rough guides do norway

O U T
OSLO
N
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Travelling?
Check out
www.songlines.co.uk/
musictravel for our
bespoke tours. Songlines
has now profiled the
world music scene in
40+ cities. See the archive
at www.songlines.co.uk
orway’s capital is split into an east
and west side by the river Akerselva,
running through town and unaware
of the class divide it creates as it heads
into the countryside. While the river may have come
to define a divide between the poorer east and more
affluent west, it’s also what attracted original settlers
to Oslo. Indeed, a love of nature, the abundant forest
and the surrounding water unites its residents. The
river itself runs from the vast Nordmarka forest in the
north into the beautiful Oslo fjord.
From the city hall and the royal castle in the
centre of town it only takes 15 minutes to travel out
to the sandy but cold beaches of the Oslo fjord
archipelago. Alternatively, you can hop on the
underground system and be right on the outskirts of
the forest. Another 30 minutes and you are literally
in another world.
As with other cities with a marked divide
between the east and west sides – notably Berlin –
it seems that all the groundbreaking developments
regarding art, music and culture are taking place in
the former working class bastions of the east.
Oslo attracts people from all over Norway,
including musicians flocking to the city to try and
make a name for themselves. The Norwegian
Academy of Music, founded in 1973, started offering
higher-level education in folk music 15 years ago.
Since then, many of Norway’s most talented young
folk musicians have migrated to the city. Norwegian
folk music has throughout the ages been
traditionally performed as solo music, often on violin
or Norwegian Hardanger fiddle. However things
seem to be changing, no more so than in the capital,
where there are now an abundance of bands.
Getting access to all the good venues and clubs isn’t
always that easy and, as a result, Oslo hides some
great musical gems, with musicians not always
getting a chance to perform as often as they should.
This is especially true for the city’s many ethnic
minority musicians. Nevertheless, an increased
interest in world music means that new club nights
spring up once in a while, ensuring that magical
musical collaborations often happen when they’re
least expected.
In April this year the new Oslo Opera House opened
The opera house’s first season covers an
eclectic mix of music: from traditional
operas and ballets to rock and world music.
August saw a performance by Pakistani
singer Rafaqat Ali Khan along with the
London-based Bollywood Brass Band.
Kirsten Flagstads plass 1, +47 21 42 21 00 &
+47 815 444 88, www.operaen.no
Ask the average Oslo citizen where to go for
a world music experience and nine out of ten
will escort you to Cosmopolite. It reopens
in October at Soria Moria, an old theatre
and cinema. Khaled, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,
Salif Keita, Cesaria Evoria and Youssou
N’Dour have all played here and Mahmoud
Ahmed is scheduled to play soon.
Soria Moria, Vogtsgate 64, +47 22 11 33 08,
www.cosmopolite.no
– a magnificent edifice by the waterfront on the Oslo
fjord. A Sunday stroll on pavements beside the
impressive white marble building now seems to be the
leisure activity of choice for Oslo residents. There was,
however, much controversy in the decades running up
to its construction. Would this be a cultural investment
for all, or just a way to placate the few fans of opera?
When the decision to go ahead with building was
made, Oslo residents demanded that the opera house
reflect the cultural diversity of the Norwegian
population. Many residents of the east weren’t happy
that it was situated in an upper middle-class area,
underlining the fact that Norwegians don’t like elitism.
For other entertainment, Oslo has a remarkably high
number of pubs, restaurants and bars per inhabitant.
The city lies deep in the northern hemisphere, so when
the lighter Nordic summer nights lose ground to the
darker autumn evenings, the inhabitants of Oslo go
inside to play, drink and dance. Looking at it this way
and perhaps isn’t so odd that Norwegians tend to go
inside when they want to go out. By consequence, the
most important folk and world music festivals in Oslo
take place indoors in the autumn.
BLÅ
Blå is Oslo’s main jazz venue, but they have
an ‘anything goes’ music policy. Located in
an old factory beside the river, their main
aim is to make the unheard heard.
Brenneriveien 9c, +47 40 00 42 77, www.blaaoslo.no
Makeba, Jal and Ali Zafar.
www.melafestivalen.no
Folkelarm
Oslo Jazz Festival
Folkelarm is the largest gathering of
the folk and world music community in
Norway and the Nordic countries. The aim
is to provide a platform for Nordic artists,
including Sámi musicians, to promote
their sound around the world. Although
aimed at the music business, showcases are
open to everybody. During the gathering
As the name suggests, this is
predominantly a celebration of jazz music
although there are occasional world music
performances. In August.
www.oslojazz.no
Cesaria Evora performing at
Oslo World Music Festival
52 Songlines
Munnharpe (Jew’s Harp) Festival
The Jew’s harp is extremely popular
November/December 2008
Located in the trendy Grünerløkka
neighbourhood, with all the cafés and
bars, Parkteatret is a classic 19th century
Viennese conversion. It has established
itself as the cultural venue in this part of
Oslo; Balkan parties and Russian discos are
regular occurrences.
Olaf Ryes Plass 11, + 47 22 35 63 00,
www.parkteatret.no
A fun, autumn festival of
Gypsy music. This year’s
eclectic performances
included Puerto Flamenco,
the Balkan blues of
Kal and Fanfare Gypsy
Mambo. In September.
www.iagori.com
November/December 2008
Competition
We have three copies of The Rough Guide to
Norway, plus Ultimate Adventures (which
includes a section on Norwegian skiing),
to give away. To enter, simply answer
the following question:
Which river runs through Oslo?
See p5 for Songlines competition
rules and address.
Closing date January 2 2009
83
C ross -co untr y sk i
tou ring in Nor way
norway
oslo
>> Self-reliance on
the Hardangervidda
Plateau
In Norway, skiing is more
than
a sport, more than a
means of
transport – it’s a way
of life.
With a network of nearly
350
mountain huts linking
18,000km
of trails across some
of the
world’s most impressive
ski
terrain, Norway offers
great
cross-country adventures
for aspiring and experienced
skiers alike. It’s not
just the
excellent ski conditions
that
draw enthusiasts year
after year:
even in the depths of
winter,
with the land transformed
into
a harsh wilderness, you’ll
find
security and camaraderie
in the
most extensive system
of trails
and huts in the world.
As you
warm your toes by the
log fire
in a mountain hut at
the end of
the day, you’ll understand
why
cross-country skiing
is such an
integral and enjoyable
part of
Norwegian life.
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LISTINGS
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29/5/08 17:27:28
What’s On In Oslo
This listings magazine can be picked up in hotels, bars and
tourist information centres.
www.visitoslo.com
Kulturkirken Jakob
Formed in 1974 as a way of focusing religion
through music, theatre and art. They have
a music club but, since this is a church
organisation, wild dancing isn’t encouraged.
This shouldn’t be too much of a problem as
most of the music is fairly low-key.
Hausmannsgate 14, +47 22 99 34 50, www.kkv.no
Norwegian-based Iranian
composer and santur player
Javid Afsari Rad performing
with his band last autumn
at Riksscenen
MS Innvik
The only floating music scene in Oslo
(it’s a boat) and home to the Nordic
Black Theatre. It also has occasional
concerts and a reggae club once a
month, taking place during the day and
aimed at all the family. The boat has a
B&B too.
Langakaia, Bjørvika, +47 22 41 95 00 &
+47 98 80 18 84, www.msinnvik.no
CLUBS
Riksscenen/Schous Kulturbryggeri
This Norwegian hub for traditional music and dance is the
major folk music innovator in Norway at the moment. Things
look set to get even better when they move into new quarters
at Schous Cultural Brewery in 2009.
www.riksscenen.no
www.schouskulturbryggeri.oslo.kommune.no
RADIO STATIONS
NRK Folkemusikk
Twenty-four hour web-based radio playing Norwegian folk
music. Old archive and new recordings are mixed together as
a continual jukebox.
www.nrk.no/folkemusikk
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“An essential part of your luggage”
The Iagori International
Gypsy Festival
lars opstad/rikskonsertene
Oslo Mela
Sponsored by
Parkteatret Scene
in Norway and this is an
international celebration
of the instrument. This
year’s line-up included
musicians from England,
France and China, as well
as homegrown talent such
as ice instrumentalist Terje
Isungset. In September.
www.munnharpe.no
The Ultima Festival
A yearly celebration of arts and music with
a focus on unknown and unheard works.
The festival has been running since 1991
and takes place in around 20 venues in the
capital during September and October.
www.ultima.no
For those who enjoy taking part in
Norwegian folk dances. An alcohol-free
venue, it’s certainly a novel experience.
For the pros, there’s an annual dance
competition in November.
Nordahl Brunsgate 22, +47 90 69 23 12, www.bls.no
The new Cosmopolite
site, Soria Moria
in September, the Norwegian Folk Music
Awards winners are also announced.
www.folkelarm.no/2008
Oslo World Music Festival
The word ‘mela’ originates from the
Sanskrit meaning ‘meeting place’. At Oslo
Mela artists and musicians from several
continents collaborate in a massive cultural
exchange. The festival is deemed so
important in reflecting cultural diversity
that it’s subsidised by the government. It’s
free and takes place in late August. This
year’s main attractions included Miriam
Nordahl Brunsgate
Oslo Opera House
Cosmopolite
FESTIVALS
An annual festival bringing the hottest
performers on the world music scene to
various venues throughout Oslo. This
year’s programme includes artists like
Mariza, Buika, Etran Finatawa, Omara
Portuondo and Nortec Collective.
November 4-9 2008.
www.rikskonsertene.no/OsloWorldMusicFestival
VENUES
The futuristic
Oslo Opera House
Aaste Kveseth explores the musical
possibilities in Norway’s cutting-edge
capital, nestled between forests and fjords
Real Travel magazine reviewing The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget
Aerial violin playing from
Orange Blossom at Osl
o
World Music Festival
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Songlines 53
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S O U N D I N G