Vassendgutane + Reza e iRagazzi!
Kongsberg Jazzfestival has a tradition of putting together projects you will never hear anywhere else!
At a concert with Vassendgutane, you get to experience what it means to be at a real party at the venue. The band gives it their all, and sings along with the audience so that it shines! Here, preparations are made for the sausage fest of all time on the folk festival stage at Gamle Norge when the Vassendgutane meet Reza e iRagazzi. The kings of party country meet Norway's leading male opera soloists! All with a background from The Norwegian Opera! A collection of male opera soloists who give everything from goosebumps to backstabbing.
Vassendgutane is a music group from Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal. The band was established in 1996 and has released four records. Vassendgutane is in many ways a genre of its own, but mostly plays country-based party music. The music consists of folk country with its own lyrics and melodies, themes in many of the lyrics are taken from everyday Norwegian rural life. The band has so far released 6 CDs and 2 live concert DVDs, where XO is distinguished by double platinum, otherwise all releases have sold at least gold.
With a past from Khomeini's Iran, Norway's Academy of Music and the hip-hop scene, Reza has gathered the cream of Norwegian opera soloists to make the coolest folk festival of all time at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival. In the same way that he has done the opera pub at Underwater in Oslo for over 20 years, they take the music directly from their own hearts and out to the audience!
- This is one of the craziest things we have done. Here folk culture and fine culture meet on the same stage. But believe it or not, I think this will be a symbiosis where two completely different styles will turn out to have a lot in common. In any case, I guarantee that many people who thought they didn't like opera will dig this, says festival director Kai Gustavsen.
Vassendgutane consists of: Sindre Aam (bass and vocals), Arthur Johan Bjørdal (acoustic guitar and vocals), Ernst Brune (accordion and fiddle ops), Rune Brautaset (acoustic guitar and vocals), Alf Rune Melby (steel guitar), Kim Erik Lillestøl (drums and vocals) Frank Willy Utgård (electric guitar and vocals)
Reza e iRagazzi consists of: Reza Aghamir, Yngve Søberg, Marius Roth Christensen, Fredrik Otterstad, Håvard Stensvold, Ole Jørgen Kristiansen, Thor Inge Falch, Carsten Stabell, David Fielder
Reza Aghamir: Conductor and artistic dictator in Reza e iRagazzi. Known from his success with Gli Scapoli and a rebel in the classical world. Music in the heart and hip-hop in the head. Looking forward to Sun Ra Arkestra on Saturday. Space is the place!
Yngve Søberg: Bass baritone – Soloist in the Norwegian Opera. Incredibly good at singing. Made his debut as Mandarin and has many awards on the mantelpiece. West Coast Boy!
Marius Roth Christensen: Tenor – Soloist in the Norwegian Opera. Loads of roles. Participated in everything possible, including second guitarist in Seigmen. Handsome with curls.
Fredrik Otterstad: Tenor – The Silver Boys' artistic and day-to-day manager and has worked with Reza for all the years since the Gli Scapoli days. Claim to be the world's best neighbour!
Håvard Stensvold: Bass baritone – Guest soloist in the Norwegian Opera. Takes the blame for the name Reza e iRagazzi. Coming from Trondheim for the occasion.
Ole Jørgen Kristiansen: Baritone – Permanent soloist in the Norwegian Opera since 1994. Sung a number of major baritone roles. He has also had guest appearances in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Serbia, Russia and China. Engaged in social issues.
Thor Inge Falch: Tenor – Soloist in the Norwegian Opera since 2007. Aftenposten claims: "With a great vibrato and a timbre that alternates between warm and cold." ? From Ballangen - good on coarse ice.
Carsten Stabell: Bass – Soloist in The Norwegian Opera. An institution – Bastille Opera and Théatre de Chatelet in Paris, Semper Opera in Dresden, Opera in Frankfurt, Staatsoper in Berlin, La Monnaie in Brussels, Opera in Amsterdam, Covent Garden in London, La Scala in Milan, Grand Théâtre de Genève and the opera houses in Chicago , Philadelphia and Houston. Phew…
David Fielder: Tenor – Guest soloist The Norwegian Opera. Educated at the University of North Texas, the Grieg Academy and the Norwegian Academy of Opera in Oslo. Mercenary with many assignments at home and abroad. New dad.
En español:
Kongsberg Jazzfestival has a tradition of putting together projects you'll never hear anywhere else!
To take part in a Vassendgutane concert, you truly get the experience of what it means to be on a real small-town party. The band gives everything on stage and is known for an enthusiastic sing-along crowd. Gamle Norge invites to a party of all-time when Vassendgutane meets Reze e iRagazzi. The kings of party-country meet Norway's leading male opera soloists!
