{"id":1829,"date":"2013-03-27T11:23:08","date_gmt":"2013-03-27T11:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theduanewells.com\/?p=1829"},"modified":"2018-07-29T03:18:26","modified_gmt":"2018-07-29T03:18:26","slug":"bernhoft-giving-voice-to-norwegian-soul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/bernhoft-giving-voice-to-norwegian-soul\/","title":{"rendered":"Bernhoft: Giving Voice to Norwegian Soul"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\"Bernhoft-2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In a week when everyone seemed to be buzzing about Justin Timberlake, I found myself rapt by the intricately, layered sounds of Bernhoft, the Norwegian retro-soul sensation who is currently barnstorming across North America igniting venues with his uniquely inspired blend of socially conscious musings and quirkily groovalicious beats.<\/p>\n

He may not yet be a household name in the States but it\u2019s only a matter of time before he is. Since releasing his sophomore album Solidarity Breaks<\/i> in early 2011, the former frontman of the rock band Span, has won kudos from R&B heavyweights like Jill Scott as well as a few very major awards like Best Artist and Best Male Artist of the Year at the 2012 Spellemannprisen, which are the equivalent to the GRAMMYs in Norway. Along the way he\u2019s also racked up impressive sales for his latest musical effort, scored more than three million views of his single \u201cC\u2019Mon Talk\u201d and brought his beatbox-infused sound to The Ellen DeGeneres Show. To put it simply, saying that he is on the brink would actually be something of an understatement.<\/p>\n

\"Bernhoft-3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A huge part of Bernhoft\u2019s growing appeal is that he is a complete one-man tour-de-force of a band. And yet, though he is without question a consummate showman, there is something decidedly not showy at all about him. Watch him play and you\u2019ll likely find yourself as mesmerized by his vocal dexterity as you are by his aptitude for playing multiple instruments, often at the same time. In fact, \u00a0\u00a0so seamless is his performance style that you might almost be inclined to take his skills for granted. Almost<\/i> <\/b>being the operative term here because in a world of canned pop and stale retreads, it\u2019s almost impossible not to savor the freshness and originality of Norway\u2019s hottest new export.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s almost like a modern version of busking,\u201d the singer said with a chuckle when I asked him about his ingenious stage persona during a recent telephone conversation on the heels of a two-night gig in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m like your archetypal busker with the bass drum in the back and the cymbals all going. It\u2019s almost that style of music only a bit more refined and digitalized I guess,\u201d he continued with a laugh betraying his sly sense of humor.<\/p>\n