From pop sensations and music pioneers to young and promising talents – the program for the Oslo Mela at Rådhusplassen is now complete. Violinist Harpreet Bansal will open the main stage at Rådhusplassen together with his band and Indian violinist Sharat Chandra Srivastava.
– We want our program to both delight and challenge, and not least that it should bring together audiences across generations . This year, audiences can look forward to everything from pop stars, local talents and artists with artistic and activist messages, says Ashley Shiri, festival director for Oslo Mela.
Oslo Mela is an urban, cross-genre and non-commercial meeting place for the celebration of artistic and cultural expressions that have come to Norway through immigration, especially from countries in the south. It is one of Oslo's largest music festivals and is held at Rådhusplassen from 15 to 17 August. Admission to the festival is free and there is no age limit.
Cultural heritage and musical activism
In recent years, there has been a growing trend for artists to draw inspiration from their artistic and cultural roots and combine this with newer impulses. In this way, they contribute to the development and renewal of the genres and traditions they represent, and not least, they broaden the musical horizons and create a greater awareness among listeners.
– It's great to see that more and more artists, especially young artists who primarily belong in genres such as R&B, pop and hip-hop, are returning to their musical roots. It not only gives the music its own distinctive character, but also increases the knowledge of the listeners and helps to create both curiosity and pride in their background , explains Shiri.
Last year, Piya Piya Calling became the summer's big music talk. The song was released by Karpe in collaboration with Coke Studio Pakistan, Amanda Delara, The Quick Style and Pakistani pop artist Kaifi Khalil. Khalil has made a special mark by combining the traditional music of Baluchistan with R&B and pop rhythms, and in August he will play his first concert in Norway, which will take place at Oslo Mela. F1rstman has roots in Lahore, Pakistan, but grew up in the Netherlands and his music is truly influenced by his cultural background; from the Bollywood, qawwali and hip-hop music he grew up with as a youth to the Arabic melodies he has picked up in the shisha cafes in the neighborhood. Bergen band 9 degrees north has a powerful and distinctive musical style inspired by Carnatic music, baila and Tamil folk music, among other things, and Katarina Barruk creates a greater space for both the Ume Sami language and cultural heritage when she combines joik, electronic tones and contemporary pop. The Chilean band Calle Mambo started as street musicians in Munich and now tours the world with their distinctive genre mix from Latin American folk tunes and Afro-Caribbean tones to electronica and rap, Mariama Ndure weaves together various elements from her cultural heritage and has created a completely unique expression that is inspired by everything from West African music, such as Madinka and Wolof traditions from Gambia, to soul, hip hop, R&B, modern jazz and improvisation, and Vassvik / Silvola / Strype offer a Sami-Finnish-Norwegian synergy where traditional Sami melodies are transformed into animistic avant-garde joik. Combined with innovative electric guitar playing and sound design, a new form of music is created where the past reaches towards the future.
Music as a unifying force
Rapper Mohammed Elsusi, originally from Gaza, combines rap, Arabic singing and electronic music. At Oslo Mela, he brings together Palestinian hip-hop pioneers Sami and Madi from the group DARG, which was established in Gaza in 2007, for a concert and performance on music as a force for resistance.
– Using music to tell stories and convey different messages can have a very important and unifying function for us humans, and helps us become even more aware of the importance of community and what experiences and traditions we should build on , says festival director Ashley Shiri.
Fabiola Méndez belongs to a new generation of young and innovative musicians who continue Puerto Rico's musical and cultural heritage. She plays the national instrument, the cuatro, and through her music she shows that the cuatro is both part of a rich Afro-Caribbean culture and an instrument that encompasses everything from jazz to various Latin American rhythms. Kurdish Ali Doğan Gönültaş grew up in a family where stories were primarily conveyed through music, and today he performs many of the rhythms and languages that belong to oppressed minorities in Turkey. Etran de L'Aïr started as a wedding band in his hometown of Agadez, Niger, but today they excite audiences all over the world. Unlike other desert blues artists, who are inspired by Western rock, they play a Pan-African style that captures the essence of all the cultural influences that have left their mark on their hometown.
South Asian musical traditions have always played an important role for the festival, not least for the festival's audience.
– It is extra fun that this year we have local artists with Indian and Pakistani roots on the main stage. Harpreet Bansal's personal version of the Indian raga is a unique blend of her musical heritage and the experience of growing up in two cultures. The group RagaNor has been a fixture at both Melahuset and the festival for many years and this year they are doing their first concert on the main stage, says Ashley Shiri.
The audience can also look forward to fierce beats and Punjabi vibes with Prem Dhillon and Pakistani pop sensation Aima Baig closing the festival on Sunday night.
Headliners of the future
In addition to big, popular artists, Oslo Mela has always featured young and often local talents on the main stage.
– For us, it is important to let young artists onto the main stage early in their careers so that they can showcase themselves to a larger audience. Ehi from Stovner delivers top-class r&b that bears the hallmarks of 90s soul pop and r&b, while Vathshan builds musical bridges between his Tamil heritage and Norwegian upbringing. We also see that dance is an important form of expression for many, and this year the local dance groups Punjabi Vikings, SHAKTI-kreativitet and Mudra will get their deserved place on the main stage.
In total, 20 bands, groups and artists perform on the main stage, and of these, nine are made up entirely of women or have female members. In addition to the program on the main stage, Oslo Mela has a program for South Asian classical music, MelaKlassisk , at the Nobel Peace Center and a separate children's program, MelaFantasi . At MelaArena, the focus is on food and experiences, and when the festival area closes for the evening, the party continues at MelaKlubb . This year, Melahuset , Dattera til Hagen, Goldie and Kafé Hærverk will be filled with DJs, bands and festival artists who will ensure that the music performed at Oslo Mela also leaves its mark on the nightlife.