Nominee for Independent Jazz Artist of the Year – 13th Annual LA Music Awards
Solvei (Soulvay) is a beloved artist on two continents, known for her passionate and groovy electronica, jazz and yoga music. Her artist journey began as a professional dancer in Oslo at the age of 15. Now several decades later working with such caliber artists as Poncho Sanchez and more recently, mentored by Kurt Elling.
Solvei hails from Norway, where she grew up in a family of professional opera singers, her father was from Chicago and her mother from Norway.
Solvei spent most of her childhood in the opera house.
By the age of eighteen, she had already performed close to a thousand stage performances in her native Scandinavia. A dance offer led to living in France for three years,
at which time she worked on several occasions with Sir Elton John and other
acclaimed artists, absorbing everything she could while doing so.
Solvei got badly injured and was forced to rethink her career and she decided to channel her creativity and talent into music.
In 1995 Solvei moved to Los Angeles where she built a reputation as a performer in the
L.A. jazz venues and has since won critical acclaim for her versatile shows, as well as
receiving a Los Angeles Music Award nomination and a World Music Award. In 2006-2007 Solvei collaborated closely with the American Indian political prisoner Leonard Peltier and his family. The work resulted in writing, recording and performing the song “Leonard Peltier”, which got endorsed by Amnesty International and is used to raise funds for Native American Rights foundations.
An avid yoga practitioner and teacher, Solvei also produces music for yoga and relaxation. Solvei continues to write her own material and has recorded, produced and released eight albums on her own label, Royal Dancer Music.
In 2010 Scandinavian Network TV featured Solvei’s music and career in an 8 part documentary series.
Her music is sold internationally and is frequently heard on American and international radio stations.
Solvei performs regularly to crowds around the world, using music to plant a seed of multiculturalism, joy and tolerance.