A musical icon is coming to Notodden Blues Festival!

It's almost too good to be true, but today we can add the triple Grammy-winning artist Mavis Staples to an already impressive artist list for this summer's festival.

Mavis Staples is a musical icon and an institution in American music life. A legend, who after more than seven decades as a performing artist, is still relevant and in step with the zeitgeist. Mavis Staples is a blues, gospel, soul and Americana artist with a timeless message. At the age of 85, she herself says that she still has things to do.

"We have had countless inquiries in recent years from the public with the desire to experience Mavis Staples at Notodden. It is therefore fun to be able to fulfill these wishes now at a time when her message of peace, freedom, unity and respect seems to be more important than ever," says artistic director Jostein Forsberg of Notodden Blues Festival. "I personally saw Mavis Staples being honored at the Americana Awards at The Ryman in Nashville in 2019. Staples has been a free-spirited American roots musician throughout her career. It was so heartwarming to hear her enthusiastic exclamation, "I am Americana!", as she received the Inspiration Award. This unforgettable experience is definitely a contributing factor to our inclusion of Mavis Staples in this year's lineup," says Forsberg.