Polarjazz or The Polar Jazz Festival (initiated 1998 in

Longyearbyen Longyearbyen (, locally �lɔ̀ŋjɑrˌbyːən "The Longyear Town") is the world's northernmost settlement with a population greater than 1,000 and the largest inhabited area of Svalbard, Norway. It stretches along the foot of the left bank ...

Svalbard Svalbard ( , ), also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range ...

) is the northernmost jazz festival in the world, and is arranged every year in February.

Background

The 19th Polarjazz festival took place between 3 and 7 February 2016, with almost 2,500 visitors. This unique music festival that residents, visiting audience and not least the artists, keep coming back to. Over the years a multitude of the best jazz performers and other musicians have visited Polarjazz. Polarjazz not only offers a varied musical experiences, but also other activities in the polar night. There are provided music for all ages and therefore the festival includes performances both in kindergartens, schools and the youth house. Some musicians are sent to perform for our neighbors in the Russian settlement of

Barentsburg Barentsburg (russian: Баренцбург) is the second-largest settlement in Svalbard, Norway, with about 455 inhabitants (). A coal mining town, the settlement is almost entirely made up of ethnic Russians and Ukrainians. History Rijpsburg ...

Artists and bands (in selection)

;3–7 February 2011 *

Hot Club de Norvege Hot or the acronym HOT may refer to: Food and drink *Pungency, in food, a spicy or hot quality *Hot, a wine tasting descriptor Places *Hot district, a district of Chiang Mai province, Thailand ** Hot subdistrict, a sub-district of Hot Distric ...

Solveig Slettahjell Solveig Slettahjell (born 2 April 1971 in Bærum, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz singer, known for her soulful, seductive voice. Career Slettahjell had her record debut with the album ''Slow Motion Orchestra'' (2003), contains jazz standards lik ...

Beady Belle Beady Belle is a Norwegian jazz band founded by Beate S. Lech with her bassist and husband Marius Reksjø, after having been encouraged to make a record by Bugge Wesseltoft at Jazzland Recordings. Biography Lech and Reksjø studied music toget ...

and PUST *

Halvdan Sivertsen Halvdan Sivertsen (born 5 January 1950) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was born in Tromsø, but raised and lives in Bodø. He has won Spellemannprisen awards five times, twice with his group Gitarkameratene, and received the ...

* Stian Carstensen ;1–5 February 2012 *Bård *

Bjelleklang Bjelleklang (Norwegian: '' lit.'' Bell Sounds, '' coll.'' Jingle Bells) is a Norwegian '' a cappella'' vocal group formed in Lørenskog in 1986. The group performs both songs with only ''a cappella'' and songs with guitar or other unconventional m ...

*Christianssands String Swing Ensemble *

DeLillos deLillos is a Norwegian poprock band formed in Oslo in 1984. They are generally regarded as one of the "Four Greats" in modern Norwegian pop music, i.e. one of the four 1980s groups that founded a new tradition for rock music with lyrics in Nor ...

Kaizers Orchestra Kaizers Orchestra is a Norwegian alternative rock band formed on 1 January 2000. They are notable for being among the first non-black metal Norwegian artists singing in their native language to become popular beyond Scandinavia. In 2012, the gr ...

Maria Mena Maria Viktoria Mena (born 19 February 1986) is a Norwegian pop singer, best known for her singles such as " You're the Only One", "Just Hold Me", "All This Time" which charted in multiple countries. Early life Maria Mena was born into an art ...

Ole Paus Ole Paus (born 9 February 1947; full name ''Ole Christian Paus'') is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, poet and author, who is widely regarded as the foremost troubadour of the contemporary Norwegian ballad tradition ( no, visebølgen). During th ...

The Real Thing The Real Thing or Real Thing may refer to: Film and television * The Real Thing (film), ''The Real Thing'' (film) or ''Livers Ain't Cheap'', a 1996 American film * ''The Real Thing'', a 1980 television documentary by James Burke (science historian) ...

;31 January - 3 February 2013 *

Kari Bremnes Kari Bremnes (born 9 December 1956) is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. She got an MA in language, literature, history and theatre studies from the University of Oslo, and worked as a journalist for several years before deciding to dedicate h ...

Madcon Madcon is a Norwegian musical duo formed in 1992 by Yosef Wolde-Mariam and Tshawe Baqwa. They have released eight albums as of 2022. They are best known for the 2007 cover of " Beggin'" by The Four Seasons and the 2015 single " Don't Worry" feat ...

* The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain *Babylon Brothers *Bargoo *

Sivert Høyem Sivert Høyem (born 22 January 1976) is a Norwegian musician, best known as the vocalist of the rock band Madrugada. After the band broke up following the death of Robert Burås in 2007, he has enjoyed success as a solo artist and is also a m ...

*Howlin' Huskies ;5-9 February 2014 * Mezzoforte * Rypdal & Tekrø *Stillhouse *Urban Tunélls Klezmerband ;5–8 February 2015 *

Bo Kaspers Orkester Bo Kaspers Orkester is a Swedish pop-rock band with strong influences of jazz, formed in 1991. Consist of Bo Sundström, Fredrik Dahl, Michael Malmgren and Mats Schubert and won a Grammis award in 1998 for ''artist of the year''. Discography Alb ...

Violet Road Violet Road is a Norway, Norwegian folk and rock band from Tromsø who sing mainly in English language, English. The band is made up of five members, the three brothers Håkon, Hogne, Halvard and Kjetil Holmstad-Solberg and Espen Høgmo. Earlier ...

*Vidar Johnsen *

Morten Abel Morten Abel Knutsen (born 15 October 1962), better known by his stage name Morten Abel is a Norwegian pop artist, and one of Norway's best-selling domestic artists. Career Morten Abel was born and grew up near Bodø, but moved to Stavanger wh ...

Emilie Nicolas Emilie Nicolas Kongshavn (born 26 November 1987) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter from Bærum. She is best known for her jazz-inspired vocals and electronic sound. She has released 3 studio albums and has won 4 Norwegian Grammys (Spellemannprise ...

Bugge Wesseltoft Jens Christian Bugge Wesseltoft (born 1 February 1964) is a Norwegian jazz pianist, composer, and producer, son of jazz guitarist Erik Wesseltoft. Career In 1989, Wesseltoft collaborated with the Knut Riisnæs Quartet and was soon after ...

& The Organ Club * Árstíðir * Nina & the Butterfly Fish *Svalbard Kirkes Trio (World premiere) *Solid Comfort *Nora Konstanse ;3-7 February 2015 *

Per Mathisen Per Mathisen (born 7 October 1969) is a Norwegian jazz bassist and composer who has worked with Terri Lyne Carrington, Geri Allen, Gary Thomas, Bill Bruford, Alex Acuña, Gary Husband, Ralph Peterson, Nguyen Le and Terje Rypdal. He is married t ...

and

Ulf Wakenius Ulf, or Ulv is a masculine name common in Scandinavia and Germany. It derives from the Old Norse word for "wolf" (''úlfr'', see Wulf). The oldest written record of the name's occurrence in Sweden is from a runestone of the 11th century. The fe ...

Sondre Lerche Sondre Lerche (; born 5 September 1982) is a Norwegian singer, songwriter and guitarist, now based in Los Angeles, California. He has released nine studio albums. Early life Growing up in a suburb of Bergen, Lerche was heavily influenced by 1980s ...

Ingebjørg Bratland Ingebjørg Harman Bratland (born 8 May 1990 in Edland, Vinje, Telemark) is a Norwegian folk singer, kveder and artist. In 2008–2009, she attended Foss Upper Secondary School in Oslo. Early life Bratland began singing as a kveder when she w ...

D'Sound D'Sound (stylized as d'sound) is a Norwegian neo soul band based in Oslo, Norway. The band was formed in 1993 with a line-up composed of lead vocalist Simone Eriksrud, bassist Jonny Sjo and drummer Kim Ofstad. After Eriksrud's initial departur ...

*Lyriaka *SvaJazz *Numa Edema *

Sofia Jannok Brita Maret "Sofia" Jannok (born 15 September 1982) is a Swedish Sami artist, singer, songwriter and radio host. Several times, she has publicly taken a stance in social media against the establishment of mines on land used by Sami reindeer herd ...

– Susanne Sundfør *Dos Mosquitos *Longyearbyen Storband *

Hekla Stålstrenga Hekla Stålstrenga is a Norwegian folk and folk rock band specializing in North Norwegian traditional music. It was formed in 2008 as a duo by fiddler Ragnhild Furebotten and guitarist Tore Bruvoll. They had their first recording as a duo, for wh ...

References

External links

* {{Jazz festival Longyearbyen Jazz festivals in Norway 1998 establishments in Norway Recurring events established in 1998 Music in Longyearbyen Festivals in Longyearbyen Annual events in Norway Winter events in Norway