On Monday 21 March, Norwegian artists put on a charity concert entitled Gift to Japan. Its prime initiator was Trine Rein, an artist who has toured Japan several times, and who was deeply moved by the disaster. “This is our way of expressing support and gratitude to the people of Japan, who have warmly welcomed and supported Norwegian artists since the 1990s,” she said. The performance included a song composed especially for the occasion, The Earth Is Trembling.
HRH Crown Price Regent Haakon, representatives of the Japanese Embassy in Oslo and State Secretary Erik Lahnstein from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were among the 700 who attended the concert. They got to witness striking performances by Trine Rein, A1, D’sound, Wig Wam, Aleksander With, Nils Petter Molvær, TNT and other artists.
State Secretary Erik Lahnstein addressed the audience, stressing the close relations between Norway and Japan. He also assured that the Norwegian Government is following the situation closely: “We recognise Japan’s impressive capability in dealing with crises. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has assured the Japanese authorities that Norway stands ready to assist at short notice if desired.”
The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet has also scheduled an extra series of concerts throughout the week to show their solidarity with the people of Japan. In addition, two charity performances will be held on Tuesday 29 March, in which the five Japanese dancers of the Norwegian National Ballet will dance the lead roles.
 Trine Rein |
|
|
|
 Johan Sara Jr |
|