Today we can reveal three new names for this year's Oslo Mela and it will be possible to experience a piece of Palestinian hip-hop history when rapper Mohammed Elsusi brings Sami and Madi from DARG Team to the Mela's main stage in August. Ehi has perhaps one of Norway's most beautiful voices and delivers top-class r&b that bears the hallmarks of 90s soul pop and r&b, while Vathshan unites melodic Tamil music with Afrobeat, r&b and hip-hop, building musical bridges between his Tamil heritage and Norwegian upbringing.
Hey
Hey– Soulful voice from Stovner
Ehi grew up in Stovner, has roots in both Hedmark and Nigeria, and possesses perhaps one of Norway's most beautiful and soulful voices. He delivers top-notch r&b that bears the hallmarks of 90s soul pop and r&b, and music he was introduced to growing up, from Barry White and Marvin Gaye to Craig David, Whitney Houston and Harry Belafonte.
Ehi, also known as Stian Ehiabhi Omole Jensen, started his musical career at the age of 15 in the hip-hop collective Forente minoriteter, but really broke through in 2020 with his debut album "Toni Braxton", for which he was also nominated for a Spellemann. He has also contributed as a vocalist and songwriter to the Arif album "Historien om Nassor Del 2", the choir for Leona Lewis herself and participated in everything from Idol and Beat for Beat to Sistemann UT and Stjernekamp.
This spring he is ready with new music and we can only look forward to his concert at Oslo Mela, which is guaranteed to ooze attitude, nerve and love.
Elsusi feat. DARG Team (Sami-Madi)
Elsusi feat. DARG Team (Sami-Madi)– Musical resistance struggle
It will be possible to experience a piece of Palestinian hip-hop history when rapper Mohammed Elsusi brings Sami and Madi from DARG Team to Mela's main stage in August to deliver a concert that primarily shows the importance of musical resistance.
Mohammed Elsusi is an artist and producer from Gaza, Palestine, who came to Stavanger as a free city artist in 2024. In 2009, he started the group "Revolution Makers" with his brother, and has since established himself as a solo artist. Musically, he mixes rap, Arabic singing and electronic music, and with lyrics that address everything from corruption and occupation to humanitarian issues and the strength of the Palestinian population. The group DARG Team was established in Gaza in 2007 and is considered pioneers in the Palestinian hip-hop scene and with a desire to use music to illuminate injustice and convey the Palestinian message to the rest of the world.
When Elsusi, Sami and Madi join forces during Oslo Mela, the audience can expect a demonstration of musical resistance with an extra focus on Palestine, human rights and justice.
Vathshan
Vathshan– A musical bridge builder
Vathshan fuses melodic Tamil music with Afrobeat, R&B and hip-hop, building musical bridges between his Tamil heritage and his Norwegian upbringing. Inspired by musical icons such as AR Rahman, Anirudh and Yuvan Shankar Raja, he creates songs that touch both the heart and the sense of rhythm.
Vathshan's musical journey began in 2023 with the single "Paakura Paakura", and in a short time he has gained over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and millions of plays. Much of this is probably thanks to his unique sound and his ability to completely renew himself by gathering new musical inspiration for each song he creates.
On stage, Vathshan takes the audience on a journey through identity, culture and modern music, and his unique style and strong presence provide great emotions and a lot of energy.