Summer PEOPLE: Stein Torleif Bjella

We occupy the Bakgårdtentet at Jansens Plan again on 16 July, and offer a lovely concert with Stein Torleif Bjella!
Alone with the guitar, he takes us into his unique vice universe.

Stein Torleif Bjella is one of the country's greatest vice artists, with a number of releases behind him, which together have garnered fantastic reviews, and earned him loyal fans all over the country. In autumn 2023, Bjella released the brand new album Nysetmåne to rave reviews. The record was followed by a long tour to full houses around the country, culminating in a very sold-out concert at Sentrum Scene in Oslo in December. In parallel with this, the Ål poet juggled the musical work for the theater performance Heil Ved, based on Lars Mytting's novel of a book. The performance, in which Stein Torleif Bjella also contributes on stage, has been played to full houses at Det Norske Teatret since its premiere last autumn.

Bjella really made a name for himself with his solo debut "Heidersmenn" in 2009, and two years later the follow-up "Vonde visu" won the Spellemann prize. "Home to die" concluded the trilogy in 2013, with first place on the VG list. After this, the artist from Ål in Hallingdal released the critically acclaimed studio albums "Good Life" and "Øvre-Ål Toneakademi", as well as made an experimental spoken word improv album together with the band. Released "Bjellasangar arranged for brass & wood", a collaboration between Bjella and the Broadcasting Orchestra, and won the Edvard prize, the Prøysen prize, the Skjæraasen prize and the Bendiksen prize.

Stein Torleif Bjella is also a respected author, and is behind the poetry collection "Jordsjukantologien Nr. 1", and the novel "Fiskehuset", both of which have garnered rave reviews and have been published in several editions. "Fiskehuset" was nominated for the P2 listeners' novel prize and received the Nynorsk Literature Prize. The novel has so far been translated into Danish, German, Dutch, Czech and Faroese.