Siw Malmkvist
Encyclopedia
Siw "Siwan" Gunnel Margareta Malmkvist (born 31 December 1936 in Landskrona
, Skåne County
, Sweden
) is a Swedish singer who is popular in Scandinavia
and Germany
. She had a number one hit in West Germany in 1964 with Liebeskummer lohnt sich nicht (Lovesickness is Not Worthwhile) and on 18 July 1964, a full decade before ABBA
, she historically had also become the first Swede to have a hit on the US Billboard
chart with "Sole Sole Sole", a duet with Italian singer Umberto Marcato.
's Pippi Longstocking
in 1980, appeared in the musical version of Some Like It Hot
(see Sugar
) and she played the part of Luisa in the original Swedish - and European - production of Maury Yeston
's musical Nine
in 1983. In 2002 she appeared as the Mother in Hasse Alfredson's stage play Lille Ronny at Maximteatern. With actor Thorsten Flinck she made a popular Swedish cover of Nick Cave
/Kylie Minogue
's 1995 hit "Where the Wild Roses Grow
".
In 2008/2009 she played the part of Fräulein Schneider in the musical Cabaret
at Stockholms Stadsteater directed by Colin Nutley
.
and 20 on the German singles chart, she has altogether recorded about 600 songs (and has made recordings in ten different languages: Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, German, English, French, Italian and Spanish) throughout the past five decades, which makes her one of the most productive and successful Swedish female singers.
several times, most recently in 2004
together with Towa Carson
and Ann-Louise Hanson
, singing the song "C'est la vie", which finished 10th. She represented Sweden at the international Eurovision Song Contest 1960
in London
with "Alla andra får varann
", a song originally performed by Östen Warnerbring
and Inger Berggren
respectively in the Swedish pre-selections. In turn, the following year Malmkvist, who famously forgot the lyrics to the song during her performance, and Gunnar Wiklund both won Melodifestivalen with the song "April, april
", but then Sveriges Radio
selected Barbro "Lill-Babs" Svensson
as the Swedish representative at the international Contest
, held in Cannes
. In 1969
Malmkvist again returned to Eurovision, but then performing the West German
entry "Primaballerina
" at Madrid
, incidentally finishing shared 9th with the Swedish entry "Judy, min vän
", sung by Tommy Körberg
.
Landskrona
Landskrona is a locality and the seat of Landskrona Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 28,670 inhabitants in 2005.-History:The city of Landskrona was founded at the location of Scania's best natural harbour, as a means of King Eric of Pomerania's anti-Hanseatic policy, intended to compete...
, Skåne County
Skåne County
Skåne County is the southernmost administrative county or län, of Sweden, basically corresponding to the historical province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Kronoberg and Blekinge. The seat of residence for the Skåne Governor is the town of Malmö...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
) is a Swedish singer who is popular 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,...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. She had a number one hit in West Germany in 1964 with Liebeskummer lohnt sich nicht (Lovesickness is Not Worthwhile) and on 18 July 1964, a full decade before ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
, she historically had also become the first Swede to have a hit on the US Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
chart with "Sole Sole Sole", a duet with Italian singer Umberto Marcato.
Versatility
Malmkvist is a performer with great versatility in the Swedish entertainment business as she, alongside her career in pop/schlager music, has performed in stage plays, musicals and in films. She played Pippi Longstocking in the popular children musical production of Astrid LindgrenAstrid Lindgren
Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren , 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish author and screenwriter who is the world's 25th most translated author and has sold roughly 145 million copies worldwide...
's Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking is a fictional character in a series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, and adapted into multiple films and television series...
in 1980, appeared in the musical version of Some Like It Hot
Some Like It Hot
Some Like It Hot is an American comedy film, made in 1958 and released in 1959, which was directed by Billy Wilder and starred Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and George Raft. The supporting cast includes Joe E. Brown, Pat O'Brien and Nehemiah Persoff. The film is a remake by Wilder and I....
(see Sugar
Sugar (musical)
Sugar is a musical with a book by Peter Stone, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Bob Merrill. It is based on the film Some Like It Hot, which was adapted by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond from a story by Robert Thoeren and Michael Logan...
) and she played the part of Luisa in the original Swedish - and European - production of Maury Yeston
Maury Yeston
Maury Yeston is an American composer, lyricist, educator and musicologist.He is known for writing the music and lyrics to Broadway musicals, including Nine in 1982, and Titanic in 1997, both of which won Tony Awards for best musical and best score. He also won a Drama Desk Award for Nine...
's musical Nine
Nine (musical)
Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The story is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
in 1983. In 2002 she appeared as the Mother in Hasse Alfredson's stage play Lille Ronny at Maximteatern. With actor Thorsten Flinck she made a popular Swedish cover of Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
/Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
's 1995 hit "Where the Wild Roses Grow
Where the Wild Roses Grow
"Where the Wild Roses Grow" is an alternative-rock song written by Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' ninth album Murder Ballads , with guest vocals by Australian pop-singer Kylie Minogue. The song was produced by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Tony Cohen and...
".
In 2008/2009 she played the part of Fräulein Schneider in the musical Cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
at Stockholms Stadsteater directed by Colin Nutley
Colin Nutley
Colin Nutley is an English director successful in the Swedish film industry.-Career:Nutley went to Portsmouth Art College and began his career in British television as a graphic designer. He then turned to drama and documentary film-making for ITV, BBC and Channel 4...
.
Career
Having had some 40 hits on Swedish radio chart SvensktoppenSvensktoppen
Svensktoppen is a record chart at Sveriges Radio. Until January 2003, the songs had to be in the Swedish language. Svensktoppen has aired since 1962, except for the years 1982-1985. Svensktoppen airs once a week...
and 20 on the German singles chart, she has altogether recorded about 600 songs (and has made recordings in ten different languages: Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, German, English, French, Italian and Spanish) throughout the past five decades, which makes her one of the most productive and successful Swedish female singers.
In Melodifestivalen
Malmkvist has been a contestant in the Swedish MelodifestivalenMelodifestivalen
Melodifestivalen is an annual music competition organised by Swedish public broadcasters Sveriges Television and Sveriges Radio . It determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, and has been staged almost every year since 1959...
several times, most recently in 2004
Melodifestivalen 2004
Melodifestivalen 2004 was the selection for the 44th song to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the 43rd time that this system of picking a song had been used. Five semifinals had taken place to select the ten songs for the final, in Karlstad, Gothenburg, Umeå, Malmö and a...
together with Towa Carson
Towa Carson
Towa Carson , born on 31 March 1936 in Eskilstuna, Sweden, is a Swedish schlager singer. She debuted in 1954 and had the most success in the 1950s and 1960s, when she recorded many duets with Lasse Lönndahl...
and Ann-Louise Hanson
Ann-Louise Hanson
Ann-Louise Hanson is a Swedish singer and has been involved in the music industry for over 40 years.Many of her solo recordings from the 1960s feature Bruno Glenmarks Orkester and, following their marriage, Ann-Louise and Bruno Glenmark formed the group Glenmarks with Bruno's niece Karin and...
, singing the song "C'est la vie", which finished 10th. She represented Sweden at the international Eurovision Song Contest 1960
Eurovision Song Contest 1960
The Eurovision Song Contest 1960 was the fifth in the series, and was held on 29 March 1960 in London. France's win this year was their second in the contest....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with "Alla andra får varann
Alla andra får varann
"Alla andra får varann" is a song by Swedish singer Siw Malmkvist, that represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 1960, performed in Swedish....
", a song originally performed by Östen Warnerbring
Östen Warnerbring
Östen Warnerbring was a Swedish singer, musician, composer and lyrics writer who mastered several musical genres. He started out as a jazz musician but over the years, he had huge successes both in the area of popular music and as a singer of Swedish poetry, put into music by himself...
and Inger Berggren
Inger Berggren
Inger Berggren is a Swedish singer who began singing in Thore Swanerud's orchestra, and later sang with Thore Ehrling, Simon Brehm, and Göte Wilhelmsson. Her biggest hits were "The Sun and the Spring" and "Elisabeth Serenade", both in 1962...
respectively in the Swedish pre-selections. In turn, the following year Malmkvist, who famously forgot the lyrics to the song during her performance, and Gunnar Wiklund both won Melodifestivalen with the song "April, april
April, april
"April, april" is a song by Swedish singer Lill-Babs, that represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 1961, performed in Swedish.The song was the winner of Melodifestivalen 1961, where it was performed by both Siw Malmkvist and Gunnar Wiklund...
", but then Sveriges Radio
Sveriges Radio
Sveriges Radio AB – Swedish Radio Ltd – is Sweden's national publicly funded radio broadcaster. The Swedish public-broadcasting system is in many respects modelled after the one used in the United Kingdom, and Sveriges Radio - like Sveriges Television - shares many characteristics with...
selected Barbro "Lill-Babs" Svensson
Lill-Babs
Lill-Babs is a Swedish singer and actress.-Biography:Lill-Babs was born in Järvsö, Gävleborg County, as the first daughter of Britta and Ragnar Svensson...
as the Swedish representative at the international Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1961
The Eurovision Song Contest 1961 was the sixth Eurovision Song Contest. A total of sixteen countries took part in the Contest, including the three debuting countries: Finland, Spain, and Yugoslavia. It was held on 18 March 1961 and was the first to take place on a Saturday night, a tradition that...
, held in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
. In 1969
Eurovision Song Contest 1969
The Eurovision Song Contest 1969 was the 14th in the series. It was the first time that the contest resulted in a tie for first place, with four countries each gaining 18 votes. Since there was at the time no rule to cover such an eventuality, all four countries were declared joint winners...
Malmkvist again returned to Eurovision, but then performing the West German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
entry "Primaballerina
Primaballerina
"Primaballerina" is a 1969 song performed by Swedish singer Siw Malmkvist and written by Hans Blum. It was the German entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969...
" at Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, incidentally finishing shared 9th with the Swedish entry "Judy, min vän
Judy, min vän
"Judy, min vän" was the Swedish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969, performed in Swedish by Tommy Körberg, the winner of Melodifestivalen 1969...
", sung by Tommy Körberg
Tommy Körberg
Bert Gustav Tommy Körberg is a Swedish singer, actor, and musician. In 1969, he won Swedish Recording Industry Award Grammis in a category Best Debut Performance. English-speaking audiences know him best for his role in the Benny Andersson–Björn Ulvaeus–Tim Rice musical Chess...
.