Silje Nergaard
Silje Nergaard (born June 19, 1966 in Steinkjer ) is a Norwegian jazz singer .
life and career
Silje Nergaard grew up as the daughter of a teacher couple in Hamar, Norway . She came into contact with jazz music at an early age through her mother's records by Stan Getz and João Gilberto . Other musical role models such as Al Jarreau and Joni Mitchell awakened her love for singing.
Silje Nergaard earned her first artistic merits as a 16-year-old teenager at the international jazz festival in Molde . In 1985 she appeared in the preliminary round (Norsk Melodi Grand Prix) of her country for the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson with the song Si Det, Si Det (which was later won by the Norwegian representatives Bobbysocks ). At a jam session of the ex-band of bassist Jaco Pastorius , who died in 1987 , the young singer ventured onto the stage and delighted the musicians and listeners present with her interpretations, whereupon the Norwegian press attributed her potential to become a star. On the recommendation of the American jazz guitarist Pat Metheny , she received a record deal with the EMI label . In 1990 she released her debut record Tell Me Where You're Going , which reached number 7 on the Norwegian pop charts. The record reached number 1 on the Japanese radio charts. In Japan a wine was named after her; she was the first western artist ever to appear in the Heian Shrine in Kyoto . After two more albums for EMI, Silje Nergaard switched to the small Norwegian record label Kirkelig Kulturverksted in 1995 . There she released two more albums in their local language in 1995 and 1996.
In the following four-year career break, their first daughter Erle was born. At the end of 1999, the singer returned when she received the Honorable Mention Award for her song I Don't Want To See You Cry in a songwriting competition in the USA . More devoted to jazz music again, she won three compatriots - the Tord Gustavsen Trio - as a backing band. With her first album after the break, Port of Call , at the latest , Silje Nergaard achieved her international breakthrough, which manifested itself in a massive media and festival presence. The lyrics of the original compositions come from her brother-in-law Mike McGurk. The second release, At First Light, from 2001 jumped straight to number one on the Norwegian pop charts. In May 2003 their second daughter Karla was born.
With a concert on December 7, 2005, at which she also sang a duet with her husband, Silje Nergaard ended her six-year collaboration with the Tord Gustavsen Trio in the Tonhalle Düsseldorf .
For the album Unclouded (2012) she wrote nine new pieces of her own together with Hallgrim Bratberg and Håvar Bendiksen . Guest musicians were John Scofield , “Jojje” Wadenius , Knut Reiersrud and Nils Petter Molvær .
Discography
Albums
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | UK | NO | |||
1990 | Tell Me Where You're Going | - | - |
NO10 (5 weeks) NO |
as Silje
|
1994 | Cow on the Highway | - | - |
NO16 (3 weeks) NO |
as Silje
|
1995 | Certification | - | - |
NO35 (1 week) NO |
as Silje
|
2000 | Port of Call | - | - |
NO7 (11 weeks) NO |
|
2001 | At first light |
DE-
gold
DE
|
- |
NO1 (32 weeks) NO |
|
2003 | Nightwatch | - | - |
NO1 (19 weeks) NO |
|
2005 | Be Still My Heart - The Essential | - | - |
NO11 (12 weeks) NO |
Best of album
|
2007 | Darkness Out of Blue |
DE99 (1 week) DE |
- |
NO3 (11 weeks) NO |
|
2009 | A Thousand True Stories |
DE66 (2 weeks) DE |
- |
NO3 (13 weeks) NO |
|
2010 | If I Could Wrap Up a Kiss | - | - |
NO8 (6 weeks) NO |
Christmas album
|
2012 | Unclouded |
DE73 (1 week) DE |
- |
NO12 (6 weeks) NO |
|
2015 | Chain of Days |
DE75 (1 week) DE |
- |
NO8 (3 weeks) NO |
|
2020 | Silje Nergaard |
DE50 (1 week) DE |
- | - |
More albums
- Silje (1991)
- Hjemmefra ("From Home") (1996)
- For You a Thousand Times (2017)
Singles (chart successes)
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | UK | NO | |||
1990 | Tell Me Where You're Going | - |
UK55 (13 weeks) UK |
- |
Republication
|
Awards
- 2003: Spellemann prizes in the category This year's Spellemann
- 2005: Gammleng Prize in the Jazz category
Web links
- Silje Nergaard at Discogs (English)
- Official website of Silje Nergaard (English)
- Biography, discography and news at JazzEcho
swell
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Nergaard, Silje |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Norwegian jazz singer |
DATE OF BIRTH | June 19, 1966 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Steinkjer , Norway |