Christine Guldbrandsen
Encyclopedia
Christine Guldbrandsen is a singer who is best-known internationally for being the Norwegian entrant in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...

. With a crystal-clear voice and a impressive vocal range she is often compared to sopranos like Sissel Kyrkjebø
Sissel Kyrkjebø
Sissel Kyrkjebø , also simply known as Sissel, is a Norwegian soprano.Sissel is considered one of the world's top crossover sopranos. Sissel's musical style runs the gamut from pop recordings and folk songs, to classical vocals and operatic arias...

 and Hayley Westenra
Hayley Westenra
Hayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand soprano, classical crossover artist, songwriter and UNICEF Ambassador. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide...

. She has released three albums in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

, Surfing in the Air
Surfing in the Air
Surfing In The Air is the debut album by Norwegian pop singer Christine Guldbrandsen, released in 2003 in Norway and Finland through Sony Music Entertainment, Surfing In The Air became a huge success in Norway, selling 30,000 album copies in only 3 weeks and received a Gold Record.-Album...

, Moments
Moments (Christine Guldbrandsen album)
Moments is the second album by Norwegian pop singer Christine Guldbrandsen, released in 2004 in Norway and through Sony BMG Entertainment Norway.- Album information :...

and Christine
Christine (Christine Guldbrandsen album)
Christine is the third album by Norwegian pop singer Christine Guldbrandsen, released in 2007 in Norway through MBN Music Business Norway. The album is progressive Celtic, using a combination of traditional and modern instruments.- Album information :...

. A new album called "Colors" was released on the 8th of April 2011. She sings mainly in Norwegian and English, but has also sung songs in Swedish, Finnish, Italian and Latin.

Early life

Guldbrandsen began singing at the age of 3 in the local church choir. Guldbrandsen was discovered at the age of 13 by Kjetil Fluge. In 2000, when Guldbrandsen was 15, she sang at "Kulturbyåpningen" in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....

. Among the audience was Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....

. After the performance Sony Music gave Guldbrandsen her first record deal. The contract was a result of long dedicated time and work with Kjetil Fluge, Atle Halstensen and Erlend Fauske in the Bergen Studio Sounds Familiar. In 2001, only at the age of 16, Christine wrote her first lyrics which was entitled "Fly Away". She wrote this song as a dedication to her father, who died the same year.

2003

Her 2003 debut album, Surfing in the Air
Surfing in the Air
Surfing In The Air is the debut album by Norwegian pop singer Christine Guldbrandsen, released in 2003 in Norway and Finland through Sony Music Entertainment, Surfing In The Air became a huge success in Norway, selling 30,000 album copies in only 3 weeks and received a Gold Record.-Album...

, became a huge success in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, and was subsequently released in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

. The album sold 30,000 copies, which is considered very good for a Norwegian debut artist and she received a Gold record.
The most memorable song on the CD was the song with the same name, Surfing in the Air, which became a radio hit, and to which she recorded an exotic music video on the weather-beaten and evocative coastal mountain landscapes of the volcanic island in the North Atlantic, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

. After this release, Christine Guldbrandsen received the Karoline-Prisen. This award is given to young artist, who combine school with a music career.

Other memorable songs from her debutalbum is The Far End which entered the Norsktoppen top 40 at number 22 and Fly Away which entered the ISC "The International Songwriting Competition" and finished in the Semi Final with 350 other songs out of 11.000 songs from all over the world.

2004

In January 2004, Christine Guldbrandsen and her team started working on her second album. The album was released in December 2004 and got the title Moments
Moments (Christine Guldbrandsen album)
Moments is the second album by Norwegian pop singer Christine Guldbrandsen, released in 2004 in Norway and through Sony BMG Entertainment Norway.- Album information :...

and was also called "Christine Guldbrandsen's difficult second album", because of the mediocre reviews. Nevertheless, it entered the official Norwegian album chart VG-lista Topp 40. And the song Because of You was played a lot on national radio, especially on P1 which is the most popular station and Because of You also entered Norsktoppen top 40 on number 26.

2006

In 2006 Christine represented her country at the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

, after winning the Melodi Grand Prix 2006
Melodi Grand Prix 2006
Melodi Grand Prix 2006 is the television show in which the Norwegian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was chosen....

. The Norwegian selection was a Nordic folk
Nordic music
Nordic folk music includes a number of traditions in Northern European, especially Scandinavian, countries. The Nordic countries are generally taken to include Iceland, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. The Nordic Council, an international organization, also includes the autonomous territories...

 song, Alvedansen (The dance of elves) - the only one of 18 entries with Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...

 lyrics. It was an unusual Grand Prix entry, far from the typical schlager
Schlager
Schlager music is a style of popular music prevalent in Central and Northern Europe and the Balkans and also in France and Poland. In Portugal, it was adapted and became pimba music...

 as it is an ethno piece spiced with chant
Chant
Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures Chant (from French chanter) is the rhythmic speaking or singing...

, plus fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...

 and harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...

. Thea Tunås Bratteng accompanied her on stage, playing the typical Norwegian fiddle instrument hardingfele
Hardingfele
A Hardanger fiddle is a traditional stringed instrument used originally to play the music of Norway. In modern designs, the instruments are very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings and thinner wood...

. Guldbrandsen won the Bergen semi-final with a convincing performance and live voice, though she had strong competitors in Queentastic
Queentastic
Queentastic is a group of Norwegian drag artists, established in early 2005.-Background:Members Dean Erik Andersen, born in 1971 in Kristiansand, and Geir Lillejord, born in Skien in 1968, both have previous drag experience from their membership in Great Garlic Girls - another Norwegian drag act...

 and Trine Rein
Trine Rein
Trine Rein is a Norwegian-American singer, who belongs to the exclusive group of Norwegian artists who have sold more than a million records. Trine was born in San Francisco in 1970, and therefore has both US and Norwegian citizenship.-Successful debut:...

. In Athens, she was placed 14th of 24 finalists.
Guldbrandsen also sang in the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix 2007 in Oslo Spektrum
Oslo Spektrum
Oslo Spektrum is an indoor multi-purpose arena in east central Oslo, Norway. It opened in December 1990. It is currently owned and operated by Norges Varemesse , who also own and operate the Norges Varemesse conference center in Lillestrøm which is Norway's largest conference center...

 with a medley of Dansekjolen "5th place on the Norwegian Radio Stations chart" and the new version of Alvedansen. The special thing about this performance was that Guldbrandsen came flying onto the stage and had 6 dancers on stage with her.
On Wednesday 9 January 2008, Christine's hit Alvedansen
Alvedansen
"Alvedansen" was the Norwegian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, performed in Norwegian by Christine Guldbrandsen. This was the first time since the 1998 entry and the introduction of the "free language rule" that the Norwegian entry had not been performed entirely in English, although an...

 was finally released in an English version Elf Dance. Alvedansen lyrics was redone by Andrew Boyle

2007

On 5 February 2007, she released her third studio album, simply entitled Christine
Christine (Christine Guldbrandsen album)
Christine is the third album by Norwegian pop singer Christine Guldbrandsen, released in 2007 in Norway through MBN Music Business Norway. The album is progressive Celtic, using a combination of traditional and modern instruments.- Album information :...

. It's her most personal album and this time, Guldbrandsen was also a co-producer for the first time. The album presented ten new songs, all penned by Guldbrandsen and her co-writers except for one traditional Norwegian folk tune. A new, improved version of her well known song "Alvedansen
Alvedansen
"Alvedansen" was the Norwegian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, performed in Norwegian by Christine Guldbrandsen. This was the first time since the 1998 entry and the introduction of the "free language rule" that the Norwegian entry had not been performed entirely in English, although an...

" was also included. The songs on this album travel across a wide range of styles, from low key ballads with choir and piano to richly coloured soundscapes painted with broad strokes. The CD got a very good response from the media in Norway. Most magazines gave the CD 4 stars, some even 5.

2008

In September 2008, Christine played in Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....

as Cosette
Cosette
Euphrasie "Cosette" Fauchelevant is a fictional character in the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Cosette in the novel :...

 in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....

, Norway and there were 100 performances. Les Misérables sold 35.000 tickets before the premiere. Only three weeks after the opening night, this musical experienced a huge success. All tickets for the musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...

 were sold out, and Guldbrandsen and the rest of the ensemble also performed on New Year's Eve and now more than 42000 people have seen Les Misérables on Den Nationale Scene
Den Nationale Scene
Den Nationale Scene is the largest theatre in Bergen, Norway. Den Nationale Scene is also one of the oldest permanent theatre in Norway.-History:...

 (The National Scene) in Bergen. The reviews were extremely positive and the newspapers gave the musical (6/6 in BA, 5/6 in VG and 5/6 in Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....

) to name a few. This musical was Guldbrandsen's first acting performance.

Christine also joined the Icelandic company Navia
Navia
Navia is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It lies on the Cantabrian Sea, and is bordered by the municipalities of Villayón to the south, Valdés to the east, and Coaña to the west...

. The song "We Can Fly" is a project from Navia and is sung by Christine Guldbrandsen (Norway), Jippu (Finland), Julie Berthelsen
Julie Berthelsen
Julie Ivalo Broberg Berthelsen is a Greenlandic singer and songwriter. She is known largely for her success on the TV series Popstars. Although she finished in second place, she has become more popular and successful than the first place winner...

 (Denmark), Lisa Werlinder
Lisa Werlinder
Lisa Werlinder is a Swedish actress, and jazz musician/singer.-Career:She was born at in Vaksala, Uppsala.She was educated at Royal Swedish Academy of Music in Stockholm and at Luleå Acting Academy between 1996-2000...

 (Sweden), Disella Làrusdòttir (Iceland) and the African singer Youssou N'Dour. They are sent out on a mission to make a difference through the power of music! Representing different music genres, they perform individually and together, within the NAVIA-project. They share a dedication to making a difference, in the NAVIA spirit that has created a bond of friendship between them.

Saturday 27 December 2008, Guldbrandsen performed at a concert called Tribute to Madonna, dedicated to one of the world's biggest stars, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...

. Guldbrandsen teamed up with other popular artists like Elisabeth Moberg, Tine Taule and Torhild Sivertsen to name a few.

2009

Late in May Guldbrandsen took part in "Mostraspelet" on Bomlo (located on the west-coast of Norway). She was offered the leading female role as Vigdis and accepted the role with high hopes. The leading male role was played by the actor/singer Sigurd Sele. Mostraspelet is a yearly event which show some of the Norwegian history. 100 actors and an orchestra of 40 musicians helped Guldbrandsen performing in the role as Vigdis. She also shared the venue with Alexander Rybak
Alexander Rybak
Alexander Igoryevich Rybak or in Belarusian Alyaksandr Igaravich Rybak , born 13 May 1986 in Byelorussian SSR is a Norwegian singer-composer, violinist, pianist, writer, and actor...

, who is the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest winner from Norway.

Christine Guldbrandsen sang as a guest artist on the album Dorian Grey by Håvard Lothe. "Where They Fly" is the name of the song and it's a ballad mixed with pop. Håvard Lothes album was released on 31 August in stores and for download.

In October 2009, on 18 October Christine, for the very first time, performed with the Norwegian group called "Nightingales
Nightingales
Nightingales is a British situation comedy set around the antics of three security guards working the night shift. It was produced by Alomo Productions for Channel 4 in 1990.-Outline:...

". Nightingales is a project initiated by Christine and the artists Karianne Kjærnes, Helene Bøksle and Heidi Ruud Ellingsen. Four well-known young singers in Norway. And the reason for singing together was rather simple: they just wanted to do something together! The concert took place in Hareid
Hareid
Hareid is a village and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Hareid...

 (near the city of Aalesund) on the northwestern part of Norway. Six great musicians backed the artists, and together they created a special and magical concert. The audience was presented for both new material as well as songs from the artistst solo-albums.

In November 2009, From 4 to 12 December Christine toured the southwestern part of Norway. In the spirit of Christmas, Christine and Sigurd Sele gave the audience a Christmas concert containing some of the most-known Christmas carols in addition to more unknown material. The concerts took place in five different churches in Norway with musicians like Vidar Eldholm (piano), Thomas Dahl (guitars) and Kjetil Fluge (bass). She shared the venue with Eurovision winner 2009 Alexander Rybak
Alexander Rybak
Alexander Igoryevich Rybak or in Belarusian Alyaksandr Igaravich Rybak , born 13 May 1986 in Byelorussian SSR is a Norwegian singer-composer, violinist, pianist, writer, and actor...

.

In December Christine Guldbrandsen returned from her trip to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

, where she performed for the Norwegian, German, Swedish and U.S.American soldiers stationed in the northern part of the country. Christine experienced a lot during her stay, and she reported about a very different and very special Christmas that year. During her stay Christine performed with musicians from the Norwegian forces (Forsvarets Musikkorps Vestlandet).

2010

Christine Guldbrandsen performed at various gatherings initiated by "Den Norske Sjomannskirken". Christines mainly performed in "Millenium Place", situated in the olympic city Whistler under the Vancouver/Olympic Winter Games of 2010.

From September 2010 to January 2011, Christine Guldbrandsen played Maria in Norway's The Sound Of Music. Espen Hana played the male role as George von Trapps. It was a huge success and received very well by both critics and public. Source: http://www.solabladet.no/modules/module_123/proxy.asp?C=38&I=38304&D=2&mid=55

Christine is featured as one of many artists on the album "Bergensbølgene - Et Dykk I Bergens Pop- og Rockhistorie" where she sings a song called "Telefonen" by the famous norwegian singer/songwriter Jan Eggum
Jan Eggum
Jan Eggum is a Norwegian singer-songwriter who has been active since 1975. He is often characterised as a "face for the melancholy", and the themes in his songs are often broken hearts, loneliness and sorrow...

. The song and the album can be bought at CDON.com. In addition to Christine seceral of Bergens most distinguished artists participates on the album.

On December 2010, Christine held several Christmas-concerts with the tenor Mads Belden and Sigurd Sele.

2011

Guldbrandsen is working with a new album which will be released in 2011. She states on her official website guestbook, that her new album will be more modern and sound different than the three previous albums and the material will be more up-tempo. Guldbrandsen and her team, consisting the musical talents Kjetil Fluge and Atle Halstensen, are working on lyrics that give the songs character and a special "edge" to them.

In a response to a later guest book message, Guldbrandsen states that recording is nearing an end, and fans will hear news of the album release in May/June.

In a later response via a guest book message, Christine reveals the release of her album to be in April 2011

Personal life

When describing her private life Guldbrandsen regards herself very much as a normal girl with normal interests. Her leisure time is divided between family, friends and daily chores. Guldbrandsen is very fond of fast cars
CARS
Cars, or automobiles, motor cars, are wheeled motor vehicles used for transporting passengers.Cars or CARS may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Cars , a Disney/Pixar film series...

, winter sports and airplanes. She thinks her interest to automobiles and airplanes comes from her father, who was a car-mechanic, and her 3 brothers who also enjoy cars.

But her focus on her career hasn't allowed her much free time. "It is a sacrifice I make willingly. Music is an immensely important part of who I am; I can't imagine a life without the possibility to express myself in music and song - it would be empty and colourless. I always feel deeply grateful for the privilege of being able to share music with others through song". Guldbrandsen also loves cooking and her favourite is steak with creamed potatoes (biff med fløtegratinerte poteter). If Guldbrandsen had chosen another profession she would have been a paediatrician.

Albums

Year Information Chart positions Sales/Certification
NO
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...

SE
Swedish Recording Industry Association
Grammofonleverantörernas förening , or the Swedish Recording Industry Association in English, is an organization representing the music recording industry of Sweden...

DK
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

FI
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

2003
2003 in music
-January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested...

Surfing in the Air
Surfing in the Air
Surfing In The Air is the debut album by Norwegian pop singer Christine Guldbrandsen, released in 2003 in Norway and Finland through Sony Music Entertainment, Surfing In The Air became a huge success in Norway, selling 30,000 album copies in only 3 weeks and received a Gold Record.-Album...

  • First studio album
  • Released: 19 November 2003
15
32
  • Sales: 30.000
  • Certification: Gold

  • 2004
    2004 in music
    See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....

    Moments
    Moments (Christine Guldbrandsen album)
    Moments is the second album by Norwegian pop singer Christine Guldbrandsen, released in 2004 in Norway and through Sony BMG Entertainment Norway.- Album information :...

    • Second studio album
    • Released: 20 December 2004
    32
  • Sales: ?
  • Certification: ?

  • 2007
    2007 in music
    This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame...

    Christine
    Christine (Christine Guldbrandsen album)
    Christine is the third album by Norwegian pop singer Christine Guldbrandsen, released in 2007 in Norway through MBN Music Business Norway. The album is progressive Celtic, using a combination of traditional and modern instruments.- Album information :...

    • Third studio album
    • Released: 5 February 2007
    20
  • Sales: ?
  • Certification: ?

  • 2011 Colors
    • Fourth studio album
    • Released: 8 April 2011
  • Sales: ?
  • Certification: ?


  • Singles

    Year Title Chart positions Album
    NO
    Norsktoppen
    Norsktoppen is a musical hit list at NRK Radio, with songs with Norwegian artists. Until 1986, the songs had to be in the Norwegian language. Norsktoppen has aired since 1973. Norsktoppen airs once a week. On Thursday 21 February 2008, it became known to the show host, that Norsktoppen would be...

    SE
    Swedish Recording Industry Association
    Grammofonleverantörernas förening , or the Swedish Recording Industry Association in English, is an organization representing the music recording industry of Sweden...

    DK
    Denmark
    Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

    2004 Surfing in the Air 3 Surfing in the Air
    2004 The Far End 22 Surfing in the Air
    2005 Because of You 26 Moments
    2006 Alvedansen 1 Norsk Melodi Grand Prix 2006, Eurovision Song Contest 2006
    2007 Dansekjolen 5 Christine
    2008 Elf Dance
    2011 Break My Chains Colors

    External links

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