Organizers of the annual Kongsberg Jazz Festival said they were delighted to finally be able to confirm that Kygo, who’s been creating his own brand of electronica jazz, will be among the headliners at this summer’s gathering of jazz lovers in Kongsberg.
The announcement came just as Kygo won this year’s musical artist (Spellemann) of the year award. “We have been sitting on the announcement for a while now, so it’s a delight to finally release it,” Ragnhild Menes of the Kongsberg Jazz Festival told state broadcaster NRK.
Kygo (Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll of Bergen) will play on the festival’s stage at Kirketorget in Kongsberg, where there’s space for an audience of 10,000. “I think there will be lots of people there for a spectacular live show,” Menes told NRK.
The Kongsberg Jazz Festival, which runs from July 6-9, has attracted leading artists over the years, including Stevie Wonder and Van Morrison. Kygo will play on July 8, between other appearances around the world, in Brazil, the Netherlands, Stockholm and London.
Kygo has become a major international star in recent years with his unique electronica pop music. Menes admitted that he’s not a traditional jazz musician. “We won’t claim that this will be a great jazz concert, but we will create a people’s party for Kongsberg and the whole region,” Menes said, countering claims that Kygo’s streaming numbers are getting more attention than the quality of his music. “We’re proud to be be able to present him. He’s the biggest music sensation in the Norwegian music branch for many years. He makes completely unique music.”
newsinenglish.no staff
