Review in Laagendalsposten, Friday May 5. 2006
| Translation by Dag Sirnes: Together for jazz house Mother Silje Nergaard sang, while her daughter Erle sold jewelry - both for income for the jazz house in Malawi. By: Tonhild Solberg Both mother Silje Nergaard and daughter Erle Totland Nergaard (8 1/2) were in action during the SOS Children's Villages concert at Energimølla last night. While mum stood on stage and sang, Erle was in full swing selling jewelry that she and her friends Jenny Frid Thorstensen (9) and Thea Elvestuen (8) had made. "We have made them all ourselves, but we have received some help from our families as well," said Thea. Erle and her friends also contributed during last year's concert. Then they sold drawings. This year, they advanced to jewelry sales. ''There are quite a few who have bought jewelry. Not a thousand people, but we have received 930 kroner", the friends could tell after a couple of hours of jewelry sales." Great Silje Nergaard and Live Maria Roggen held a total of three concerts yesterday. They started at five o'clock with a concert for FMC (a local technology company), at seven o'clock for common people and at nine o'clock the Kongsberg Group had booked the two popular artists. In total, around 700 people saw Nergaard and Roggen live on Thursday night. ''Three concerts in a row, is it tiring?'' ''No, it's going very well. The concerts are so short, so there is no problem'', Nergaard said. She was happy to return to Kongsberg and thinks it is nice that the SOS concerts have become a tradition. ''It's always great to come back to Kongsberg. And now it's pure jazz atmosphere with hot weather. A better jump start at the jazz festival could not have been had,'' the artist believes. Satisfied organizer By the way, it was colleague Live Maria Roggen who opened the musical ball at Energimølla yesterday. She brought with her the orchestra of Atle Sponberg, consisting of Frode Haltli, Mats Eilertsen, and pianist Sveinug Bjelland, known from the Gloger festivals. Then Nergaard entered the stage with her orchestra. They offered both new and old from Nergaard's career. Nergaard has just recorded a record, and samples from this were served to the audience. The concert ended with a duet that Silje Nergaard wrote after her visit to Malawi, and like last year the artists were also accompanied by a children's choir. Representatives from SOS Children's Villages were very pleased with tonight's concert marathon. "Exactly how much money we get in during the evening, we do not have a complete overview of, but we think it will be between 100,000 and 150,000 kroner," says Cathrine Solheim, project manager for Kongsberg Jazzhus. Prior to the concert yesterday, around 420,000 kroner had been received for the jazz house in Malawi, which has a price tag of around 900,000 kroner. "It is absolutely fantastic to see the Kongsberg people's involvement in this matter, and that they work together towards a common goal," said Synne Rønning, information manager at SOS Children's Villages. The concerts yesterday were a collaboration between Kongsberg Jazz Evidence, Kongsberg Jazz Festival, SOS Children's Villages, the Children-Helping-Children Group in Kongsberg, Kongsberg Kulturskole and Energimølla. AT CONCERT Energimølla Live Maria Roggen and Silje Nergaard Audience: About 250 Left photo Sold jewelery: Silje Nergaard watches while her daughter Erle Totland Nergaard (left) tries on one of the homemade jewelery that was sold at Energimølla for income for SOS Children's Villages. Behind are her friends Thea Elvestuen (left) and Jenny Frid Thorstensen. Photo: Tonhild Solberg Right photo Duet: Silje Nergaard wrote a song after her visit to Malawi. The song was performed as a duet with Live Maria Roggen. Photo: Tonhild Solberg |