international music industry is looking to Norway to learn the secrets of streaming, a technology that lets the user listen to music directly from online libraries. According to recent research, Norwegian consumers stream music more eagerly than anyone else. A new report found that 48 percent of Norwegians and 43 percent of Swedes have [...]
Ministry tunes out Flagstad prize
August 17, 2012
Organizers of an annual festival in honor of Norway’s pioneering opera singer Kirsten Flagstad wanted to draw extra attention to it by awarding a NOK 2.5 million prize in her name to opera superstar Placido Domingo. But there’s a problem: They don’t have the money, and the government isn’t willing to help out. Newspaper Dagens [...]
By:Larm festival sets new records
February 17, 2012
Norway’s capital wasn’t being overrun only by snowboarders this weekend, as they competed in their own World Championships in the hills above the city. Thousands of music lovers, performers and music industry officials were also in Oslo for the annual music festival called “by:Larm.” The festival is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, and setting new [...]
Music prize show ended in scandal
January 16, 2012
Norway’s annual music industry awards show called Spellemannsprisen started off with complaints from top classical artists like pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, and ended in scandal over the weekend, after one winning pop band made a racial slur against their prize presenters. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) held a crisis meeting on Monday over whether the slur would have [...]
A-ha reunites for memorial concert
August 12, 2011
The only Norwegian band ever to have been top of the charts in the USA, A-ha, will reunite for one time only to play at a special memorial concert for those killed in the Oslo bombing and Utøya shootings. A-ha, famous for their worldwide hit “Take on Me,” had retired after a world tour at [...]
Cathedral concert honours victims
July 30, 2011
A memorial concert held at Oslo Cathedral for the victims, survivors and emergency service personnel involved in the terror attacks on Oslo and Utøya island was seen by thousands of Norwegians and others from around the world on the night of Saturday July 30. The event, organized by Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK), featured a number of [...]
Diplomats trained in black metal
June 8, 2011
The Norwegian foreign ministry has begun training aspiring diplomats in “TNBM – True Norwegian Black Metal” – after foreign service missions reported a rise in enquiries about the musical genre from around the world. Indeed, the popularity and scale of the black metal phenomenon were demonstrated recently as one of the style’s foremost proponents, Dimmu [...]
Mari Boine to sing in English
April 25, 2011
Norway’s indigenous star Sami singer, Mari Boine, is branching into new directions and now plans a new album with English lyrics. She also may start up a new band, as she continues to break musical barriers. Boine, who has won royal decoration and international fame for her clear voice and emotional music from the vast [...]
