Celebrating Norwegian Music

God jul, Washington!
Celebrating Norwegian Music
A
mericans might not think
of Norway — a country
known for its oil, fjords
and salmon — as a music nation,
but we can guarantee that they’ve
heard music from several Norwegian artists, performers, producers and songwriters this year.
There’s a good chance they’ve
walked around humming to Nico
& Vinz’s smash “Am I Wrong” this
summer, singing along to Kygo’s
“Firestone” or dancing to Calvin
Harris’ “How Deep is Your Love.”
Kygo’s unique tropical house
sound has taken the world by
storm, selling out venues and
headlining festivals around the
world – after releasing just a
couple of singles. Ina Wroldsen,
who wrote and sings “How Deep
is Your Love,” is a highly soughtafter songwriter, writing for One
Direction, Britney Spears and
Shakira, to name a few.
These artists and more have
contributed to a 48% increase in
the number of Norwegian music
concerts in the U.S. between
2013 and 2014 — during which
time the U.S. surpassed Germany
as the biggest market for live
Norwegian music.
“Americans might not
think of Norway — a
country known for its
oil, fjords and salmon
— as a music nation,
but we can guarantee
that they’ve heard
music from several
Norwegian artists”
Norwegian bands are increasingly adding stops in Washington, D.C. to their tours, playing
mostly at clubs like DC9 (pop/
rock), Echo Stage (electronica),
the Black Cat (indie rock), Blues
Alley (jazz) and the Kennedy
Center (classical/traditional).
Facts & figures
Percentage of Norwegian
concerts in the U.S. by genre:
65% pop/rock/metal/EDM
21% jazz
10% classical
3% folk
Nico & Vinz
It’s not just America that’s
interested in Norwegian music:
internationally, Norwegian exports of recorded music increased
a whopping 39% last year.
About Norwegian Christmas
at Union Station
Sponsored by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Christmas tree
on the West Carriage Porch is a
gift from Norway to the people of
Washington D.C., and a symbol
of Norway’s appreciation for the
strong friendship and relations
between the two nations.
This year’s theme is Celebrating Norwegian Music. To read
more, please visit norway.org/
music.
God jul, Washington!
Kygo
The pop/rock/metal/electronica field has experienced the
largest increase, and clusters
of professional Norwegian
musicians/songwriters have
established themselves in New
York and LA.
Digital sales make up the
majority of the Norwegian
domestic music market. 82%
of overall sales were digital,
primarily streaming. Sales of
physical units make up for the
remaining 18% of the market.
Music Norway’s Waffle Mixes
offer a wide selection of Norwegian music that can be
streamed for free. Available
both for Spotify and Wimp:
norway.org/music
2720 34th Street, Northwest
Washington, D.C. 20008
202.333.6000 | norway.org
Our Playlist
Meet Ida Jenshus
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington,
D.C. is pleased to present a selection of Norwegian
music for your listening and viewing pleasure.
Anneli Drecker, “Alone”
Broen, “Boy”
Carl Louis, “Apogee (feat. Pav)”
Clmd, “Black Eyes and Blue”
Coucheron, “Ruby”
Emilie Nicolas, “Pstereo”
Fay Wildhagen, “Four Years (In One Day)”
Frøder, “Over the Sea”
Frøkedal, “I See You”
Highasakite, “Leaving No Traces”
Susanna, “Imagine”
Karl Seglem, “Strange Weight of Ashes”
Kasket Club, “Soul Surfing”
Kygo, “Stole the Show”
Psyence Fiction, “Spy Vs. Spy”
Sara Angelica, “Run”
Slutface, “Shave My Head”
Surfalot, “Brother Brother”
Sval, “Fasitsvar”
Tellef Raabe, “Dear Aphrodite”
The Fjords, “Anesthesia”
Maria Mena, “I Always Liked That”
Scan the QR code to open a
Spotify playlist with all of the
songs listed above.
This year’s entertainment includes a performance by Ida Jenshus.
After winning the NRK talent competition Lyden av Lørdag
in 2007, Ida Jenshus’ career quickly took off, and she made her
debut in 2008 with the singles “These are the Days” and “For the
Nation.”
Then followed her first studio album “Color of the Sun,” which
earned her the Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannsprisen) for best
country album 2008. Two years later, she released her second
album, “No Guarantees,” with 12 new songs that showcased a
rapidly maturing singer/songwriter. Again she won the Spellemannsprisen.
After this, Ida established herself as one of Norway`s leading
female country artists, and she was invited to open for the Eagles
when they performed at the Norwegian Wood Festival in the
summer of 2011. When she won the Spellemannsprisen once again
in 2012 for her album “Someone to Love,” she became the first
Norwegian solo artist to win Grammys for her first three albums.
With this album, she also took her music further into rock/pop
territory and developed the characteristic sound that she is known
for today.