He created a party for Morten

When they found out that Morten Omlid had died suddenly, last November, it didn’t take long before LO, the Norwegian trade union movement and the Notodden Blues Festival, decided behind the big free concert, that this year’s concert had to be. a concert.

A generous person

A concert to celebrate the man who was known and respected nationally and internationally for his guitar playing and his knowledge of the blues – and who at the same time his close relationship with the local community in Notodden, especially through his many years of work teaching children and young people to play and play music.

– There is one word that I think describes Morten in particular, said the presenter Bård Ose, who himself has been playing with him for several years through Spoonful of Stones.

– That’s the word generous. Morten wanted everyone involved.

Celebrate the music and the man

And that’s exactly what happened when the program managers of the concert started visiting the local, national and international artists and asking if they wanted to participate in the party for Morten: Said everyone was in the spot. Everyone wanted to participate in what Ose described from the stage as a party performance.

– We will celebrate Morten’s life and music, he announced, before asking the audience to cheer for the guitar and the community.

– I think he would be proud

Several of the participants had written their own songs or verses in honor of Morten Omlid.

Rita Engerdalen is one of the artists who has played with him the longest, for 30 years with her own band and 20 years with Damer i blues.

– He was a mentor and a good friend. We miss him. But I think he would be proud that we are doing this today, she said before he played the song A yellow moonwhere the last stanza is new and written to Morten:

I hope we meet in Heaven one day

I hope you are with your love, and that I can see my little one

The moon will come and the stars will shine.

The angels will sing for you – you are not alone.

– This is for you

– Morten was never tired of teaching others, said the presenter Bård Ose, who highlighted Morten’s great effort in always igniting new sparks in young musicians, who through his efforts as a guitar teacher have developed so that today they are on their own musical feet. One of these was Trym Innleggen Hagalia. He released his first album at this year’s festival, an album produced by Morten.

– I’m not going to say much, because I feel that there may be more laughter than playing, said the 21-year-old, before announcing the t -a song he wrote for his mentor:

– “If you are listening”. This one is for you, Morten.

– He was so kind

Earl Thomas is one of the artists who has left a mark on this year’s festival. From the stage in Hovigs Hangar on Sunday, he said that he himself asked to participate in the tribute concert, and shared a memory of when he first met Morten Omlid and played with him there in 1994.

– I remember that he was a very kind person. He was kind to me, and I won’t forget that, said the American, before he made the dignitaries stand at the top, and people dried their tears, with the number of the – gospel

– Story!

There was laughter, tears, dancing and joy for each other during the two hours that the concert lasted. And mostly it was music. It was completely in the spirit of the main character, thought Jostein Forsberg:

– Morten was not too fond of much dialogue on the stage, so he said: Spell!

The hall experienced it firsthand: at the end of the concert, the entire group of artists came out on stage and gave everything they had, in – harmony and respect for the violinist.

See all photos from the concert: