Background
She was born in Bærum, Akershus, to the jazz musician Yngvar Wang and the singer Marie Gulbrandsen. Already at an early age she sang with her father"s orchestra on the radio and in concert.
She was born in Bærum, Akershus, to the jazz musician Yngvar Wang and the singer Marie Gulbrandsen. Already at an early age she sang with her father"s orchestra on the radio and in concert.
She met Egil Monn-Iversen while in school, and in 1948 she joined his vocal group The Monn Keys. Wang debuted as a recording artist in 1950, in a duet with Arve Opsahl. Later she recorded solo albums, and was responsible for 18 releases in the years up until 1955.
She combined her solo career with performances with The Monn Keys, which now also included the singers Nora Brockstedt and Per Asplin.
In 1954 the group performed their first variety show, Over alle grenser, at Chat Noir in Oslo. She worked at Chat Noir in the years 1959 to 1963, then at Edderkoppen from 1963 to 1964, before moving to Det Norske Teatret.
In addition to making recordings and performing in variety shows, Wang also performed in musicals, on television and in movies. The award earned her a chance to perform at The Editor Sullivan Show, and to sing with Jack Parnell"s orchestra at the London Palladium.
Wang had the lead role in movies such as the 1964 comedy Pappa tar gull and the 1978 drama Hvem har bestemt?.
Sølvi Wang acted in a production of the musical Fiddler on the Roof in 1987. This performance marked her retirement from the public stage. Since then she has not made any public performances.
As a singer, even though she mastered the soft, subdued style of ballads in recordings, her vocal style has been described primarily as belting.
This powerful, often sharp way of singing was a necessity in the world of live musical performance prior to the introduction of miniature microphones. Wang has been called the only master of the style in Norwegian theatre history.
Wang is related to the American football quarterback Boomer Esiason, and was his father"s cousin.