Lillebjørn Nilsen: singer-songwriter, plays acoustic guitars (Gibson L-00 ca 1930, Martin 12-string), mandolin, violin, Hardanger fiddle, 5-string banjo, Seljefløyte (Willow Pipe) and mouth harmonica.
Regular band Seresta: Stevje Sandlie, guitar. Marius Graff, guitar. And Vegar Engebretsen, bass.
Regular bass players: Terje Venaas and Arild Andersen.
Member of the singer-songwriter quartet Gitarkameratene: Øystein Sunde, Jan Eggum, Halvdan Sivertsen and Lillebjørn Nilsen.
Pete Seeger and Lillebjorn at the Tonder Festival Denmark 1990
Some brilliant musicians Lillebjørn has enjoyed making music with:
Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton, Allan Taylor, Allan Olsen, Andy Irvine, Geoff Berner, Alf Cranner, Steinar Ofsdal, Lars Klevstrand, Fred Åkerström, Jon Christensen, Halvard Bjørgum, Hans Graasvold, Björn Ståbi, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Kirsten Braaten Berg,
Roy Harper, Ralph McTell, Halvard Bjørgum, Cornelis Vreeswijk,
Eivind Aarseth, Knut Reiersrud, Lars Lillo-Stenberg, Jonas Fjeld, Paulo Vinaccia, Annbjørg Lien, Frode Alnæs, Finn Kalvik, Knudsen & Ludvigsen, Knut Hem, Shari Gerber, Bente Kure & Leif Ernstsen, Mikael Whie,
Tanabreddens Ungdom (Young People From the Breadth of Tana), Christian Reim, Calle Neuman, Nora Brockstedt, Kari Svendsen, Egil Storbekken, Kjetil Lønndal, Talleiv Røysland, Ragna Brenno, Matti Pokkela, Ville Pusa,
Stäni Steinbock, Ludvik Eikaas,
Donovan, Aly Bain, Tom Paley, Agnes Buen Garnaas, Martha Sebestyen, Bernt Staff, Ivar Medaas, Bill Ramsey, Don Paulin, Jimmy Patrick, Marén Berg, Dodo Hug, Finn Ziegler, Hugo Rasmussen, HOT CLUB DE NORVEGE featuring Jon Larsen, Torhild Ostad, (to be continued as memory permits...)
Lillebjørn has been singing since the sixties. His debut record "Tilbake," which came out in 1971, was closely followed by others, like pearls on a string. Throughout the years and decades, Lillebjørn has received prestigious prizes and been honoured for outstanding contributions as a performing artist. In 1995, he received Denmark's first folk music prize. And in 2005 his own home town presented him The Oslo City Cultural Prize.
During his career, Lillebjørn has published several books combining guitar and song. These songbooks are pulled out around the campfire, in schools, and in kids' rooms where chords are instilled in fingers. Everyone knows Lillebjørn. His "Guitar Book" alone has sold more than 180.000 copies.
Lillebjørn plays several stringed instruments, including guitar, banjo, mandolin and Hardanger fiddle. His repertoire encompasses Norwegian folksongs in his own arrangements, his own translations of songs from other countries, and not least his own lyrics and melodies.
In a simple and down to earth manner, Lillebjørn has set words to everyday concepts, and his songs have always gone home with both young and old.
In addition to numerous tours in Norway and other Nordic countries, he has peformed at large festivals in Europe and the USA. He also joined other musicians to form two successful groups which played to full houses and sold hundreds of thousands of records.
In 1996, Lillebjørn released a double album of 40 of his best and most well known songs, "40 Spor". In 2009, he will celebrate his 59th birthday. Not bad for a legend.
Thank you ever so much for even answering me back Lillebjørn! I did really not hope for that.....
Its so nice to be able to connect and reach through to you through music. The Hardingfiddle is the outmost carnation of norwegian music as far as Im concerned, and I would love to be able to share more of this with others. Im pleased you liked it and Im hoping to take with me this and other material to make some new studiotracks in the near future.
Sometimes Im in Oslo and when I am I usually take a pint at "The Dubliner`s". You might know where it is? I hope to see you there or elsewhere sometime!
Thank you for your music and your friendship. You`re showing a lot of greatness. If you ever come to Volda give me a sign and I`ll give you a musicfriendly place to stay.
"Thanks for the add", som de sier på NyNorsk ;) Og vær hjertelig velkommen her på MySpace. Vi vokste liksom opp sammen, vi to, på en måte.. Det merket ikke du..Men jeg har følt meg meget beriket på ditt unike talent opp igjennom min oppvekst, sammen med "Tanta te Beate" og St. mange andre fargerike figurer pakket inn i en musikalsk glød... Takk skal du ha!!
Har et spesielt forhold til Denne Jorda. Derfor var det spesielt ergerlig at mikrofonene ikke fungerte da du sang den da du varmet opp for Cohen ifjor. Ellers veldig fin konsert!
Min sønn på 4 år drev og sang om igjen og om igjen "med fiskestang i hånda". Etter å ha vurdert litt om det var din eller Sundes fant jeg ut det var din sang. Aner ikke hvor han har lært den, men du når ut til alle, det er tydelig :)
Hei Lillebjørn. Jev vil med dette vise litt respekt til en av norges beste vise-sangere. En varm hilsen til mannen som har fått hele norge til å nynne.....
Lillebjorn Nilsen dearest: Spring time has just set in Brazil with promises of short rain showers and refreshment for our atmosphere. Mother Nature here in Minas Gerais is at her best, in her festive evergreen dress, wild flowers are blooming both in the most far-off fields and here hard by our backyard, showing off a spectacle of so many colors and hues. Just like your so majestic rural music bewitching my sensitive ears, leaving me kinda passionate and thirsty of hearing it all out one more time. The Norwegian is doubtlessly a very rhythmic and musical language, it does need to be divulged much more worldwide. I had learnt "Olleana" thirty years ago, it was great however to know your song "Bladansen" ... it touched seriously my deepest rural honors and made me sigh and drop down a tear. May my provincial tunes reach out your ears, mind and heart as well, and then you send me some of your kind comments. Please, accept a musical embrace from your Brazilian admirer,
Kouame Sereba was awarded the price Folk Musician of the Year during the Folk Music Awards at Folkelarm. (Oslo- Norway) - "Thank you" is a word that covers my feelings right now, said a deeply touched Sereba.
