Odd Nordstoga

Biography

Odd Nordstoga (1972-) is a musician from Vinje in Telemark, Norway. In 2004 he went from relative obscurity to become the country's biggest selling artist, with the phenomenal success of his first solo album proper, "Luring". The album, a fusion of pop and folk music, has to date shifted more than 150.000 copies in Norway. Nordstoga is married to Hilde Marit Kvile and they have two children together. Nordstoga comes from a hugely musical family. Both parents, Ellen and Olav Nordstoga, and broth...

Odd Nordstoga (1972-) is a musician from Vinje in Telemark, Norway. In 2004 he went from relative obscurity to become the country's biggest selling artist, with the phenomenal success of his first solo album proper, "Luring". The album, a fusion of pop and folk music, has to date shifted more than 150.000 copies in Norway. Nordstoga is married to Hilde Marit Kvile and they have two children together.

Nordstoga comes from a hugely musical family. Both parents, Ellen and Olav Nordstoga, and brother Aasmund Nordstoga (additionally famous as a TV presenter, radio comedian and actor in commercials) have released albums as well.

His career as a recording artist spans 8 years. He made his debut as a recording artist in 1997 with the band Something Odd and their self-titled debut. This album earned them a record deal with BMG Norway and they swiftly released the follow up "Solreven" in 1998. Two minor radio-hits, the beautiful "Fuggel i Karmen" and "Ingen eg kjenner", came out of this album, but the album sold poorly and the band was dropped from their label. In 2000, Odd Nordstoga changed the name of Something Odd to simply Nordstoga, signed to the Norwegian label Grappa and released a self titled album. A couple of minor radio hits, '"Dag"' and "Bie på deg", ensued. Nordstoga won the prestigious Edvardprisen Award for "Bie på Deg". However, soon afterwards they disbanded.

Between 2001-2003 Odd Nordstoga concentrated most of his efforts towards the more traditional folk music of Telemark. With his other band Blåmann Blåmann, consisting of Nordstoga and his friends from Vinje, guitarist Asgaut H. Bakken, flute player Silje Hegg and harding fiddle virtuoso Lars Underdal, he released a self-titled album to great reviews in 2001, and scored a radio hit in "Tippe Tippe Tuve". In 2002 he teamed up with the Norwegian and highly respected folk musician Øyonn Groven Myhren (amongst other things known from the folk ensemble Dvergmål) to write, perform and release the album "Nivelkinn", based on poems by Telemark poet Aslaug Vaa. This collaboration scored a couple of minor radio hits in "Uppi Måneskin" and "Guten og Folen", and earned them the Spellemannsprisen award (Norwegian equivalent of the Grammy) in 2003 for best folk music album.

It was also in 2003 that the mainstream opened its eyes for Nordstoga as he teamed up with famous singer/actress/writer Herborg Kråkevik to write and perform the title track from her Edith Piaf-cabaret, entitled "Eg & Edith". The cabaret and its soundtrack, although met with great anticipation, was a minor flop in terms of album sales and tickets sold, whereas the title track proved to be a nice radio hit for the pair. Nordstoga, together with lyricist Stein Versto (another Vinje native), also contributed with the track "Rosevev" on this album. Nordstoga had previously worked with Kråkevik in a film based on a short story by famous Norwegian writer Tarjei Vesaas.

In 2004 Nordstoga signed for Universal and made his definitive breakthrough with the album "Luring", selling 150.000 copies and spending 14 weeks on top of the Norwegian album charts. The lead single from the album, about a howling pig entitled "Kveldssong for deg og meg", is already a Norwegian evergreen and one of the most played songs on Norwegian radio in 2004. "Texas", "Lause Ting", "Hallo Hallo" and "Farvel til deg" from the same album also became massive radio hits for Nordstoga. The tour in the wake of the album, the so-called "Luringtur" tour, which Nordstoga played together with his backing band Daz Nordstogaz Allstars, played to a 60.000 strong crowd. At the Spellemannsprisen Awards in February 2005, Nordstoga won two awards as he was named best male artist and Artist of the Year. In the summer of 2005, Nordstoga once again took to the road for the "Luringtur" MK II tour.

Nordstoga has also been involved in TV productions. In 2004 he did the music for the Norwegian children's series "Linus i Svingen" that was broadcast on NRK 1, Norway's public broadcaster. The theme song, "Svingensongen", is being released in 2005 on the compilation album "Tidenes beste barneplate 2". He has also been involved with the music for the vastly popular "UHU!" series.

In June 2005, Nordstoga teamed up with some of Norway's finest jazz musicians and performed the piece "Pilegrim" to great acclaim at Festspillene i Bergen (Bergen Music Festival). the lyrics were written by lyricists Stein Versto and Ragnar Hovland, both previously involved in the "Luring" production. In August 2005, he made a cameo appearance with Norwegian rap-collective Klovner i Kamp, singing the chorus to their single "Syng".

Odd Nordstoga has also done projects for The Salvation Army and folk music projects with different people, amongst other things, renditions of the famous Telemark piece "Storegut" with brother Aasmund Nordstoga and Lars Underdal, and guest appearances with the band Fake It or Leave It who plays Beatles songs Norwegian folk music style.

Odd Nordstoga is related to the renowned organist Kåre Nordstoga from Notodden.

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