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Time to feel. That´s Helen Sjöholm’s hope for 2011. But first she must finish the tour with her album Euforia where she interprets Billy Joel.
– It came to me by chance. I’m not even a fan of him.
A box of old LPs in the middle of a move a few years ago. It was the beginning of Helen Sjöholm’s rock career, you might say.
– My husband put the CD on and when I heard She’s always a woman, I fell in love again. With Billy Joel, then, said Helen, laughing. She began to listen to the American, who had his glory days in the 70- and 80’s with, among others, Just the Way You Are, Tell Her About It and Uptown Girl. And her love became a fact. She gathered her favorite musicians and asked Tomas Andersson Wij if he wanted to translate the texts into Swedish. He said yes.
– But in fact it’s interpretations of the texts, where I’ve been pretty involved too. I mean, Billy Joel’s lyrics have a strong male perspective that needed to be converted to work for me.
The collaboration resulted in the album, Euforia – Helen Sjöholm sings Billy Joel, released last year. In January, she brought her favorite musicians on a long tour which ends in the middle of April. The musicians are pianist Martin Östergren, guitarist and composer Jojje Wadenius, guitarist Gunnar Nordén, drummer André Ferrari, bassist Fredrik Jonsson and four violinists.
– I’ve been stuck on the theatre so long, so it’s wonderful to tour. It happens something new with the material every time you meet a new audience, says Helen in her headset while she is out walking. Something she hopes to do more this year. Ever since Helen Sjöholm broke through with Kristina from Duvemala in 1995 her calendar has been fully booked. For the first time in the musical theater star’s career is now coming a bit calmer year. The tour with the Billy Joel-CD ends in April. In the summer she is doing a tour with BAO (Benny Andersson Orchestra). In addition, she has “only” a few concert appearances now and then.
– It’s really nice to relax, but also to have time to feel what I’m going to do in the future and look at some new project ideas. I want to make a new album some day.
For the audience Helen once again will be actual this fall, when she plays the mother of Bill Skarsgård in the film version of Mariane Fredriksson’s Simon and the oaks. In contrast to Helen’s last film role of As it is in heaven, this role is a pure acting performance with no vocals. Something that whetted the appetite for Helen.
– It was a difficult challenge, but would like to do it again. But really, I am an observer of life.
Name: Helen Sjöholm
Family: David Granditsky, sound engineer, and son Ruben, almost four years.
Lives: In a house in Nacka outside Stockholm
Interests: I have never had any direct interest. My job is my interest.
Listening to: Right now my son. Otherwise, I like silence.
Hidden talent: Eating pizza. I beat everyone in there.
Makes me happy: family and friends.
Concert Hall, Växjö, Tuesday, April 5