Odd Nordstoga (1972-) is a musician, actor and editor from Vinje in Telemark, Norway. In 2004, he went from relative obscurity to becoming the country's biggest selling recording artist, with the phenomenal success of his first solo album proper, "Luring". The album, a fusion of pop and Norwegian folk music, has shifted more than 160.000 copies in Norway to date. Nordstoga is married to Hilde Marit Kvile and they have two children together, Ludvik Kvile Nordstoga and Margit Kvile Nordstoga.

Nordstoga comes from a hugely musical family. Both parents, Olav and Ellen Nordstoga, and brother Aasmund Nordstoga (additionally famous as a TV presenter, radio comedian and actor in commercials) have released albums as well. Odd Nordstoga is related to the renowned organist Kåre Nordstoga from Notodden

Early career

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 folk rock inspired "Fuggel i Karmen" and the haunting ballad "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 more pop music oriented self titled album. A couple of minor radio hits, "Dag" and "Bie på deg", ensued. Nordstoga won Norway's 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 (named after the poem by Aasmund O. Vinje), 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 Spellemannprisen award (Norwegian equivalent of the Grammy) in 2003 for best folk music album. Nordstoga was also involved in a book release in 2002, namely the song book "Song for deg og meg" (Song for you and I) which he edited, consisting of children songs written in nynorsk, the rural standard of Norway's two written standards.

Breakthrough

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 the film "Det Rare", based on a short story by famous Norwegian writer Tarjei Vesaas.

In 2004, Nordstoga signed for Universal Records 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 Spellemannprisen 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 Norway's 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 and Lars Underdal, and guest appearances with the band Fake It or Leave It who plays Beatles songs Norwegian folk music style.

Nordstoga released his follow-up to "Luring" in October 2006. Entitled "Heim Te Mor", the album received a great deal of airplay and acclaim from critics all over Norway. The radio single and title track "Heim Te Mor" became a radio hit upon release in September 2006, marking another milestone for Nordstoga as this release marks his first music video as a solo artist, an animated video based on a Nordstoga concert in his local community made by the Animidas film maker crew. With radio single number two "Frøken Franzen" coinciding with the album's release, Odd Nordstoga looks set for another album success. He is also responsible for the soundtrack to the forthcoming Christmas children series "Jul i Svingen" on Norway's NRK TV channel, which is the follow up to "Linus i Svingen".

Nordstoga's latest release is the songbook "Songfuggel i Karmen" containing his greatest hits and his personal favourites.

Controversy

In the autumn of 2006, Odd Nordstoga was the cause of a controversy between the Norwegian national broadcaster NRK, his management, Universal Records and the producers and cast of Norwegian-Swedish folk music adaptation of the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart piece "The Magic Flute" ("Tryllefløyten"). Nordstoga, having played Papageno in the piece in the spring of 2006, withdrew from the plans to show the stage adaptation on NRK TV during Christmas 2006. According to Nordstoga's management and label, a screening of the play at this time would collide with Nordstoga's two album releases of 2006 and overexpose him. The result was a massive outburst from some of his contemporaries in the Norwegian folk music scene, most prominently the folk singer Kirsten Bråten Berg. In the media, Nordstoga was portrayed as the villain, letting his personal career interfere with the ensemble of which he was part. In later interviews, Nordstoga claims to have been very sad about the situation and felt trapped by his obligations toward his recording company.

Discography

• 1997 Something Odd (Odd Productions) - Something Odd
• 1998 Solreven (BMG Norway/RCA) - Something Odd
• 2000 Nordstoga (Grappa Musikkforlag) - Nordstoga
• 2001 Blåmann Blåmann (Heilo/Grappa Musikkforlag) - Blåmann Blåmann
• 2002 Nivelkinn (Heilo/Grappa Musikkforlag) - Øyonn Groven Myhren & Odd Nordstoga
• 2004 Luring (Sonet/Universal)- Odd Nordstoga
• 2006 Heim Te Mor (Sonet/Universal)- Odd Nordstoga
• 2008 Pilegrim (Sonet/Universal)- Odd Nordstoga

Other projects

• Jul i Svingen (soundtrack for television)
• Linus i Svingen (soundtrack for television)
• Eg & Edith (Edith Piaf album and cabaret w/Herborg Kråkevik)
• Kjærlighet er best på pinne (cabaret w/Eduardo "Doddo" Andersen)
• Pilegrim (piece ordered especially for the Bergen Music Festival)
• Tryllefløyten (folk music adaptation of Mozart's "The Magic Flute")
• Storegut (a collaboration between Aasmund Nordstoga, Lars Underdal & Odd Nordstoga)
• Venn (charity single for the Tsunami victims of South East Asia with various artists)
• My Mother's Tears (w/Hillborg Romtveit)
• Blåmann Blåmann (limited edition 15 minute interview disc issued by Rikskonsertene)
• Song for deg og meg (songbook released by Det Norske Samlaget)
• UHU! (Norwegian children's television series soundtracks)
• Sjel og Sang (appearance on the Salvation Army charity album "Stolpesko")
• Tårnhøye Bølger Går (appearance on the Salvation Army charity album "Smak av himmel, Spor av Jord...)
• Far og Herre, du som rår (appearance on the Salvation Army charity album "Smak av himmel, Spor av Jord...")
• Det Rare (short film based on a short story by Tarjei Vesaas)
• Last Days & Nights (Nordstoga plays accordion on Norwegian singer Simone's solo debut)
• Barske børnerim (for viderekomne voksne) (Nordstoga plays xylophone, bass, guitar and accordion on Bjarte Hjelmelands album)
• Syng (collaboration with rap/hip hop collective Klovner i Kamp)
• Ørnen tek ikkje unga (Nordstoga guests on album by Klovner i Kamp)

Selected awards

• Norwegian Grammy for Best Folk Music Album in 2002 ("Nivelkinn").
• Norwegian Grammies for Best Male Artist and Artist of the Year in 2004.
• Rural Profile of the year 2004, voted by the readers of the newspaper Nationen.
• Prisen for god offentleg språkbruk 2004 (Award for excellent public use of the language)
• Vinje Kommunes Kulturpris 2004 (The Culture Award of Vinje Municipality).
• Folkemusikkprisen 2004 (The 2004 Folk Music Award)
• The Edvard Award (Edvardprisen) for his song "Bie på deg" from the "Nordstoga" album of 2000

Appearances

TV shows

Odd Nordstoga has appeared in, amongst others, these TV shows

• Stereo (NRK 2)
• Senkveld med HC & Tommy (TV 2)
• Absolutt Underholdning (TV 2)
• Absolutt Norsk (NRK 1)
• Beat for Beat (NRK 1)
• Frokost-TV (NRK 1)
• Jul fra Gamle Bergen Kirke (NRK 1)
• God Morgen, Norge! (TV 2)
• Sommeråpent (NRK 1)
• Nordic Music Awards Countdown (TV 2)
• Nordic Music Awards 2004 (TV 2)
• Redaksjon EN (NRK 1)
• SøndagsTabloid (TV 2)
• Magiske Understrenger-Historien om Hardingfela (NRK 1)
• Spellemannprisen 2002 (TV 2)
• Spellemannprisen 2004 (TV 2)
• TV-Aksjonen (NRK 1)
• Kvelden før Kvelden (NRK 1)
• Ein Luring frå Vinje (NRK 1)
• Jul i Blåfjell (NRK 1)
• Faktor (NRK 1)
• Frodes musikalske reise (TV 2)
• Den som ser fær sjå (Vest-Telemark Lokal TV)

Radio shows

Odd Nordstoga has appeared in, amongst others, these radio shows

• P1-scenen (NRK P1)
• Norsk på Norsk (NRK P1)
• Folkemusikktimen (NRK P2)
• P3-Morgen (NRK P3)

Greatest Hits

• Frøken Franzen (2006) words: Stein Versto/music: Odd Nordstoga
• Heim te mor (2006) words and music: Odd Nordstoga
• Svingensongen (2004, released 2005) words and music: O. Nordstoga
• Kveldssong for deg og meg (2004) words: R. Hovland/music: O. Nordstoga
• Texas (2004) words & music: O. Nordstoga
• Farvel til deg (2004) words & music: O. Nordstoga
• Hallo Hallo (2004) words & music: O. Nordstoga
• Lause Ting (2004) words & music: O. Nordstoga
• Eg & Edith (2003) words & music: H. Kråkevik & O. Nordstoga
• Guten og Folen (2002) words: A. Vaa/music: Ø. Groven Myhren & O. Nordstoga
• Uppi Måneskin (2002) words: A. Vaa/music: Ø. Groven Myhren & O. Nordstoga
• Tippe Tippe Tuve (2001) words & music: trad. arr Blåmann Blåmann
• Bie på deg (2000) words & music: O. Nordstoga
• Dag (2000) words & music: O. Nordstoga
• Ingen eg kjenner (1998) words & music: O. Nordstoga
• Fuggel i Karmen (1998) words & music: O. Nordstoga

Daz Nordstogaz Allstars line-up

• Odd Nordstoga: vocal/guitar/accordion
• Geir Lynnismann Sundstøl: guitars/banjo/dobro/pedal-steel/mandolin/backing vocals
• Thomas Tofte: bass guitar/banjo-bass
• John Vinge: keyboards
• Daniel Sanden-Warg: harding fiddle
• Øystein Fosshagen: fiddle
• Martin Windstad: drums/percussion

External links

• Odd Nordstoga's homepage
• Universal Music
• Norwegian Bandindex
• Nordstoga with accordion
• Nordstoga in concert
• Odd Nordstoga and Øyonn Groven Myhren
• Nordstoga portrait 2
• Nordstoga portrait 3
• Nordstoga portrait 4
• Odd Nordstoga fanpage
• Aasmund Nordstoga, brother of Odd Nordstoga
• Trispann, folk ensemble featuring Aasmund Nordstoga
• Mjonøy, concert location, exhibition arena, bakery etc. run by Ellen Nordstoga, mother of Odd Nordstoga
• Plassen, the farm on which Odd Nordstoga grew up

See also

• Vinje