Bombino / Fay Wildhagen
2 concerts - one ticket!
Desert blues in Alexandraparken – can it get any better?
Get ready for bold guitar sounds and brilliant musicians. It’s hard not to move to this music!
Bombino, born in Niger in 1980, represents a musical tradition that has truly resonated with us Northerners. A few years ago, desert blues was a relatively unknown genre before bands like Tinariwen made their mark on the Norwegian and European music scene. Prior to that, only the most dedicated listeners of radio programs like Jungeltelegrafen or attendees of World Music festivals were familiar with this captivating genre, which has strong ties and references to Western blues and rock.
References to blues legends come rolling in when we talk about Bombino: Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Mark Knopfler, and more. You might also be familiar with other West African musicians renowned in the desert blues genre, such as Ali Farka Touré and Fatoumata Diawara. These are all exciting artists and sounds from West Africa that are absolutely worth exploring!
The nickname Bombino comes from the Italian word bambino, meaning "little child." It's a name that has stuck with Moctar since the early years of his career and followed him into international success as a guitarist and musician. Over the past year, Bombino has performed in Norway and been linked to blues legend Knut Reiersrud. His concerts are known for giving the audience a true boost of energy and inspiration!
Fay Wildhagen
Fay Wildhagen is all about being free. And authentic
At six years old, Fay Wildhagen received her first guitar and completely immersed herself in exploring the instrument. She sought out tonal variations, experimenting by retuning the guitar strings to develop new nuances in chords.
She learned the craft of songwriting by deconstructing songs by ear, always staying true to her own approach—it had to come from the heart. Over the past decade, Wildhagen has become a household favorite in the Norwegian music scene. Since releasing her debut album Snow on Warner Music in 2015, she has made giant strides in her career.
In addition to being nominated for Spellemann and P3 Gull awards for her early albums, Wildhagen has also composed film scores. This includes collaborations with Øyvind Mathisen (Harajuku, 2018) and Kristoffer Lo (Aksel, 2021). The former was nominated for an Amanda award, and the latter earned her the Music Publisher Prize.
In 2023, Wildhagen stood out as the producer of the compilation album Møtested – a tribute to Anne Grete Preus. On this project, she had the chance to collaborate with several musicians she had admired throughout her life, including Ole Paus and Ane Brun. Her work on this album earned her a Spellemann award. That same year, she completed her third album, Let’s Keep It in the Family, which was released the following year to glowing reviews. Wildhagen has shared that creating this album required her to rediscover herself. It was a challenging process, but, as she says, authenticity comes at a cost.
This year, Wildhagen appeared as a guest artist on the TV2 program Hver gang vi møtes alongside Astrid S. In February, she will play her first two concerts at the Opera House—both of which are sold out.
If you don’t want to miss this, you have every reason to find yourself in Alexandra Park when Fay Wildhagen and her band perform at Moldejazz 2025.