Nico & Vinz at Samfunnet
Nico & Vinz at Samfunnet
Journalist: Henrik Bakken
Photographer: Malene Tangen
Translator: Natalie Nazareno
On the 3rd of February, Nico & Vinz visited Aud. Max., and Tuntréet was present and got a content-rich interview with the duo before the concert.
We met Nico & Vinz after completing their sound checks and sat down in Rosehagen for an interview. The duo, which consists of Kahouly Nicolay Sereba and Vincent Dery, were welcoming and certainly didn’t act like some divas. There were several things to ask when this famous duo was to enter Samfunnet: Where have they been since 2014? How do they work together? And of course, do they find it annoying that most people only associate them with the mega hit “Am I Wrong”?
The Oslo boys, from Holmlia and Lambertseter, respectively, have worked together for many years, and although many wouldn’t believe it, they have actually been active all this time and produced music. However, the boys did not meet primarily as friends, it was through music that they found each other, and their relationship was primarily professional in the beginning. What became essential for their collaboration was the shared musical dream. A dream of the world.
Many of today’s Ås students were probably in primary or secondary school when Nico & Vinz broke through with the single “Am I Wrong” in 2013, with the stage name Envy. It was here that the boys received confirmation that their shared dream was achieved: Because they were really big at this time. Among others, they guested on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, played on stage with Taylor Swift, at the Nobel Concert, toured as the warmup artist for Bruno Mars, and have even played for Obama. These are only some of the many experiences they had when they topped the charts, not to forget that they also played in Festsalen during MiniUKA in 2014.
The duo is an interesting success story, as they’ve gotten used to play with superstars such as Taylor Swift, but also travelled around and played for students at student societies. Vincent says, “people are people” and elaborates, that it doesn’t matter how many people are in the “crowd”, but rather what they as artists can give the audience regardless of the size of the stage. It doesn’t bother them that most people also associate them as a ‘one hit wonder’ with “Am I Wrong”, and they appreciate people remembering them and at least associate them with something.
Most people remember the heyday from almost ten years ago, and many may wonder where they have been? When you talk with them, you quickly get an idea of where. They are a bit confused about the language and mix Norwegian and English phrases, “you know”, which is understandable as they have lived and worked in the USA for several years. There, they have worked in studios, produced music, and developed musically
It was after the heyday that they also put their relationship to the test, after all it was music that brough them together and not a friendship. They say that they have simply become much better at working together, because they realized that they wanted something more together. Today, they also spend time together privately, and especially after they’ve both become parents.
They are known for a unique sound with elements from different cultures, however, they have also been criticised for having banal and simple lyrics. The boys are honest in that they write about what concerns them and what they experience. It can be based on chatting about small things in life, but it can also be bigger things. For example, the song “Peace”, written in light of the incident with George Floyd and the presidential election in 2020, also became relevant in several other cases after it was producewd, such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. The music by the duo is influenced and inspired by several genres and cultures as well as their parents’ backgrounds from the Ivory Coast and Ghana, respectively. They also mention several other sources of inspiration, including Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Madcon, Karpe, and Bjørn Eidsvaag.
The concert offered exactly what you would expect from the duo’s catalogue. It gave what people came here for, classics like “Am I Wrong” and “That’s how you know”, but they also surprised the crown with a cover of Adminal P and a taste of new music that will be released sometime this year. And of course they ended their show with “Am I Wrong”, for the second time. Although the show wasn’t sold out, Aud. Max. was filled with energy and a good atmosphere this evening.
