Åse Kleveland

Åse Kleveland
Kleveland at Constitution Day, 2007
Background information
Birth nameÅse Maria Kleveland
Born (1949-03-18) 18 March 1949
Stockholm, Sweden
OriginSweden, Norway
GenresPopular music, vispop
Occupation(s)Musician, politician, leader
Instrument(s)Singer, guitarist
Years active1965–present
SpouseOddvar Bull Tuhus
Minister of Culture
In office
3 November 1990  25 October 1996
Prime MinisterGro Harlem Brundtland
Preceded byEleonore Bjartveit
Succeeded byTurid Birkeland

Åse Maria Kleveland (born 18 March 1949) is a Norwegian singer, guitarist, politician and activist. She represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966 with the entry "Intet er nytt under solen".

A well-known folk singer and traditional guitarist in Norway, she was appointed Minister of Culture in Norway in 1990, and held the position until 1996, representing the Labour Party under the Gro Harlem Brundtland administration. She was also president of the Swedish Film Institute from 1999 to 2006.

In June 2007, she became chairman of the board of Human-Etisk Forbund, the Norwegian humanist organization, a position she held until 2013.