Christmas Music in Sweden

They’ve been playing Christmas music in the shops for a few weeks, and Christmas is still two weeks away!

Here in Australia, there’s a certain cringe factor with the likes of Michael Buble and Mariah Carey with their “Christmas Albums”. However, as I’ve written previously, the Swedes seem to love it, and at this time of the year, the Swedish charts are usually full of a combination of new and older Christmas songs.

This, by the way, is my favourite Swedish pop song for Christmas, performed by the awesome Magnus Carlsson.… Read the rest “Christmas Music in Sweden”

Eskilstuna Pride

“What’s your name? Are you German or something?”, I was asked by the bloke who sat down beside me offering me a beer. He was part of a larger group of men and women sitting at the adjoining table at Eskilstuna Pride.

When planning my travel to Sweden, Eskilstuna was very much an afterthought. I’d been here once before, in 2008, but with only vague memories of what it was like, almost a decade later. When looking around online for excursions outside of Stockholm, I was attracted in seeing the town/city has a Pride Festival.… Read the rest “Eskilstuna Pride”

You Know It’s Christmas In A Week And A Day

As I’ve previously mentioned here, I’m a fan of Swedish pop singer, Magnus Carlsson. With Christmas coming “in a week and a day”, this is one of my favourite songs from him.

The jolly season is aproaching fast
Giving us a reason to be happy at last
I just wanna give you
The best that I have got
And it’s yours to keep
Waiting under the tree

You know it’s christmas in a week and a day
And I just can’t figure out what to give away
So I just wrap myself in paper for you baby

And then the christmas is past and long gone away
I’ll be right in your arms with a card that says
That I love you –
Merry christmas to you baby

We’re far from strangers
You’ve got a special glow
When we’re making angels in the beautiful snow
I just wanna give you
The love of my heart
And it’s yours to keep
Waiting under the tree

And here’s the full song.… Read the rest “You Know It’s Christmas In A Week And A Day”

Melodifestivalen 2015 #2

I’m quite a fan of the Swedish pop singer, Magnus Carlsson. To be precise, Magnus who was in Swedish pop bands Barbados and Alcazar, not Magnus Carlson (one “s”) who was in Swedish indie band, “Weeping Willows”. I even met him once, briefly, at a bar in Stockholm (see photo below). Although his obsession with recording Christmas albums is something I still don’t understand (beyond the fact they sell well), he can be relied upon for really great pop tunes.… Read the rest “Melodifestivalen 2015 #2”

Christmas Music and Sweden

Over the last few years I’ve written a couple of blog posts about the proliferation of of “Christmas Music” on the Swedish pop charts at this time of the year.

The first post was in 2009 when I mentioned that…

One of my colleagues, half-Australian/half-Swedish, asked me today if I had any Swedish Christmas music she could borrow. “Of course I do”, I told her, promising to bring some in to work. She said she was feeling a little homesick.

Read the rest “Christmas Music and Sweden”