1997 – Present
The radio show “Jungeltelegrafen” on Norwegian national radio NRK first went on the air on March 8th, 1997, and since then the one hour show has been broadcast twice or three times a week, every week. It swiftly became the leading show for global music on Norwegian radio, and has upheld a good listenership and a high standing throughout its history.
Sigbjørn Nedland started Jungeltelegrafen in 1997. Having run the show mostly on his own for 8 years, he started a collaboration with co-presenter Arne Berg in 2005, which lasted up until Nedland withdrew from Jungeltelegrafen in 2018. Arne Berg is now hosting the show alone.
Throughout its whole history, Jungeltelegrafen has aimed to inform and entertain the Norwegian radio audience with music that is very rarely played in other media: African, Latin American and Asian music, but also Norwegian, European and any other music that shows an interest in combining the local and the regional with global popular styles of music. One of the slogans of the show has been “We play the other music” …
Although most often presented from the studio, Jungeltelegrafen has also been travelling and broadcasting live from many locations: Outdoor festival stages, clubs, concert arenas in Norway and worldwide, music fairs, as well as from streets and squares in various cities and villages. Reports, features and interviews have been recorded on location in many places around the world. Lots of groups and artists have also been playing exclusive radio concerts for Jungeltelegrafen.
Right: Sigbjørn Nedland recording a feature about music archives and copyright issues in Nairobi, Kenya.
Far right, top: Interviewing Tinariwen between songs during a live Jungeltelegrafen radio concert at Førde Festival in Norway.
Far right, below: Arne Berg and Sigbjørn Nedland broadcasting live from a club in Oslo, Norway
Artist interviews, on location, in Jungeltelegrafen’s studio, or on stage in live broadcasts, have always been a vital ingredient in the mix of music, talk and features in the radio show. Name almost any artist in the field of global music featured in Jungeltelegrfen, and he or she will have been a guest on the show, telling about music, records, concerts, musical philosophy and priorities: Youssou N’Dour, Calypso Rose, Mory Kante, Peter Gabriel, Gypsy Kings, Salif Keita, Miriam Makeba, Dr. L. Subramaniam, Buffy Sainte Marie – the list goes on and on.
Far left: Khaled on Jungeltelegrafen’s live stage.
Left, top: Mari Boine getting a good laugh with presenters Sigbjørn Nedland and Arne Berg.
Left, below: Norwegian rapper Don Martin meets South African group Tumi in a Jungeltelegrafen live interview.
https://radio.nrk.no/serie/jungeltelegrafen/MKRM09005517/11-03-2017
Above: Link to a recording of the live broadcast on 11th March, 2017, celebrating 20 years of Jungeltelegrafen on NRK radio.
Right: Harpreet Bansal and her band on stage during Jungeltelegrafen’s live 20th anniversary show at the Mela House in Oslo.
Below: Link to an edition of Jungeltelegrafen illustrating how the show has often focused on music in a social and political perspective. This show from May 6th, 2017, shows how a French general election is commented on by musicians and artists.
https://radio.nrk.no/serie/jungeltelegrafen/MKRM09002017/06-05-2017
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