es müßte der erste ganz große artikel gewesen sein,interviewt wurde sie in eskilstuna -erschienen 1968
THE NORWEGIAN WAVE IS HERE
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
is a longlegged child, who right now is getting acquainted with the
Swedish folkpark audiences. She is out there in the same package as Lasse Lönndahl and Bengt Hallberg's Orchestra. Those two don't need an introduction, but Anni-Frid does. Who is this girl?
She is part of that ongoing Norwegian wave that has brought many performers to Sweden; Per Asplin, Arve Opsahl, Nora Brockstedt, Sölvi Wang, Grynet Molvig, Wenche Mynche and Eva Henning.
- But I see myself as Swedish, says Anni-Frid. I was only one year
old when I came to Sweden with my grandmother. My grandmother has always
been like a mother to me and she lives very close to where I live. She
is often babysitting when I'm out touring.
Anni-Frid is a very modest girl. She is the mother of two even though she looks just like a child herself.
She is one of the "discoveries" from the "Hylands Hörna" TV-show. On
that show she sang "En Ledig Dag". It became a huge success.
"Svensktoppen" was just around the corner as were the folkparks.
- But I wanted to combine my singing with my role as a housewife and
mother. My home and my children have always come first for me. I married
young. I was only 17. Not long after the first baby, Hans, was born. I
loved to sing. I started early, I was only 13 - and that was too young
if you were to abide by the union's rule. I sang "illegally" to get
money for my studies.
I got a job in an Eskilstuna band which was called Ragnar Fredrikssons.
We toured all over Sörmland and performed in restaurants. Today I know
that it didn't give me very much - apart from routine and experience.
Later on there was this national vocalist competition with the finally on Skansen in Stockholm. Lasse Holmqvist was
the host of the talentshow and he said that down in Skåne [where he
came from] they didn't have any beautiful longlegged girls like me. I
won that contest - thanks to the self confidence Lasse gave me.
After that the offers started coming. But I still wanted to be a mother
first, then a singer. I turned a lot of offers down. I "Fri entré" last
fall I enjoyed a huge success. It was then I understood that there might
be a future for me on the stage.
My husband says: Now you have
the chance, Anni-Frid. Of course you must go. You can have a great
career. You are actually too good to be playing only with us. We have
nothing more to teach you.
That was very thoughtfull, warm
words. But at the same time I wondered: How much do I know? I got the
chance to tour with Karl-Erik Thörn, the guy who had two songs on
"Svensktoppen" this March. But his tour would be going the whole summer
and I didn't want to travel around that long. So it was arranged for me
to work with some other guys. When I heard who they were I was just in
shock! Who thought of pairing us up for this? Me - a debutant - touring
with real professionals like Lasse Lönnsdahl and Bengt Hallberg! But
they were so nice when I met them, I didn't have anything to worry
about. I'm sure they will teach me so many usefull things this summer. I
couldn't have asked for better company or support!
Lasse
encourages me and applauds. He definitely has the rhythm and he knows
what the people wants. I'm so happy working with him.
The mother
of two frm Västeråsvägen 13 will definitely be one of this summer's
hotest chicks. She is beautiful to look at, has a voice that is both
unusual and very pleasant. She has had some routine and is now on a
first name basis with the managers of the different folk parks.
Her correspondence isn't that vast yet, once in a while she will receive a fan letter.
An admirer wrote: "I
saw you on Hylands Hörna, and you were the guest who sang best and
looked most beautiful. I like your eyes and your long redbrown hair. If
you come to our folkpark this summer I would like to meet you. I'm just
an ordinary farmer with 22 hectare for growing crops and a few acres
where I grow christmas trees. After your show in the park we could go to
Knutte på Gästgivaregården and have cheesecake. It's very tasty. Please
drop me a line when you can."
When you get letters like that it means that you are accepted by a lot of different people in this country.
- You married young?
- Many people have said that Imarried too
young. That such a marriage between artists wouldn't last very long.
But it has been good. My man is a wonderful father and husband - he is
much better at that than being a professional musician. He only plays
for fun in his spare time.
I'm both happy and grateful about
getting this chance. But you should never be too happy as they say. I'm
sure I will miss my family terribly while I'm out on the tour.
She will expand her repertoire, she is going to look
great during these outdoors summer night concerts. To a lot of people
this young woman will be a big and pleasant surprise. She has gone the
long way to success, but that doesn't make the success any smaller.
Now Eskilstuna have two girls to send out to the folkparks this
summer. Firstly Towa Carson and secondly Anni-Frid Lyngstad. It's hard
to speculate which one of them will draw the biggest crowds, but one
thing is sure, if Anni-Frid comes to her hometown Narvik i Norway - the
place will be completely packed. Because in Narvik they haven't
forgotten how beautifully she sang on "Hylands Hörna" on TV.
- So why do so many Norwegian performers come to Sweden?
- Because there are more jobs available and the pay is better than in Norway.