The traditional music with its associated dances has resisted all the changing fashions of music through the ages and is today firmly embedded in the country's culture. In contrast to many other countries, this type of music and dance has never fallen entirely out of use and in many parts of the country an unbroken tradition still lives on. As a visitor to our country you will not search in vain for the exotic and folklore–inspired image of Norway in which music, song and dance emerges directly from the landscape – wild and mysterious – as a true reflection of the Norwegian soul itself. It is possible to experience this – not in any particular place – it is just there, as a fascinating and intimate experience – the stuff of which memories are made. There is an even greater chance of encountering a modern artist in possession of the highest musical qualifications – a virtuoso folk musician who elegantly uses a variety of techniques to interpret and re–create the music of our rich musical inheritance. You might meet him in a groundbreaking interaction with one of our adoptive Norwegian musicians who add a new and exciting dimension to our traditional music?

In Norway you can meet traditional music and dance through the many so–called "kappleik" music marathons, festivals and concerts at various local folk–music centres throughout the year. The national "kappleik" music marathon is the biggest. This annual arrangement moves around the country. People get together for competitions, concerts, dances and socialising. Norwegian Heritage has awarded the National Music Marathon (Landskappleiken) the sought–after Olavsrosa for their preservation of the immeasurable cultural inheritance in song, music and dance and for their development of the festival into an important meeting point for people of all ages and for the passing on, inspiration and maintenance of the rich traditions of this country.

Norwegian folk music, song and dance is rich in expression, variation and individual improvisation. Musicians can choose between a wide variety of musical instruments: the Hardanger fiddle, violin, langeleik zither, various wooden flutes, birch trumpet, Jew's harp, drums and harps. It is the Hardanger fiddle and the violin which are the most common folk–music instruments today. The Hardanger fiddle differs from the violin in its secondary strings, flatter bridge, narrower neck, flatter fingerboard and not least its rich and beautiful decoration. The Hardanger fiddle is most commonly used across a large part of south–western Norway, while the violin is traditional in the eastern valleys, mid and northern Norway.

The violin and Hardanger fiddle music has almost exclusively been dance music. Concerts, however, became important for folk music from the end of the 19th century and freedom from strong dance beats was long a goal. The idea of a unified national Norwegian folk–music tradition is too generalised a concept. Through many generations, local and individual styles have developed into distinctive and rich local forms of expression, variations and dialects. These together form what is termed the Norwegian tradition, or more precisely, "the Norwegian traditions". Cultural traditions do not usually conform to national borders. This is true of folk music and dance, especially along the Swedish border where there are many similarities with Swedish traditions.

Norway has a strong and active body of folk musicians and dancers. This, together with in–depth research and professional collections and archives, has meant that the variations and dialects have been retained and developed into a rich variety of both music and dance.

The solo folk musician epitomises the very symbol of the folk music.  Even today there is a strong tradition of solo playing and this is developed through competitions and teaching. In the last few years, however, even more diversity has emerged in the shape of artists who enjoy playing solo but also are at ease in various types of groups. That will be the contribution of our time to the long line of tradition along which music and dance is passed down to coming generations.

Translation © www.noproblem.no 2010.