We are excited to announce that Miss Pooja , also known as the queen of bhangra, pop sensation Asim Azhar and the amazing dancers of Punjabi Vikings are ready for this year's Oslo Mela!
Oslo Mela is held August 14-16 at Rådhusplassen in Oslo. The festival is free and open to everyone.
Asim Azhar
– Soulful pop sensation
In a short time, Asim Azhar has gone from being a viral teen star to becoming an established pop artist who captures the zeitgeist with addictive melodies and soulful voice.
Asim Azhar is a singer, songwriter and artist who has redefined the sound of modern South Asian pop and R&B, and his songs about love, vulnerability and romance charm fans across generations. He got his big break with the help of both Coke Studio and TikTok and with hits like “Jo Tu Na Mila” and “Tera Woh Pyar” he has also reached the milestone of becoming the youngest Pakistani artist with over 2 billion streams. Asim Azhar’s music – and popularity – has also managed to spread beyond national borders and in 2023 he collaborated with Norwegian pop star Astrid S on her song “Darkest Hour”.
Asim Azhar is known for his catchy songs and energetic live performances, and together with his band he will ensure that we get a brilliant ending to this year's Oslo Mela.
Miss Pooja
– The Queen of Bhangra
A record-breaking musical icon, she has defined an entire era in Punjabi music, and not least, she has earned the titles of both the Queen of Duets and the Queen of Bhangra . This year, Miss Pooja can look back on an impressive 20-year music career and celebrates this with new music and a concert at Oslo Mela.
She began taking singing and dancing lessons at the age of 5, then trained professionally in music and worked as a music teacher before making her singing debut with Lal-Kamal in 2006. Since then, she has created an adventurous career as a singer and actress, she has released hundreds of albums and thousands of singles and, not least, she has contributed to the classic Punjabi duets topping the charts of both radio stations and DJs around the world.
Miss Pooja will definitely create a good atmosphere at Rådhusplassen with her impressive voice and her energetic and upbeat mix of traditional rhythms and modern bhangra and pop beats.
Punjabi Vikings
- Rhythm, vibes and girl power
It's difficult not to feel the urge to dance when Punjabi Vikings presents their dance show full of color, vibration, rhythm and good vibes.
It was in 2018 that the girls of Punjabi Vikings decided to venture into the world of dance and started a group specializing in the styles of bhangra and giddha. The goal was to spread their passion for dance, but also to pay tribute to their cultural roots from Punjab, where the energetic bhangra dance is a symbol of freedom and celebration, while giddha, a folk dance for women, gives them the right dose of girl power.
In recent years, Punjabi Vikings has charmed both artists and audiences at Oslo Mela, and we can only look forward to a new colorful show full of energy and dancing joy.