Ystad Allehanda 150707
By: ANDERS HANSSON
4+
Rådhusparken in Ystad, Sunday, July 5
Helen Sjöholm shone like the evening sun in the City Hall Park. Folk ballads, for children and for adults, alternated with pop songs, musical numbers and a little dance music.
Helen Sjöholm has made her name as the keeper of one of the best voices in the country. She could easily have been content to travel around and show off beautiful singing, but wants more than that. The lyrics are just as much in focus as the melodies when Helen Sjöholm chooses material.
Only by singing songs with words that mean something can she show which at the same time temperamental and heartfelt interpreter she is. At the same time, she has a penchant for the slightly coarse. I’m not thinking of Olle Adolphson’s tender “Siv och Gunne” with “For a kid”. Rather more about Sjöholm’s sometimes slightly indecent small talk.
With her on stage she has a super professional band with legendary Jojje Wadenius on guitar. Equally comfortable in Billy Joel interpretations as Shakespeare’s sonnets set to music by keyboardist Martin Östergren. Sjöholm promises early on that the evening will offer something for everyone and the promise is fulfilled. It could be sprawling, but doesn’t feel that way.
To have time for everything they want to do the ensemble puts together several medleys. First one where they dive deep into the Swedish folk ballad archive and come out with, among other things, ”Vårvindar friska” ”Här är gudagott att vara” and ”Vid vassen av den krökta ström”. This along with a medley of nursery rhymes from Wadenius’ Goda’goda‘ are two highlights.
More unexpected numbers like “Veronica” by Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney, are followed up by “must songs” like “Gabriellas sång” “Du måste finnas” and Swedish chart record holder, “Du är min man” who got every man and woman in the audience to clap along.
Best of all was probably still “Vårens första dag”, the Swedish version of Laleh’s “Some die young.” What Sjöholm lacks in liveliness compared to the original she weighs up with something that must be described as sincerity. That hits home!
Note: this article has been translated by admin of this site with permission from Ystad Allehanda