A musical showcase at the top of the world

Most of the events took place in the city of Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost settlement with a population of over 1,000 permanent residents. While the light and nature were at their most beautiful and harshest, the organisers of Northern EXPO presented six voices from northern Norway against the beautiful backdrop of the Svalbard islands. The featured artists were Violet Road (pop/rock), Ánnaásuolo (sami/jazz), Mørk (electronica/jazz), Petter Carlsen (pop/rock), Kartellet (folk dance) and Julietnorth (folk music). Listen to a selection of music from these artists on the Northern Expo 2018 Spotify playlist.

One of the highlights of the event was a visit to the Russian ghost town of Pyramiden, which was founded in 1910 by Sweden and sold to the Soviet Union in 1927. Since 1998, the town has been largely abandoned, but most of its buildings and infrastructure have remained in place. Upon arrival, delegates were received by the dance group Kartellet, who they followed into the town’s Culture Hall for an immersive, musical tour of the Soviet-era building. The magical atmosphere of the occasion was beautifully captured by CCN Style’s Temujin Doran (see video below).

You can read a full report on Northern Expo over at All About Jazz.

Northern Expo is organised by the Network for Music Business Development in Northern Norway. Click here for more information about the event.