Musikken av Norge

1. MusikkenavNorge The Music of Norway Adam Davis

2. Historienomnorskmusikk(The History of Norwegian Music) • Prior to the 18th century, there exists few written records of what sorts of music that were played in Norway. • In 1380 Norway came under Danish rule and thus had no royal house or nobility of its own resulting fin a 450 year period when Norway did not participate much in the musical development which occurred in royal or “cultured” circles throughout the rest of Europe. • Religious and traditional folk music (folkemusikk) were dominant throughout this era in rural areas, though again few records exist of the actual music.

3. Historie(History Cont.) Folk music in Norway falls into two main categories based in the ethnic populations from which they derive: North Germanic and Sami. Traditional Sami music is centered around a particular voice style calledjoik, comparable to the traditional chanting of some American Indian cultures. Traditional North Germanic Norwegian vocal music includeskvad(ballads) and steve, (short often improvised songs). Work songs hymns, tralling vocals and old printed ballad stories,skillingsviser. Nordic folk dance music is shared with Sweden and Denmark where the hardingfelesound is most prominent. With the union of Sweden and Norway in 1814, Norway, in particular the city of Oslo, began to influence the classical music scene dominating the music scene in 19th century Europe.

4. Modernemusikk(Modern Music) Post-WWII Norwegian music deviated away from the Germanic and Scandinavian trends in music, focusing more on the pop and rock movements in the U.K., France, and especially America. Similar music styles to those present in America have thrived (i.e. Pop, Hip-Hop, Electronic, Rock etc). Perhaps dissimilarly, Black Metal and Heavy Metal Rock have also had enormous success in Norway. American music is exceedingly popular amongst Norwegians, particularly young people. http://lista.vg.no/

5. Dominansavengelsk I musikk(The Dominance of English in Music) http://lista.vg.no/liste/topp-10-single-norsk/14 The use of English in other daily activities (television, websites, movies, etc.) Globalization (globalisering) – English as the new lingua franca Global appeal – Appeal to English markets Tone Damli- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k048m3-ntxc&feature=fvst

6. gjeldendeUtøvere (Current Performers) • Pop: • Gabrielle • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kogEFwYlNHU • Alternative Folk Rock: • Bernhoft • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjEsAEsYCw4 • Hip-Hop: • Vinni • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np1U3a7q7Ds • Electronic: • Röyksopp • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Bpx63wkbA

7. Kjenteartister(Notable Artists) • Aqua – (Barbie Girl) • Lead singer LeneNystrøm • Reached No. 7 on Billboard Hot 100 in 1997. • A-ha – (Take on Me) • Top of the Billboard Hot 100 In 1985.

8. Andre kjentekunstere(Other Well Known Artists) • Kaizers Orchestra • Bigbang • DEL • BertineZetlitz • Marina Mena • M2M • Supersilent Annie Lidolido Donkeyboy Susanne Sundfør Turbonergro Sissel Thunderbolt

9. Skandinaviskkultur(Scandinavian Culture) Because of linguistic similarities and geographic proximity, cultural blending amongst Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians occurs. This concept seems most notable in modern music (as opposed to other areas of culture where nationalistic identity is more heavily emphasized) where artists often gain notoriety throughout Scandinavia. For example the Swedish electro-house artist Basshunter in the late 2000’s and even the disco group ABBA in the 1970’s both became immensely popular throughout the region before gaining global fame.

10. Fremtidenavnorskmusikk(The Future of Norwegian Music) As electronic music becomes ever more popular around the world, the Euro-dance style that has been present for decades in places like Norway (see A-ha and Aqua) becomes increasingly more important in regards to influence. Meanwhile, as globalization and americanization become more of a reality, native cultures are reacting by adapting modern styles of music and reviving traditional styles of music. Revival of Norwegian folk music geared toward a young audience: Groups such as Gåte and Odd Nordstogahave fused traditional folk with modern pop and rock.

11. Sources • http://www.norway.org/aboutnorway/culture/music/pop • http://www.vennekretsen.com/Culture/NorwegianPopCulture.html • http://www.listento.no/ • http://lista.vg.no/ • http://www.europopmusic.eu/Scandanavia_pages/Scandanavia_Norway.html • http://www.youtube.com • Wikipedia • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Norway • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqua_(band) • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_on_Me • Special thanks to my language partner Anna Sandvik!