Swedish Press is the world’s leading magazine on all good things Swedish. An authority on design, business, culture and travel since 1929, Swedish Press delivers insightful news and commentary in a visually striking format. With a nod to the past, and a peek to the future, Swedish Press is your go-to source for updates and inspiration from Sweden.
SWEDISH PRESS (ISSN 0839-2323) is published seven times per year by Swedish Press Inc, 1801 Ford Street, Ogdensburg, NY 13669. Periodical postage paid at Ogdensburg, NY 13669 (No. USPS 005544).
US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Swedish Press, PO Box 1568 Ogdensburg, NY 13669
OFFICE: 1-402 O’Connor Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 1W3, Canada
US MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 1568 Ogdensburg, NY 13669
SUBSCRIPTION rates per year $59, 2 years $99, 1 year abroad $185. Digital edition $39. Subscribe Toll Free at 1 866 882 0088 or at www.swedishpress.com.
ADVERTISING Contact: info@swedishpress.com or 1 866 882 0088 for advertising rates.
SweMail TRANSLATIONS to English of the Swedish parts of Swedish Press are available free of charge every month. Visit http://biolson. atspace.cc/swemail/
No. 40010214 Return Undeliverable Canadian addresses to Swedish Press, 1-402 O'Connor Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 1W3 Canada.
NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE: MAY 10, 2022 PRINTED
sh Press [] i
CONTENTS May 2022 [ [
Cover image: The Trophy. Photo: Thomas Hanses/EBU
Carola Häggqvist, winner of the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) and Måns Zelmerlöv, winner of the 2015 ESC. Photo: ESC
Editor Editor Letters to the Editor
Enjoy reading Swedish Press? Email us your pictures along with your name and comments to info@swedishpress.com and we’ll be happy to publish them.
Livefika Valspecial
Svenskar i Världen gör en storsatsning på att belysa utlandssvenskarnas frågeställningar inför höstens val. I Livefika Valspecial besvarar riksdagspartierna utlandssvenskarnas frågor.
Join us for a weekend of Nordic music, food, craft booths, and festivities!
Svenskar i Världen har därför initierat webbseminarieserien Livefika Valspecial. Under 30 minuter intervjuar vi företrädare för riksdagspartierna för att höra hur de ser på utlandssvenskarnas utmaningar.
ARRIVAL Canada’s Tribute to ABBA perform Saturday June 18th! (tickets required)
June 17, 18 & 19, 202
Clatsop County Fairgrounds, Astoria, Oregon
Först ut är Ulf Kristersson, Moderaterna, följt av Jimmie Åkesson, Sverigedemokraterna, Annie Lööf, Centerpartiet, Nyamko Sabuni, Liberalerna, Per Bolund, Miljöpartiet och Andreas Carlsson, gruppledare Kristdemokraterna.
Vi hoppas kunna välkomna representanter för Socialdemokraterna och Vänsterpartiet inom kort.
Intervjuerna baseras på frågor från Svenskar i Världens medlemmar.
Av de uppskattningsvis 660 000 svenskar som bor utomlands är cirka 170 000 röstberättigade. Statistik från Statistiska centralbyrån visar att utlandssvenskarnas valdeltagande ökade i senaste riksdagsvalet, från knappt 33 till nära 40 procent. Men sett till valdeltagandet i Sverige är siffran låg.
Samtliga Livefika Valspecial finns tillgängliga på www.sviv.se så att man kan titta på dem när det passar.
Frågor som att svenska barn födda utomlands borde få personnummer istället för samordningsnummer, eller att svenska barn födda utomlands riskerar att mista sitt svenska medborgarskap efter 22 års ålder, sänkningen av SINK, för att inte tala om svårigheterna med att flytta tillbaka till Sverige med sin familj där ens partner kommer från ett land utanför EU brukar inte få mycket utrymme i debattsammanhang. For more information astoriascanfest.org
Svenskar i Världen är en ideell och politiskt oberoende organisation. Det innebär att vi för dialoger med samtliga partier i riksdagen.
Cecilia Borglin Generalsekreterare
Summary in English: Of the 660,000 Swedes who reside abroad, 170,000 are entitled to vote. The organization Svenskar i Världen has interviewed the leaders of the different political parties and asked them about topics relevant to expat Swedes. The interviews are available in Swedish at www.sviv.se
Eurovision – Music as Political Theater
Individual Sponsors 2022
IPatricia Charlson
Brandon Benson
Gary Koreen
Dana Baker
Kjell Wallberg
Gunnel Gavin
Donald W Sjoberg
David Ahlquist
Diane Farr
Harold Johanson
Greg Sandlund
Cecilia Shelton
Olof Sander
Peter Lawrie
Helgi Metsasalu
Karl Sandelin
Robert Renman
Kristi Wessenberg
Thomas L. Martin
Vivi-Anne Lindback
Charles Blomberg
Delsie Cousineau
LC + Roderick Robert
Ann Alvord
Stuart Mork & Laura Cooper
Leslie G Carlson
Inga Vestrup
Thank you for your support!
n the decade after World War II, Europe was in need of cross-cultural unity. Hoping to make an impact, Marcel Bezençon, director of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), proposed the creation of a musical event broadcast simultaneously throughout Europe. Member countries would enter their best musicians and compete for the title of best European song. In May 1956, the first Eurovision Song Contest Grand Prix was held in Lugano, Switzerland.
Now the longest running television broadcast of any kind, the Eurovision Song Contest has been around longer than the European Union. And although “no lyrics, speeches, gestures of political or similar nature shall be permitted," the competition is far from apolitical.
In its 60-year history, Eurovision has often been a proxy battlefield for the conflicts of its time and served as a stage for artists using musical acts to convey political messages. For example, the 1974 Portuguese entry “E Depois de Adeus" (“And After Goodbye") by Paulo de Carvalho, soundtracked Portugal’s Carnation Revolution, which overthrew the Estado Novo regime.
The fall of the Soviet Union saw the inclusion of former Soviet republics in the competition. In 2009, Georgia’s disco-themed Putin satire, “We Don’t Wanna Put In”, was barred by the EBU.
In 2016, Ukrainian artist Jamala won with a song called “1944" about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union. Jamala said that her song was not about the 2014 annexation of Crimea, but about her own family history as her great-grandmother was one of those deported in the 1940s. Unsurprisingly, the EBU were heavily criticized by Russian officials, who argued that the song clearly violated Eurovision rules and that politics had defeated art.
In the end Jamala won largely thanks to votes from former Soviet republics, and admitted afterward that the song was in fact about the annexation.
Politics took center stage again this year as the European Broadcasting Union barred Russia from participating in Eurovision 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine.
Trevlig
Kajsa
läsning!
We need your support!
Please consider making a generous donation to help keep your publication, and Swedish heritage, alive. You’ll find a form on the last page of the magazine. Tack!
Scandinavian News
Historic Surge in Support for NATO Membership in Sweden and Finland
By Kajsa Norman
Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine has resulted in historic support for NATO membership in traditionally non-aligned Sweden and Finland. For the first time, most Swedes and Finns are in favor of joining the Atlantic alliance, according to recent polls.
In 2017, only 19 percent of the Finnish population wanted to join NATO. However, since Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine support has skyrocketed. In February it measured 53 percent and it continues to rise with March polls showing support levels of 62 percent, according to national broadcaster YLE.
“(This is) a completely historic and exceptional result,” Charly SaloniusPasternak, senior research fellow at Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told AFP.
According to the Swedish Insti-
Sweden Ousted from World Cup
After losing 0-2 to Poland, Sweden will not be competing in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski both scored in the second half, as Poland beat Sweden for the first time since the 1974 World Cup. After Poland’s second goal, Swe-
tute for Opinion Surveys (SIFO), six out of ten Swedes (59%) think Sweden should join NATO if Finland joins. Only 17 percent are against joining with the remainder indecisive.
In 2018, Sweden and Finland signed a statement pledging to strengthen their defense cooperation and they will likely make a joint decision on whether to join the alliance or not. Both countries are NATO partners since the mid-1990s but have remained non-aligned. In recent weeks they have taken steps to ensure that the door to NATO remains open to them. Ulf Kristersson, leader of Sweden’s biggest opposition party Moderaterna, even went as far as to say that if he is chosen to form a government after the upcoming election this fall, he will ensure Sweden applies for membership.
Both the Swedish and Finnish
den’s manager Janne Andersson sent in record scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the last 10 minutes of the game, but to no avail.
“Everyone is disappointed,” said Ibrahimovic. “That's normal when losing. Everyone wants to play in the World Cup, but unfortunately that won't happen.”
Denmark is the only Nordic team to have qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a 1-0 win over Austria back in October of 2021.
Ericsson Shares Plummet
shareholders have voted against discharging the board and CEO Börje Ekholm from liabilities
governments are currently engaged in all-party discussions concerning their defense policy and what a membership would entail. The results of these talks are expected to be presented at the end of May.
Russia’s foreign ministry has warned that if the Nordic countries were to join NATO it would “have serious military and political repercussions”.
However, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has ensured the application process would be very quick and that it would likely be possible for NATO to provide protection while it is ongoing.
over its handling of a corruption scandal involving possible bribes to the Islamic State in Iraq to circumvent Iraqi customs and get its transports through the country.
The Swedish telecom giant has already paid one billion dollars in fines to settle previous bribery and corruption investigations by the US Department of Justice (DoJ).
Earlier in March, Ericsson, its CEO, and CFO were named as defendants in a U.S. class action lawsuit for misleading investors about the company's dealings in Iraq. Ericsson's share price has dropped by 26 percent since late February. Both Ekholm and the board were still re-elected.
Lisa Quondamatteo & SWEA Toronto
SWEA Toronto fyller 40
Av Kajsa Norman
En januaridag 1982, mitt i en snöstorm, flög SWEAs grundare Agneta Nilsson till Toronto för att träffa ett 60-tal svenska kvinnor som ville bilda en avdelning. SWEA var ännu i sin linda. Tre år tidigare hade Nilsson grundat organisationen i LA i samband med en julmarknad. Andra avdelningar poppade snart upp på den amerikanska västkusten, men Toronto blev det första utomamerikanska tillskottet.
– Man kan säga att det var på grund av SWEA Toronto som det blev SWEA International. Sedan spred det sig över hela världen, säger SWEA Torontos ordförande Lisa Quondamatteo.
I februari 1982 hölls det första årsmötet och Birgit Andreasson valdes till SWEA Torontos första ordförande. Liksom i LA blev en egen julmarknad ett av de första projekten. I december samma år hölls marknaden på Harbourfront Centre och under loppet av en enda eftermiddag fick man 3 000 besökare.
– Harbourfront trodde knappt sina ögon när alla dessa svenskor kom. Och man ska komma ihåg att det här var innan email och Internet, i en tid när det var telefonkedjor och vykort som gällde för att sprida information, säger Lisa.
Julmarknaden förblir SWEA Torontos signum. Under ett vanligt år har man mellan 7 000 och 9 000 besökare på två dagar. Det är också härifrån större delen av intäkterna kommer. Tack var julmarknaden kan man dela ut 30 000 dollar i donationer och stipendier under ett normalt år. Under årens lopp har SWEA Toronto
delat ut ungefär 135 stipendier värda 270 000 dollar. Stödet går bland annat till Svenska kyrkan i Toronto, en svensk folkdansgrupp och Svenska skolan. Man delar också ut stipendier till universitetsstuderande i Ontario som vill studera i Sverige.
Idag är SWEA Toronto en av de största avdelningarna med ett 180tal medlemmar. En viktig drivkraft bakom tillväxten är Lisa. När hon blev ordförande 2019 hade SWEA Toronto 123 medlemmar. Innan jubileumsåret 2022 är över hoppas man ha nått 200. I en tid när de flesta avdelningar förlorat medlemmar till följd av pandemin, har SWEA Toronto fortsatt att växa. Lisa tror att en stor del av framgångarna beror på att man snabbt lyckades ställa om och bli relevanta i den nya miljön.
– Inom två veckor från det att pandemin slog till så hade vi kommit igång med Zoom-möten. Fler grupper bildades och befintliga grupper träffades oftare, berättar hon.
Ett exempel är SWEA Professional som började träffas varannan vecka för att fånga upp de nya yrkesmässiga utmaningar som pandemin förde med sig.
– Många kvinnor förväntades helt plötsligt jobba hemifrån och hemskola barn på samma gång. Det var både stressig och ovant så de sökte stöd och hjälp hos varandra, berättar Lisa. Man var också snabb med att starta upp SWEA Care.
– Vi ringde runt till alla medlemmar för att se att de mådde bra och säga att vi fanns till hands. För många var det lite skrämmande i början av pandemin så vi ville visa att vi fanns där för dem som behövde hjälp med att köpa hem mat eller hämta mediciner.
Nya matlagningsgrupper och bok-
klubbar startades. Man anordnade After Work och frågesporter.
– Vi blev väldigt aktiva och gick från att erbjuda ett 60-tal program per år till 150, berättar Lisa. Under 2021 hade vi 219 olika träffar inom SWEA Toronto.
Tillsammans hjälpte man varandra att bryta isoleringen.
– SWEA-väninnor förstår en på ett sätt som ingen annan i världen gör, säger Lisa.
– De har vuxit upp med samma kultur, humor, språk och sånger. De förstår den där känslan av att inte riktigt höra hemma längre i Sverige kombinerat med det dåliga samvetet över att bo så långt bort från familjen om det skulle hända något. Min kanadensiska man har inte svenskt ursprung, mina barn har inte emigrerat någonstans. Och familjen i Sverige kan också ha svårt att förstå att man förändras av att bo i ett annat land.
SWEA-väninnorna har gjort samma resa så vi relaterar till varandra på ett väldigt unikt sätt.
Summary in English: SWEA is the largest organization outside Sweden promoting the Swedish language, culture, and traditions. Founded in 1979 in Los Angeles, it has grown into a global network with about 6,000 members in more than 30 countries. SWEA Toronto was the first chapter outside US and started 40 years ago. With 180 members it´s one of the biggest.
Lisa Quondamatteo, Ordförande, SWEA Toronto. Photo: Privat
[Landskapsnyheterna]
I mars sade regeringen ja till en gruva i Kallak utanför Jokkmokk. Debatten kring gruvans vara eller icke vara har pågått i nio år och skapat konflikt mellan såväl gruvnäringen som miljörörelsen och rennäringen eftersom gruvan ska ligga på mark som används som betesmark för renar.
Enligt FN-experter skulle en gruva hota rennäringen. Enligt Unesco skulle en gruva i Kallak också få en negativ påverkan på världsarvet Laponia. Gruvbolaget å sin sida har lovat en miljard kronor extra i skatteintäkter över en 25-års-period.
Aktivister har vid flera tillfällen samlats i området för att protestera mot det brittiska bolaget Beowulf Minings förfrågan om att öppna en gruva.
Efter regeringens beviljande av gruvbolagets ansökan anmälde Miljöpartiet näringsminister KarlPetter Thorwaldsson (S) till konstitutionsutskottet, KU, med anledning av uppgifter i Dagens Nyheter om misstänkt jäv, en bjudresa till Alperna och partiska tjänstemän som kan ha påverkat beslutet.
Två av de fyra ryska flygplan som kränkte svenskt luftrum i närheten av Gotland i mars var kärnvapenbestyckade, enligt TV4 Nyheterna. När svenska JAS 39 Gripen plan gick upp för att mota bort attackplanen
var de ryska piloterna tydliga med att visa upp kärnvapnen och kränkningen bedöms som en medveten handling i syfte att skrämma Sverige.
Flygvapenchefen Carl-Johan Edström beskriver det hela som ”mycket allvarligt, i synnerhet som man är ett krigförande land.”
Han vill inte kommentera de ryska planens beväpning men säger till SVT att det inte finns ett förhöjt hot mot Sverige.
I slutet av mars dödades två kvinnliga lärare i 50-års åldern på den anrika Malmö Latinskola i centrala Malmö. En 18-årig manlig elev gick till attack med yxa och hammare. Eleven är häktad på sannolika skäl misstänkt för mord. Han har erkänt brotten. Det fanns ingen tidigare konflikt mellan gärningsmannen och offren.
-Det hade kunnat bli fler om fler hade dykt upp just vid det tillfället. Den ena kvinnan anslöt olyckligtvis precis i slutskedet på den första gärningen och det kostade henne livet, säger försvarsadvokat Anders Elison.
Ett 60-tal fridlysta hajar och rockor har hittats döda i Lysekils hamn. Det var i slutet av mars som en grupp studenter i marinbiologi påträffade de fridlysta arterna pigghaj, klorocka and knaggrocka dumpade i hamnen. Kustbevakningen har inlett
en utredning.
-Det är naturligtvis ett allvarligt brott, säger Jonas Berg, stationschef för Kustbevakningen i Göteborg, till P4 Väst.
in English: Sweden's government has approved Beowulf Mining to proceed with
An Insider’s Look at Swedish Culture
Västmanland –det okända landskapet?
Av Svea Gossner
Svenskar reser gärna till Stockholm och Dalarna men åker vi till Västmanland som ligger runt hörnet från dessa två resmål? Ska jag vara ärlig visste jag knappt var Västmanland låg innan jag bokade tåget till Norberg. Dottern och jag skulle nämligen skida Engelbrektsloppet 45 km till minne av frihetskämpen Engelbrekt som stred mot danskarna på 1430-talet. Engelbrektsloppet tillsammans med Kristinaloppet (tjejernas eget lopp) är idag populära skidlopp eftersom de båda räknas in i En Svensk Klassiker. Många åker dessa lopp som en slags träning inför Vasaloppet.
Att ta sig från Malmö till Norberg innebar fyra tågbyten. Ett byte råkade vi helt missa så konduktören fick göra det vi trodde var snudd på omöjligt – ett extra stopp bara för oss så vi kunde stiga av. Slutligen kom vi dock fram till Norberg och detta för oss helt nya landskap Västmanland, efter att ha passerat många ortsnamn som klingade av svensk historia – Surahammar, Skinnskatteberg och Riddarhyttan.
Att denna lilla ort Norberg var serviceminded förstod jag direkt då ägaren från vårt B&B erbjöd sig att hämta oss vid tåget, så vi slapp gå med skidor och packning. Det märktes tydligt att hela samhället var laddat inför årets skidfest, då både start och målgång i centrum av Norberg var minst lika vackert smyckat som Vasaloppet i Mora.
På denna mysiga ort där snön låg vit kring de röda husen kände
vi oss som om vi befann oss mitt i den berömda barnboken “Findus och Pettson” (av Sven Nordqvist).
I ett av hörnen bland de röda husen sålde de t o m nystekta “kolbullar” (en typ av pannkaka med rimmat fläsk) vilket är en lokal delikatess. Helt plötsligt kändes de fyra tidigare tågbytena så värda allt besvär.
I Norberg finns också ett av Sveriges äldsta caféer “Elsa Anderssons Café” från år 1916 som ledsamt nog brann ner för några år sedan, men har blivit vackert återuppbyggt. Caféet är lägligt placerat precis vid start- och målgångsområdet, där många samlas under skidfesten.
Skidloppet blev inte riktigt som jag hade tänkt mig. Jag glömde nämligen mina stavar vid hotellet när jag skulle ta ett foto innan avfärd och fick vända för att hämta dem. Detta gjorde att jag fick starta sist av alla deltagare. Jag blev därmed också en av de sista att gå i mål, men med medaljen runt halsen med självaste Engelbrekt avporträtterad på, kunde jag ändå
fira med dottern (som var i mål sedan länge) på lokala värdshuset där alla andra trötta skidåkare hade samlats.
Från och med nu är Västmanland ett av mina favoritlandskap. Det är väl värt besväret att ta sig hit och få uppleva ett landskap som fortfarande är något av en okänd pärla.
Summary in English: Västmanland is one of Sweden’s least well-known provinces as tourists tend to favor Stockholm or Dalarna. When Svea and her daughter participated in the Engelbrektsloppet ski race, they took the opportunity to explore the surroundings and discovered a destination that exceeded their expectations.
Footnote: Yvonne “Svea” Gossner är en f.d universitetsadjunkt och Swedish influencer, numera ägare av Learn Swedish Culture AB. www.learnswedishculture.com
Nystekta kolbullar serveras bland de röda husen. Foto: Privat
Bland de sista att komma i mål. Foto: Privat
Swedes Love Their Schlager
Dancing Russian grandmothers, Finnish heavy metal, and Israel’s feminist “chicken song” – over the years, the Eurovision Song Contest has certainly featured many memorable acts. And no nation loves the campy competition more than Sweden.
By Kajsa Norman
With hundreds of millions of viewers around the world, the annual Eurovision Song Contest ranks among the world's most-watched non-sporting events.
The first Eurovision Song Contest took place in Lugano, Switzerland in May 1956 and featured exclusively Schlager music – a style of European popular music involving a simple, catchy melody paired with cheerful or sentimental lyrics (the German word Schlager literally means “[musical] hit”). The style originated in the late 1800s but gained traction as the Eurovision Song Contest became increasingly popular. In the United Kingdom, Schlager is often categorized simply as pop. In a North American context, most Schlager music would fall some-
where in between country music and traditional pop.
Over time, other music styles, such as folk, jazz, rock, R&B, and even heavy metal, have made their way into the competition. These days pretty much any style of music goes, as when Finnish heavy metal band Lordi famously won the contest in 2006 with their song “Hard Rock Hallelujah”, becoming the first metal act, and the first Finnish band, to win.
Sweden participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 1958 (Denmark in 1957, Norway in 1960, Finland in 1961 and Iceland in 1986). Back then, the public didn’t get a say as to who would represent their country. Instead, Swedish Radio selected Alice Babs with the song “Samma stjärna lyser för oss två”. She
finished fourth.
It would take until 1974 for Sweden to secure its first win. In 1973, ABBA entered the competition with their song “Ring Ring”. While they didn’t win the European competition, their exposure fueled their breakthrough the following year, when they tried again with “Waterloo” (in its original Swedish form). They not only won the now public vote for the Swedish selection, they went on to win the entire Eurovision Song Contest. To this day, they remain the winners that have achieved the greatest commercial success.
Eurovision Song Contest veteran Christer Björkman believes there are many reasons why the contest has become so incredibly popular in Sweden.
“First of all, we’ve kept the compe-
Loreen, Swedish winner 2012. Photo: Gulustan
ABBA, Swedish winner 1974. Photo: EBU
tition alive ever since our first participation in 1958. Our viewers know that even though the show has gone through some occasional dips, it has always bounced back with full force,” he tells Swedish Press.
“Swedish Television has also done a great job engaging good songwriters and artists which has replenished the Swedish treasure trove of songs each year.”
As a result, Sweden has the second highest number of wins for a country at Eurovision (only Ireland has won the contest more times) and ABBA’s 1974 hit “Waterloo” was voted the most popular Eurovision song of the contest’s first fifty years.
The next Swedish win came in 1984 when the Herreys brothers won with the song “Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley”. In the 1990s, Sweden won the contest twice: first in 1991 with Carola Häggqvist’s “Fångad av en stormvind” (Captured by a Love Storm), and then again in 1999 with Charlotte Perelli’s “Tusen och en natt” (“Take Me to Your Heaven”).
In 2012, Swedish singer Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku with “Euphoria”. Just three years later, Sweden won again with Måns Zelmerlöv and the song “Heroes.”
“Both of these victories are incredible memories for me,” comments Christer Björkman who was in charge of Sweden’s televised Eurovision selection show, Melodifestivalen, at the time.
Starting in 1966, countries were required to perform in one of their official languages (following criticism over the 1965 Swedish entry being performed in English). But in 1999, this requirement was lifted. Henceforth, most artists have opted to per-
form in English and the contest lost some of its cultural uniqueness. Since the rule change, every Swedish entry has been in English.
That said, recently there has been a shift. Nations opting to send artists performing in their native language have been rewarded with greater frequency. In 2021, Italian rock band Måneskin won, performing in their native tongue. France and Switzerland, the two runners-up, both competed with French songs. And in 2017, Portugal won with the beautiful Portuguese song “Amar Pelos Dois” performed by Salvador Sobral.
Since 2004, the Eurovision Song Contest has consisted of two semifinals and a final. The winner is selected through a combination of votes from the public (voting by phone, SMS, or app) and juries consisting of music professionals from each country. The jury votes come in first. A representative from each country is telecast into the event to present their scores live. They dramatically read out their top two picks, which score 10 and 12 points, after displaying their 1-8 point selections on the screen. Once the results of the juries are in, the host reveals the results of the public’s votes for each country, which usually shifts the standing drastically. The winning nation hosts the contest the following year.
The contest was cancelled for the first time in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, it returned but with stringent COVID-19 protocols in place. The 2022 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Turin, Italy from May 11-14. In North America, it will be shown on Peacock, the streaming service from NBCUniversal. The final is due to take place on 14 May, 2022 at 21:00 (EST).
Scandi Eurovision Stats
Swedish Wins
1974 Waterloo, ABBA
1984 Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley, Herreys
1991 Fångad av en stormvind Carola Häggkvist
1999 Tusen och en natt
Charlotte Nilsson (Perelli)
2012 Euphoria, Loreen
2015 Heroes, Måns Zelmerlöw
Norwegian Wins
1985 La det swinge, Bobbysocks
1995 Nocturne, Secret Garden
2009 Fairytale, Alexander Rybak
Danish Wins
1963 Dansevise
Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann
2000 Fly on the Wings of Love Jørgen and Niels Olsen
2013 Only Teardrops
Emmelie de Forest
Finnish Win
2006 Hard Rock Hallelujah Lordi
Norway and Finland share the dubious distinction of finishing last in the Eurovision final more times than any other country (11 times each).
Iceland is the only Nordic country that is yet to win the contest.
Bobbysocks.
Photo: EBU
Sweden, We Have a Winner!
On Saturday March 12th, Sweden’s annual song competition Melodifestivalen finally crowned its winner. What had begun 6 months prior with 2,500 songs, finished this night in a thrilling showdown between the top 12. Cornelia Jakobs emerged victorious and will now represent Sweden in Eurovision 2022.
By Noelle Norman
In Sweden, the Eurovision excitement starts with Melodifestivalen (literally “the Melody Festival”), during which the Swedish public selects the artist and song to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. And tonight, for the first time in my life, I would attend the final live at Friend’s Arena in Stockholm.
Melodifestivalen has been my favorite show since before I can remember, and the atmosphere was nothing short of magical. I and the other 26,000 attendees gazed down from our stadium seats over the colorful stage and the distant “Green Room” that houses the contestants.
The spectators, dressed in their most audacious schlager-wear, held placards with their favorite contestant’s name, whilst sporting an abundance of sparkly accessories. Drones carrying cameras whizzed around and suspense filled the air. Melodifestivalen is the most popular TV show in Sweden. It is broadcast annually, and it is estimated that nearly half of the
Swedish population watches the final. But it wasn’t just Swedes who were eager to watch it live – around me I heard Spanish, English, and German. People had travelled from around the world to be here.
Before the show started we were warned about the intense pyrotechnics, spraying confetti, and loud noises that would occur throughout the
evening. We were also asked to turn on the flashlights on our phones during sentimental moments. Then the hosts Oscar Zia and Farah Abadi welcomed us, and the famous intro music began to play. The air was electric with the anticipation of the moment.
Every year Melodifestivalen produces a wide variety of performances, mixing different genres, tastes, styles, and languages. All twelve performances that made it to the final this year were polished and praiseworthy.
Given the challenging times we live in – the war in Ukraine, the aftermath of the pandemic, and persistent forms of bias and divisiveness, many of the tops songs evoked the theme of resilience. Faith Kakembo performed the song “Freedom” about collective humanity and giving each other hope. Tone Sekelius, the first transgender artist to ever compete in Melodifestivalen, performed “My Way” about living an authentic life and being true to yourself.
One of Sweden’s past Melodifestivalen winners, the brilliant John
Noelle in Friends Arena. Photo: Private
Lundvik, performed “Änglavakt” (“Guardian Angel”). A slow song, nothing short of stunning, it was made especially memorable as the lights came down and 26,000 people turned on their flashlights to sway to the beautiful melody.
The international jury favored different songs than the Swedish televoters, which is not entirely unusual.
The voter’s favorite song was “Bigger Than The Universe” by Anders Bagge, who received 90 points. However, this proved to be not enough. Cornelia Jakobs received the second highest televoting score (70 popularity points) but, with significantly more points from the international jury, her total points were higher, and her song “Hold Me Close” was declared the winner.
Brief History
Thefirst Melodifestivalen took place on 29 January 1959 at Cirkus in Stockholm. Four “expert” juries in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, and Luleå selected a winner among the eight songs performed. The competition was won by Siw Malmkvist performing “Augustin”, but the Swedish public broadcaster decided that the winning song, irrespective of its original performer, would be performed by Brita Borg at Eurovision. This practice of changing the performer was stopped in 1961.
TensWho Can Compete?
An emotional and riveting song, she performed barefoot, without any dancing, backup singers or dancers, special effects, or advanced staging. Her simple, down-to-Earth approach hit home. How Sweden will rank in the final competition in May in Turin, Italy, is anyone’s guess. As Cornelia herself put it in an interview with Svenska Dagbladet:
“The only thing I know is that you never have a clue about how anything is going to go in this competition.”
The competition became a standalone television programme in 1960 when the average Swedish family had their own television set. In the 1980s, the contest was broadcast live.
And in the 1990s, the Swedish public went from being mere spectators of the contest to being able to call in and vote (televote) for their favorite.
From One Night to a Full Season
In2002, Melodifestivalen became an even bigger event as a series of televised competitive build-up events were introduced. Instead of just a single, livestreamed competition, held over the course of an evening, there would now be six live shows, spread out over the course of six Saturdays starting in early February. Each of the first four shows features seven songs, where the top two songs move on. Then follows a Second Chance (Andra Chansen) show, featuring the third and fourth runners up in each of the first four shows. Lastly, there is the grand finale, comprising twelve songs – the top two songs from each of the
of thousands of songs and performers have entered Melodifestivalen since its debut. At first, songwriters living outside Sweden were not allowed to submit entries to Melodifestivalen. However, this changed in 2012 and foreign songwriters can now participate if they collaborate with a Swedish songwriter. To be eligible, songwriters and performers must be at least sixteen years of age on the day of the first Eurovision semifinal.
The submission process is overseen by members of the Swedish Music Publishers Association (SMFF), whose task is to reduce the thousands of songs submitted to around 1,200. The SMFF's choices are then given to a sixteen-person jury of music professionals, SVT staff and other members of the public.
The deadline for submission is in September every year and songs can be in any language.
Launch-Pad for New Artists
Melodifestivalen
has been the launch-pad for the success of popular Swedish artists, such as ABBA, Tommy Körberg, and Lisa Nilsson. However, it doesn’t take a win in the festival to advance one’s music sales. For example, the song which finished last at Melodifestivalen 1990, “Symfonin” by Loa Falkman, topped the Swedish singles chart. In 2008, songs from Melodifestivalen made up the entire top-fifteen-list on the Swedish singles chart.
first four shows and the top four songs from the Second Chance round.
The winner, Cornelia Jakobs. Photo: Annika Berglund/SVT
Sweden Brings Eurovision to North America
Finally, a North American adaptation of the Eurovision Song Contest has made it across the Atlantic. American Song Contest, airing on NBC, is hosted by Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg, but behind the scenes is Christer Björkman, the longtime producer of Melodifestivalen
By Kajsa Norman
In 1992, Christer Björkman won Sweden’s Eurovision selection contest, Melodifestivalen, with the song “I morgon är en annan dag”. His real claim to fame, however, is his work behind the scenes as a producer of Melodifestivalen and the Eurovision Song Contest. For the past 20 years, Björkman has dominated the song contest scene in Europe. Now, he is in LA producing the “American Song Contest”, realizing his dream of bringing Eurovision to American audiences.
“I pinch myself in the arm every day as I enter Universal City. It feels so surreal that I’ve ended up here. This journey is a true highlight of my career,” Björkman tells Swedish Press. While Björkman makes it sound easy, it took many years of effort – and a Netflix hit – to get to this point. Between 2016 and 2018, U.S. cable network, Logo TV, broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest finals, but audience numbers were low, ranging from 52,000 viewers in 2016 to 74,000 viewers in 2018. The concept simply
didn’t seem to appeal to North American audiences. However, in 2020, that all changed with the Netflix movie, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, which introduced North American audiences to this strange and colorful European contest.
The romantic comedy, produced, acted-in, and co-written by Will Ferrell, follows the Icelandic singers Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdóttir as they are given the chance to represent their country at the Eurovision Song Contest. Will Ferrell stars as Lars Erickssong, while Rachel McAdams plays Sigrit Ericksdóttir, Lars' bandmate and long-time best friend.
The film became the moststreamed content on Netflix in the U.S. on its first weekend. Eurovision fans loved it of course (probably in part due to the many former Eurovision contestants who made cameos in the film), but it also sparked the curiosity of the wider North American audience. A song from the film, “Husavik”, was nominated for Best Original Song at the 93rd Academy Awards, fueling even more Eurovision fever.
Viewers of the movie who are not familiar with the original contest would be forgiven for believing that the absurd musical acts portrayed in
Christer Björkman. Photo: Private
the film are way too outrageous to reflect the real contest. Not so! They actually provide a fairly accurate picture of what audiences of the Eurovision Song Contest can expect.
In fact, Will Ferrell was introduced to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1999 by his Swedish wife, actress Viveca Paulin. Sweden won that year with Charlotte Perelli’s “Take Me to Your Heaven” and just like that, Ferrell was as hooked on the competition as any Swede.
In May 2018, in preparation for the film, Ferrell attended the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, Portugal, to research possible characters and scenarios for the film. Both he and McAdams also attended dress rehearsals of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, Israel. Also present in Tel Aviv were Christer Björkman and Ola Melzig, known for their roles as producers of
past Eurovision competitions. And they had an important announcement to make: They had acquired the rights to produce an adaptation of Eurovision for the U.S. market.
“In 2017, I produced the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv with Anders Lenhoff. When we had finished that assignment Anders started nagging that we should do ESC [Eurovision Song Contest] in the U.S. I was hesitant at first, but he persuaded me. Now, four years later, here we are. Pretty unreal!” says Björkman.
American Song Contest premiered on March 21 and is currently airing on NBC. The contest will be broadcast on Mondays for eight weeks, during which time entries from all 50 U.S. states, five territories, and Washington D.C. will compete for the title of Best Original Song.
Rapper Snoop Dogg and pop singer Kelly Clarkson are the show's presenters.
“I have been a fan and love the concept of Eurovision and am thrilled to bring the musical phenomenon to America. I’m so excited to work with Snoop and can’t wait to see every state and territory represented by artists singing their own songs,” said Clarkson, who has previously performed “Arcade”, the winning song from the
Eurovision Song Contest 2019, on her talk show.
The media, however, have remained doubtful that the kitschy competition will translate well to an American context. Ahead of the launch, Andy Kryza of Time Out wrote that the American Song Contest's biggest challenge is “the relative homogeneity of the American musical landscape,” while Justin Kirkland of Esquire speculated that the contest would be “a colossal nightmare,” as Americans “lack the self-deprecation, campiness, and selfless energy to pull this off.”
However, Adam Gabbatt of The Guardian expressed his excitement about “the mouth-watering prospect of seeing how politically and culturally opposed states rate the musical output of their rivals.”
Just like the Ukraine and Russia tend to give each other awful scores regardless of the quality of the music, conservative viewers in Texas and liberal audiences in New York can express their mutual contempt for one another through the televote.
However, executive producer Ben Silverman hopes for the opposite effect: “When America is more factionalized than ever and we are dealing with so many issues that divide us, the one [thing] that truly unites us is our culture,” said Silverman in an interview with NME.com.
Christer Björkman shares this aspiration: “The greatest magic involved in producing the American Song Contest is that we get the chance to remind the American viewers how incredibly beautiful and vast their country really is, how much musical talent it contains, and the extent to which innovative music can unite people,” he says.
Molly Sandén is the voice behind "Husavik".
Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson. Photo: NBC
Rachel McAdams and Will Ferrell in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Photo: Netflix
From Dawn to Dusk
From Dawn to Dusk highlights Nordic art at the turn of the 20th century when artists travelled to France to paint sun-drenched motifs, then returned home to paint Nordic subjects in twilight.
By Rosemary Jones
The National Nordic Museum in Seattle is currently showing a landmark exhibition from one of Northern Europe’s most important art museums
“From Dawn to Dusk: Nordic Art from Sweden’s Nationalmuseum.”
The exhibition’s 56 paintings, by the Nordic region’s leading artists of the late 19th century, include works by Anders Zorn, August Strindberg, Bruno Liljefors, Carl Larsson, Hanna Hirsch-Pauli, Harriet Backer, Nils Kreuger, and Vilhelm Hammershøi, among others.
“This is an expansive look at one of the most popular periods in Nordic art with works by Denmark’s, Norway’s and Sweden’s greatest artists,” said Executive Director Eric Nelson.
“We are most grateful to the Nationalmuseum for generously lending such extraordinary works.”
The exhibition traces the final decades of the 19th century and beginning
About the exhibition
“From Dawn to Dusk: Nordic Art from Sweden’s Nationalmuseum” includes 56 paintings by Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish artists held in the collection of the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Sweden. It will be on view exclusively at the National Nordic Museum from February 19, 2022, to July 17, 2022, and accompanied by a full slate of exhibition-related lectures, concerts, and art classes.
of 20th century, a period of dramatic development in art of the Nordic countries, through scenes of everyday life, portraits, and landscapes. Young artists tired of the conservative art scene in their respective countries and they travelled abroad, most of them to France and to Paris. Here, they could experience personal freedom and a modern, cosmopolitan art scene. In particular, the women artists encountered much better circumstances in Paris than at home in the Nordic countries.
“In comparison to Stockholm, the [late 19th-century] Parisian art world was an endless field of prosperous opportunities, and at the time, Paris was the incontestable art capital of the world. Young artists became increasingly aware of the more liberal art world in Paris, adding fuel to their frustration with the conservative Academies in the North,” said CarlJohan Olsson, the Nationalmuseum’s
About The National Nordic Museum
Located in Seattle, The National Nordic Museum tells the story of 12,000 years of Nordic history and culture, across all five Nordic nations (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) and the semi-autonomous regions of Greenland, Faroe Islands, and Åland and the indigenous region of Sápmi.
Opening hours: Wednesday-Sunday 10am-5pm
Curator of 19th-Century Painting.
Nordic artists synthesized contemporary ideas, practices, and styles that they encountered in Paris to depict the motifs of their home region. In the century that followed, the Nationalmuseum collected these pictures as exemplars of this history.
“These treasured paintings transport visitors to a time when artistic influences from abroad ignited passions, inspired the creation of new pathways for artists to succeed, and ultimately, shaped new national schools of art. Importantly, From Dawn to Dusk reflects current scholarship and shares some recent acquisitions to the Nationalmuseum’s collection that illustrate the profound contributions of Nordic women artists to this revolutionary moment in art history,” said Leslie Anne Anderson, Director of Collections, Exhibitions, and Programs at the National Nordic Museum.
About Nationalmuseum
Nationalmuseum is Sweden’s museum of art and design and was opened to the public in 1866.
The collections include masterpieces by European artists, as well as important works by Swedish artists.
Nationalmuseum is also a government authority with a mandate to preserve cultural heritage and promote art, interest in art and knowledge of art.
Highlights from the Exhibition
Krouthén is linked with the many depictions of apple trees in bloom and red, wooden houses he painted during the latter part of his career.
This work is one of his early productions and depicts a young doctor and his family in their garden in Linköping. What stands out is the careful attention to detail and the accomplished rendering of the overall atmosphere of the scene – something
sought after in 1880s plein-air painting and which was learnt in France.
Scandinavia in a New Light
During the later years of the 19th century many young Nordic artists travelled to Paris. After experiencing the freedom and possibilities there the art world in Stockholm seemed small and far too conservative in its fondness for historic motifs.
Dissatisfaction with the Academy
of Art grew. Its teaching was considered old-fashioned and too few exhibitions were arranged for enough artists to reach an audience. This culminated in a manifesto in 1885 in which 86 young artists demanded changes. A new age dawned. Modern art gained ground and the light of France challenged the gloom of history paintings. After a decade in France many artists returned to Sweden to revitalize national art.
View of a garden, Johan Fredrik Krouthén (painted 1887-1888). Photo: Courtesy of Nationalmuseum
Nordic Symbolism
In the 1890s art took on new directions in France. Several Nordic artists began to take an interest in what was called symbolism. This still involved depicting the world around them, but not in the same accurate and crystal-clear way as before. Instead they based works on people’s inner feelings and attempted to render moods and atmospheres that affected the viewers at an emotional rather than an intellectual level. Everything, from portraits to landscapes, could be painted this way.
Olof Sager-Nelson travelled to Paris in 1894, where he encountered French symbolism, that would influence him for the rest of his short life.
His painting Foster-Brothers depicts a boy and a young man in a twilight landscape. The boy has a heavy gaze while the young man looks tenderly at him. Sager-Nelson devoted himself largely to figure paintings of this sort, calling them moral portraits, or “soul portraits”.
France – the Land of Opportunity
In France it was possible to study at private academies with greater freedom than at home. This applied not
least to the women artists. The aim was to have a work accepted by the jury for the annual Salon and reach a broad audience.
Foster-Brothers, Olof Sager-Nelson, painted 1894. Photo: Courtesy of Nationalmuseum
At the Grand Piano, Hanna Hirsch-Pauli, painted 1892. Photo: Courtesy of Nationalmuseum
Jays, Bruno Liljefors, painted 1886. Photo: Courtesy of Nationalmuseum
The Varberg School
Richard Bergh, Nils Kreuger and Karl Nordström went to Varberg in the years between 1893 and 1896 to paint. They had returned from France to take part in the creation of a new national art and realised that they needed to leave Stockholm to succeed
August Strindberg
One of Sweden's most famous writers, August Strindberg, was also a painter.
In the 1870s, August Strindberg spent time with several young artists such as Carl Larsson and others in Grez-sur-Loing and he began experimenting with painting.
He didn't have any training in art. He painted mainly landscapes and seascapes with dramatic waves and skies. He painted choppy seas in the storm with seething waves, clouds of rebellion and whitecaps whipping against the rocky shores.
August Strindberg painted mostly in periods of crisis, when he had difficulty writing. He did not have a breakthrough as a painter until long after his death.
The town is a landscape painting, with a town in the distance, its tallest building reflected in the water's
in doing so.
In Varberg and its surroundings they found the motifs that suited their vision of the typically Swedish countryside. Unfolding and evocative, it also bore the stamp of many generations of farming.
In Spring in Halland Nils Kreuger
surface.
It is an oil painting made with a palette knife, with thick layers of paint laid on the canvas.
focuses on the lines ploughed into the meadow landscape, which create decorative patterns in the soil. Kreuger has emphasised these lines with ink on top of the oil paint, almost the only Swedish artist to do so. This, coupled with his realistic oil painting, created a unique effect.
The Author August Strindberg painted by Carl Larsson. Photo: Courtesy of Nationalmuseum
The Town, August Strindberg, painted 1903. Photo: Courtesy of Nationalmuseum
Spring in Halland – three painings in a frame sculpted by the artist, Nils Kreuger. Painted 1884. Photo: Courtesy of Nationalmuseum
Last Meeting
By Craig Sidwall
It would be their last meeting. The board would dissolve, and their little school district – named Oland after the settler who donated the land for it – would be folded into the big district. The province had decreed that all of the schools in the four towns in the area would be in that one big district – the day of the one room country school was over. Although small by today’s standards, in 1964 the new district was gigantic in comparison to Oland, which covered an area of only a few square miles and a population of about sixty people.
Peter
It was a sad day for Peter. His Dad had built the school. Dad had immigrated from Sweden in 1905, worked in Winnipeg until he had a stake, and then filed for a homestead. He had walked thirty miles from the railhead, found his land, and started swinging his axe. He was not alone. By 1908, most of the quarter sections had a homestead of some kind. Families were coming in, and they needed a school. Authorization was received from the province, a construction tender was issued, and his Dad had won.
His Dad and his uncle built it out of logs, covered with brick siding. It was built on the standard prairie school model – one big open room, hardwood floors, a bank of windows facing east, and a cast iron barrel stove. There was a pair of outhouses, a barn, and a flagpole in the front. They dug a well, and cribbed it, all by hand. They built a two room teacherage as a leanto on the back. It was never used as a teacherage, they all boarded locally, but the space and the cookstove were used during community events over the years.
Last year’s enrollment had been six pupils. Great for individual instruction, but not viable by any standards, so here they were. Only four on the school board, they could have met around a kitchen table and coffee, but the formalities had to be observed, so they met at the school and called the meeting to order. Peter’s role as chairman meant that he would preside over the last meeting, call for the last vote.
This had been his school. He had attended grades one through eight, then had to board in town to go to High
School. He had attended during the school’s heyday – the twenties and thirties. Back then attendance had pushed forty, bursting at the seams. The room had been packed, the schoolyard a hive of activity during recess and lunch hour. He made lifelong friends there.
Now, forty years later, only two other students from that time still lived in the area, and one was his wife. He was two years older than she. They had basically known each other since she was born – two miles from where he was born. She had a longer walk to school – two miles. His was a mile-and-a-half. After they married they bought a farm closer to the school, so their kid only walked three quarters of a mile.
Ron
Ron’s role as secretary meant that he read the letter from the Department of Education. They all knew what it said beforehand, it had been discussed and previewed, but it had a finality that sobered them.
Ron was a relative newcomer to the community. He had visited the area, met the schoolteacher, and that was
Outside Nord School No. 1483. Photos: Private
that. She was pretty, bright, and came from a family that had homesteaded in the district forty years ago. They married and settled on a farm four miles from the school. That was a ways away – too far for kids to walk. He was energetic, affable, and honest, as was she, and they were soon an integral part of the little community. And their lives well reflected the changes happening to the community. Their farm was too small to provide a living, so he worked managing the Coop store in town. Their girls were both too young for school, but when the time came, they would go to school in town. They didn’t know it then, but five years later he would be offered a better job in a bigger Co-op, and they would move away.
Alec
The vote was a formality, but Peter called for it anyway. They all knew how each other would vote, it was all discussed, but the process had to be run. All in favour of the recommendation to dissolve, say aye.
Alec voted in favour. He was unmarried with no children, but on the board because he had a particular interest in the school and was well known in the community. Like Peter, he had been born in the district and had attended the school. He was also the son of a homesteader. He was Peter’s second cousin, and a cousin of Ron’s wife. Alec lived near the school and for several years he had acted as caretaker, which included walking over early on winter mornings and lighting the fire so that the room was habitable by the time teacher and students arrived. He would become the bus driver for the enlarged district. Once all the formalities were observed, he would buy a new Econoline van, a substantial financial investment (and risk) for him. He would buy it as a bare shell, then insulate it and build wooden benches that mounted in a U shape around the three sides of the van’s interior, with a free standing wooden bench in the middle. Seat belts were not man-
Back in the days the schoolyard was a hive of activity during recess and lunch hour.
datory or even considered, but Alec had no intention of exceeding forty miles an hour regardless of how good the roads were. He knew all of the children he would haul and knew their parents. The kids would be safe.
Vern
Vern added his “aye” in turn. He was a newcomer, but a throwback. He had been a child in Europe during the war and afterwards left the wreckage of his homeland for a new start. He had immigrated a generation later than the rest – the 1950s – but he had the same pioneer spirit. Like the previous generation of pioneers, he had worked in bush camps, cutting pulp, until he had enough for a down payment on the farm. He was an outsider,
but overcame that with gusto. He worked hard, a highly valued trait in the community. He was a good neighbor, always there when you needed him. He married a local girl and started a family, but none were destined to attend the school. His oldest was five. She would start first grade in town.
So the vote was unanimous, motion carried. They had to make decisions about the disposition of assets – books from the meager library could go to the school in town. The old desks could be sold if possible, they were too old for the school in town, so junk if nobody wanted them. The school itself would sit empty – hunkered down and waiting for the end.
This was the last chapter in the story of the little community around the school. The school had been the centre – dances, Christmas concerts, summer picnics, meetings for any group that needed it. Its name had identified them – that was where they were from.
It had been happening all of Peter’s life. He had been born at the height of settlement in the district, into a busy community that had a family living on almost every quarter, and then the decline began. The first wave was
in the 1920s. They were homesteaders that left – some because they weren’t cut out for it, but most because the land they took unseen was too rocky or swampy, or both, to support a family. The next wave was in the Dirty Thirties – the depression – soul crushing poverty driving people off the land to seek refuge in the cities. Then the war came, and more left not to return, not necessarily dying overseas, but wanting to see more of the world. So many of his childhood friends gone, but he was neither isolated nor lonely – he knew everyone for miles around – but everything took more distance now. His farm encompassed land that used to support six families, and soon that would expand to a size that once supported eight families. His community now included a township, not a school district.
He saw this even within his own family. His daughter was already in Winnipeg at University. His oldest son was in high school in town, with a dream of an engineering degree. Now his youngest would be going to school in town, too.
Change was life. Part of being a farmer was enduring and adapting, and this was no exception. Farming meant rooting yourself and letting the weather of life blow around you. Take what nourishes and let the rest go. Peter had a lot to nourish him – good wife, close family, strong community. His feet were firm where they were, and they needed to be. In his lifetime, travel would change from horse to jet, information would change from week old newspapers to the internet. He would watch his children walk away from a rural lifestyle and into an urban one.
Later in life he would travel, and his identity changed depending on where he was. When he flew to the old country he was from Canada. When he visited the east or west coast, he was from Manitoba. When he was in the city, he was from the country.
Wherever he was, in his heart, he was from Oland.
Craig Sidwall is a recently retired Vasa member from Winnipeg. In the early 1900s, Craig’s maternal and paternal grandparents emigrated from Sweden to settle in Eriksdale, rural Manitoba, where Craig grew up.
Attempting to preserve the memory of the pioneer Swedes who settled the surrounding farm communities, Craig has written a collection of short stories, warmly portraying their spirit, their character, and the legacy of family and community that they left. These stories are based on Craig’s memories of the old Swedes who populated his childhood. Swedish Press is pleased to publish them in this new heritage series – Stories From the Olden Days.
The east side of the school – where memories were made.
To Cook a Bear
Reviewed by Eva Wissting
Swedish author Mikael Niemi is best known for his novel Popular Music from Vittula (Seven Stories Press, 2004) but his writing career began as a poet in the 1980s. His most recent book, To Cook a Bear, is also set in the far north of Sweden, and just like Popular Music, it features a teenage boy attempting to navigate his complex reality. However, the similarities end there. Neither contemporary nor humorous, To Cook a Bear is Niemi’s take on Nordic Noir.
To Cook a Bear is told from the perspective of a Sámi boy named Jussi. After having run away from his alcoholic and abusive parents, Jussi is adopted by “the pastor” – an unnamed character loosely based on Lars Levi Laestadius, the teetotaler who inspired a widespread awakening within the Lutheran church in the mid 1800s.
The publisher has categorized the book as historical fiction, but the story is also built around a murder mystery. Early on, a young maid goes missing in the forest and there are clear signs of a violent encounter. Could it have been a bear that attacked the girl? The pastor and Jussi thoroughly investigate the crime scene in the forest and no detail passes the pastor by, whether in the form of a shoeprint, a hair, or a scent. Throughout the investigation, the pastor explains the meaning of each piece of evidence – like a Sherlock Holmes to his Watson.
Book
The parallels with the classic murder investigator are obvious, but To Cook a Bear has perhaps more similarities with Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose: the religious context, clues hidden in books, the teenage apprentice searching for his bearings in life, and the older religious scholar who may appear strict but has a kind heart.
Pastor Laestadius is not the only inspiration the book takes from history; the story is interspersed with historical events like the Sámi revolt in Guovdageaidnu (Kautokeino) in (what is now) Norway. The historical setting and the depiction of life at that time in Kengis, close to the Finnish border, is one of the main strengths of the book.
When “gentlemen” from the south arrive in the village and speak Swedish, few of the locals understand what they say. Here people speak Finnish, or Meänkieli,
or Sámi. Through the pastor, and through his own curiosity, Jussi learns Swedish, and – more importantly – to read and write, which allows him to discover the world beyond Kengis. As the story evolves, he begins to dream of turning his own voice into the written word. He is used to keeping quiet, staying out of the way, but through writing, he opens a door.
The mystery plot is well built, but perhaps the story is aiming for too much with a murder mystery and social tension and the magic of reading and writing and historical events. Characters are engaging but too simplistic – either all good or all bad. All told, it is a worthwhile read – a well-written historical fiction about a transformative time in Sweden of which we know far too little.
Photo: Peter Knutson/Piratförlaget
The original Swedish version Koka björn was published in 2017 by Piratförlaget. The English translation, To Cook a Bear, by Deborah Bragan-Turner was published in 2020 by MacLehose Press, and in 2021 as a Penguin paperback. 432 pages. ISBN 978-0143133902
Eurovision Treats
The Eurovision Song Contest is the Swedish equivalent to Super Bowl with the bulk of the nation settling in to enjoy the show. Whether you’re watching it by yourself or having friends over, you want to make sure you have something tasty to nibble on.
[Treats]
Guacamole
There is no better way to make your tortilla chips feel festive than to serve them with chunky, homemade guac.
Ingredients:
3 avocados, pitted Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped 1 small jalapeño (seeded if you prefer less heat), minced 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine avocados, lime juice, cilantro, onion, jalapeño and salt.
Stir, then slowly turn the bowl as you run a fork through the avocados (this will ensure the mixture stays chunky).
Once it has reached your desired consistency, season with more salt if needed.
Garnish with more cilantro before serving.
Non-Alcoholic Party Punch
As the Eurovision Song Contest is often a family affair, why not prepare a festive non-alcoholic punch? Serve in fancy glasses with colorful umbrellas.
FruityPunchParty
Ingredients:
12 servings
4 cups cranberry juice (can be replaced with raspberry juice if you prefer)
2 cups pineapple juice
1/2 can frozen lemonade or limeade concentrate
4 cups ginger ale
3 cups ice cubes
lemon or lime slices and fresh berries for garnish
Instructions:
1. Mix the cranberry juice, pineapple juice, frozen concentrate, ginger ale and ice cubes in a large pitcher or punch bowl.
2. Add the ice (2-4 cups of ice is best).
3. Add some lemon or lime slices and some fresh or frozen berries.
a few sliced strawberries sparkling water mint sprigs
Instructions:
1. Pour the lemon juice and lime juice into a large jug. Add the sliced lemon and lime, and a handful of ice cubes. Add peach nectar to fill about onethird of the jug and top up to fill with lemonade.
2. Add the strawberries and top up with sparkling water and mint sprigs.
Popcorn Cake
Kids (and adults) love this sweet treat.
Ingredients:
12 cups popped popcorn
(1/2 cup of kernels, popped)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
Two 10-ounce bags miniature marshmallows
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 cups M&M candies
1 cup salted peanuts
Instructions:
1. Remove any un-popped kernels of corn from measured popped corn. Place the popcorn into a very large bowl.
2. Make a syrup from the butter, marshmallows and vanilla by heating them together and stirring in a large saucepan. Pour the marshmallow syrup over the popcorn in the bowl. Stir to combine and coat all of the popcorn with the marshmallow mixture. Then stir in the M&M's and peanuts until they are evenly distributed.
3. With greased hands (or waxed paper), firmly press the mixture into a well-greased tube or bundt pan. Allow to stand for 10 minutes; then loosen and turn out onto cake plate.
4. Carefully cut slices using bread knife.
Chokladbollar
What could be more Swedish than chokladbollar (Swedish No-Bake Chocolate Balls)?
Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 and ⅓ cup rolled oats
2 tbsp. strong coffee, cooled
⅓ cup pearl sugar or coconut flakes
Instructions:
1. In a bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Mix in the cocoa powder.
2. Add the rolled oats and coffee. Mix everything well.
3. Shape the mixture into small balls, about a tablespoon each.
4. Roll in pearl sugar or coconut flakes. Refrigerate until serving.
Student Experiences in Sweden
SSHL offers diverse high school programming in both Swedish and English for local and international boarding students. Currently there are 698 students enrolled at SSHL from 35 differ ent countries. Meet four students of different nationalities and ages who share their experiences of life at the school.
By Noelle Norman
Sara Olalla-Burstedt
Age: 14
Class: 8th grade in the Swedish education system
From: Sweden / Spain
“My mom, who is Swedish, and my dad, who is Spanish, wanted me to study in Sweden to learn more about Swedish culture and improve my Swedish. They wanted me to try living in Sweden just so I could experience what it would be like and discover more about the country itself,” says Sara who came to SSHL at just thirteen years old, in the fall of 2021.
“They figured it would be better for me to go to a boarding school than live with a family as part of some exchange program.”
Although Sara is only supposed to stay for a year, she has already become like a little sister to the older girls in her dormitory. Her Swedish has improved immensely, and she has made what she hopes will become lifelong friends.
In addition to her studies, she takes part in piano lessons, dancing, and rowing. Sometimes, she also speaks Spanish with some of her fellow students.
“I have learned about Swedish culture, and it’s very different from what I am used to. I also get to share my culture with my friends and some of my classmates,” she says and adds that there are many differences between attending school in Sweden and in Spain.
“In Spain, if you break a rule, you either get expelled, get a note saying that you’ve broken a rule (these accumulate over a school year, and you can get expelled if you have too many) or get detention,” she says.
While you can be expelled at SSHL too, Sara finds the atmosphere more forgiving. However, for Sara, the biggest difference is the food.
“In almost every single Spanish school, the food sucks, it doesn’t look like food, or it just smells weird; but in Sweden, at least at SSHL, the food is literally gourmet!”
Joanna Gärdin
Age: 18
Class of 2023
From: Sweden / Vietnam
“SSHL is very good at being inclusive, especially in terms of different celebrations,” says Joanna who has been an SSHL student since grade 9.
“We have different events and special days that represent the international atmosphere at the school. We don’t just get to try Swedish traditions. For example, on the Chinese New Year the kitchen makes traditional Chinese dishes for the students to try.”
Joanna is a member of SSHL’s girls volleyball team and has a talent for painting.
Joanna’s father is Swedish and she followed in the steps of her older siblings in attending SSHL. Now she is part of the first hotel and business management class in the International Baccalaureate Career Program.
“I was in the pre-IB program and really enjoyed the international focus and worldwide recognition of the IB framework, but as I’d like to start my own business, I felt like the brand new IB Career Program would be a better fit for me than the IB Diploma Program,” says Joanna.
Katherine Smith
Age: 19
Class of 2022
From: Germany / USA
Katherine first visited Sweden as a tourist in 2019.
“Since I’m fascinated by history my parents wanted me to visit Sigtuna, the oldest standing town in Sweden, to see the ancient ruins and the runestones from the Vikings,” she recalls.
“I had somewhat underpacked for the trip, so I went to a small shoe store in downtown Sigtuna to buy a pair of winter boots with my dad. When I was there the lady who owned the store asked me if I was a boarder. I was confused and so she explained that there was a boarding school in the town and that she had thought that I was a student whose parents were visiting. Later I did some research and the school seemed really cool and it had the program that I wanted to do so I decided to apply.”
Now in her final year, Katherine is set to graduate from SSHL in late May. Her favorite memory from her time at the school was the initiation ceremony into Haga, her dormitory.
“It was a good opportunity to meet all of the new girls –a good Haga bonding experience!”
Even though she is in the English-speaking international program, Katherine has found the educational experience to be quite different from her American schools.
“It’s not as formal as it is in the States. I call my teachers by their first names. If you do that in the States, you get in trouble. They want us to have a personal relationship with our teachers at SSHL. In the States, teachers are your superiors. In Sweden they are more people who are trying to help you,” she says and adds that she especially appreciates the mentorship and support programs at SSHL.
“It is great to have a designated teacher to whom you can turn with any issues. And there are lots of resources for mental health support.”
Throughout her time at the school, Katherine has enjoyed the opportunity to learn and celebrate Swedish traditions. Her favorite cultural experience was participating in the Lucia procession.
“It is such a big part of Swedish culture and the fact that I got to be a part of it, even though I’m an American girl who doesn’t speak Swedish, was really cool.”
Katherine has appreciated being part of a school that emphasizes global consciousness.
“I’ve definitely been able to experience different cultures that I wouldn’t have otherwise and that has been a really enriching experience.”
Katherine had no connection to Sweden when she first arrived, but now she is convinced that Sweden, and especially Sigtuna, will always have a place in her heart. She already plans to visit for years to come after graduation. Until then, she will continue to be an active member of SSHL, engaging in Debate Club and horseback riding.
Muhammed Bisli Elmurzaev
Age: 17
Class of 2023
From: Chechnya / Norway
Bisli was born in Chechnya but grew up in Norway. In 2017, the family moved to Stockholm and Bisli enrolled at SSHL. He started out as a boarding student, but his parents moved to Sigtuna the following year, so he switched to being a day student. Bisli is in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and is on track to graduate in 2023.
“SSHL has allowed me to experience much more Swedish culture than I would have otherwise,” he says.
“I think experiencing different cultures and talking to people from different places in the world is a good thing, especially when it comes to your future career because you become used to being around people who are not from the same place as you and don’t speak the same languages as you. If you know someone is from a certain place you are more equipped with how to best interact with them – what to say and what not to say. You are exposed to more perspectives so things later in life will come as less of a culture shock.”
Bisli participates in a wide range of extra-curricular activities at school including school council and the Duke of Edinburgh Program – an international award program that challenges young people to improve themselves and their communities by going beyond their comfort zone.
“I am also the chairman of SSHL Studios (aka AV Club) which helps the school with the audio and visual aspects of events, performances and assemblies,” says Bisli.
We require all Museum visitors to wear a mask at all times. Starting Jan. 3, 2022 we also require proof of vaccination when visiting the Museum and Gallery.
June 3 - 5 – 11am - 3pm – National Day Pop-up Café
Ongoing through June 5 – New Nordic Cuisine.
June 8 – Wed 6pm: Art Deco and Swedish Design
DETROIT
Swedish Club of Southeast Michigan
22398 Ruth St, Farmington Hills, MI 48336 Tel: 248-478-2563 | www.swedishclub.net
MINNEAPOLIS
American Swedish Institute
2600 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407
Tel: 612-871 4907 | www.asimn.org
Please register for museum admission in advance. Proof of vaccination for all inperson visitors is required. Learn with ASI – a resource for learning about Sweden and Swedish-American culture and heritage, Scandinavian folk arts and culture. In-person or online.
Ongoing through July 10 – Thermal –Meditations on Climate Change
Ongoing through July 10 – Paper Dialogues – The Dragon and Our Stories
PHILADELPHIA
American Swedish Historical Museum 1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145 | Tel: 215-389 1776 | info@americanswedish.org | www.americanswedish.org
Please note: effective Jan 3, 2022, proof of vaccination is required for events serving food and drink.
May 7 – Sat 7-10pm: ExtrABBAganza Dance Party! $35 members, $45 nonmembers.
June 10 – 19 – PHS Flower Show 2022
ASHM is proud to once again be a part of the PHS Flower Show, "In Full Bloom" in FDR Park.
June 25 – Sat 4-7pm: Midsommarfest – A family-friendly event. $5/person
Proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test is requiered. Buy tickets or register online.
May 21 – The 36th Annual Northern Lights Auktion. Live Auktion & Gala Ongoing through Jul 17 – From Dawn to Dusk: Nordic Art from Sweden’s Nationalmuseum.
WASHINGTON, DC
Embassy of Sweden
2900 K Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20007 Tel: 202-467 2600 | www.swedenabroad.com ambassaden.washington@gov.se
We urge all visitors with appointments at the embassy to find out what guidelines from local authorities apply before traveling to DC. Telephone hours: Mon-Fri 9am4pm (closed for lunch 12-1pm) House of Sweden www.houseofsweden.com
Ongoing through July – Arctic Highways – explores what it means to be truly unbounded through the contemporary artworks of nine Sámi artists and three Indigenous artists from Canada and the United States.
A guide to fun and interesting
Swedish events outside Sweden
OTTAWA
Embassy of Sweden
377 Dalhousie Street, Suite 305, Ottawa ON K1N 9NB Tel: 613-244 8200 www.swedenabroad.se/en/embassies/ canada-ottawa/
General inquiries: sweden.ottawa@gov.se
Work and Residence Permit Inquiries: sweden.ottawa.permits@gov.se
Please note that the Embassy only accepts visits by appointment.
Phone hours are: Mon-Fri 9am to 12 noon
TORONTO
Swedish Lutheran Church 25 Old York Mills Rd, North York, ON M2P 1B5 toronto@svenskakyrkan.se Tel: 416 486-0466
Please visit www.svenskakyrkan.se/toronto
Mobil präst i Nordamerika: Maria Thorsson, maria.thorsson@svenskakyrkan.se
VANCOUVER
Scandinavian Community Centre
6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9 Tel: 604-294 2777 | info@scancentre.org www.scancentre.org
Please visit our website for more info and to see our events.
WINNIPEG
Swedish Cultural Assoc of Manitoba
Scandinavian Cultural Centre 764 Erin St, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2W4 Tel: 204-774 8047 | https://www.scandinaviancentre.ca | Event registration by email at: svenskclub17@gmail.com
The Scandinavian Centre is open once again for in-person Sunday brunches and Friday night dinners.
Jun 4 – Sat 10am - 3pm: Swedish Cultural and Heritage Day, Erickson MB at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 143. Join the Manitoba Swedes to celebrate the rich Swedish heritage of the Erickson community. Midsommar lunch; stories of the Swedish settlers from the area; live Swedish music; performance by the Scandia Fun Folk Dancers; dancing around the maypole; Swedish crafts for sale. Tickets: Adults $20.00; Children $10.00. Order tickets through svenskclub17@gmail.com by May 15.
Swedish Press Classified
BC Organizations
Scandinavian Business Club
Monthly meetings feature business speakers. Guests and new members welcome. Call SBC: 604-484-8238. Visit us at www.sbc-bc.ca
Scandinavian Community Centre
Scandinavian Community Centre
Beautiful setting for weddings, parties, birthdays, meetings and seminars. 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC info@scancentre.org Tel: 604-294-2777 www. scancentre.org
Svenska Kulturföreningen
Ordförande Niklas Z Kviselius 604-218-7528. Kassör är Christel Lindstrom, 604-537-0557 www.swedishculturalsociety.ca. Email: swedishculturalsociety.ca @gmail.com
Swedish Canadian Village
Beautiful Assisted Living Residence & Senior Subsidized Apartment Buildings Located in Burnaby, BC. Tel: 604-420 1124 Fax# 604-420 1175 www.swedishcanadian.ca
Swedish Heritage in BC 1812
Duthie Ave. Burnaby BC. Laila Axen Tel: 604-526 7464. Visit us at www. swedishheritageinbc.org. E-mail: swedishheritagebc@gmail.com
Sweden House Society President: Rebecca Keckman Vice President: Dorothy Carlson Treasurer: Carole Walkinshaw, Email: swedenhousechair@gmail.com
Swedish Club of Victoria Dinners, Events and Meetings, for information contact Annabelle Beresford @ 250-656 9586 or Swedish Club of Victoria Facebook.
Washington Organizations
Nordic Museum has moved to a beautiful, brand-new building! In Seattle, 2655 N.W. Market St., Ballard; 206-789 5707.
Swedish Club 1920 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109; Tel: 206-283 1090. Open Wednesday evenings for supper and games, Friday for lunch and dinner. Pancake breakfasts on
first Sundays of the month. Rental venue for meeting, parties, etc. www.swedishclubnw.org
Advertising Sales Reps wanted Swedish Press is looking for full or part-time advertising sales representatives. E-mail info@swedishpress.com for more information.
Swedish Press Classified Ad Rate is as low as 50 cents per word (minimum $10). Send your ad to advertise@swedishpress.com
Swed sh Press [] i Yes, I would like to subscribe to Swedish Press
Subscribe online at www.SwedishPress.com
Om Vår, Valborg och att äntligen få grilla sin korv! av Maria Thorsson, kyrkoherde i Svenska kyrkan i Toronto och mobil präst i Nordamerika
Vi har väl alla den där personen i vår bekantskapskrets vars tideräkning utgår från Eurovision song contest (ESC)!
Jag ska erkänna att min erfarenhet av ESC är begränsad. Däremot infaller en annan högtid i nära anslutning till ESC som jag har stor erfarenhet av. En högtid som jag alltid uppskattat både som barn och vuxen; Valborg. Jag minns att jag som barn ofta stod där med en halvfrusen korv i ena handen och en läsk i andra. Stod framför högen av ved, kvistar och bråte som snart skulle tändas och förvandlas till ett mysigt valborgsbål där man kunde
Våren
grilla sin korv. Om bara den där tanten eller farbrorn kunde sluta prata någon gång. Elden brukar nämligen föregås av ett Valborgstal.
Jag minns inte så mycket från dessa tal, bara att jag önskade att de skulle ta slut så att jag fick grilla min korv och dricka min läsk. Även som vuxen har denna tanke slagit mig med den enda skillnaden att läsken bytts ut mot en öl.
Här följer nu ett litet Valborgstal. Eftersom det är i skrift kan ni grilla er korv och dricka er läsk/öl när ni önskar.
I elden har människan alltid funnit fascination, skräck och trygghet. Utan elden kan vi inte leva, men eld på fel ställe kan vara liktydigt med död. Elden har därför den märkliga rollen i mänsklighetens symbolspråk att den kan symbolisera både djävulen och
Gud, både det onda och det goda. Vårens eldar lyckas på något sätt föra samman denna dubbelhet. Elden tinar upp det frusna och symboliserar hur livet nu återvänder till det som varit sovande under vintern. Samtidigt är elden förtärande – men den förtär just det döda: kvistar, multnande löv och allt som hör det gamla till.
Och på samma sätt som många knoppar under vintern legat slumrande så rymmer också våra liv slumrande möjligheter. Men på samma sätt som vintern kan hålla sitt grepp om naturen kan våra egenhändigt satta begränsningar hålla oss kvar i vinterdvala.
För: Visst gör det ont när knoppar brister, som Karin Boye skrev.
Fast det blir ofta en vacker blomma av det vill jag tillägga!
Summary in English: Maria Thorsson, pastor of the Swedish Lutheran Church in Toronto, as well as mobile pastor for all of North America, shares her thoughts on the traditional Nordic spring celebration of Walpurgis and mankind’s fascination with fire as a symbol for both good and evil.
NAME OF DONOR
ADDRESS CITY
PROVINCE/STATE POSTAL CODE/ZIP COUNTRY
PHONE EMAIL
Method of Payment: VISA or Mastercard Cheque (Swedish Press Inc)
CARD NO. EXPIRY DATE CVV
NAME ON CARD SIGNATURE
Donate online at www.SwedishPress.com • Take a photo of this coupon with your smartphone and email it to Info@SwedishPress.com • Mail this coupon with payment to Swedish Press, PO Box 1568, Ogdensburg, NY 13669, USA or 1-402 O’Connor Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 1W3 Canada • Call toll free at 1 866 882 0088
Photo: Per Bifrost/imagebank.sweden.se
A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES
Swedish curriculum High School programmes
IB Diploma Programme and IB Career-related Programme
Business Management programme as bilingual Swedish/English
FLEXIBLE BOARDING
SSHL is a Swedish boarding school with an international outlook. We offer our students a unique blend of Swedish and international culture, academic excellence and first-rate student support. SSHL challenges and inspires students from over 45 countries. Our alternatives for boarding are:
Full Time Boarding - for students who can't easily return to their families on weekends
Traditional Boarding - travel home some weekends
Weekly Boarding - travel home every weekend
DISCOVER SSHL
Career-related Programme
At SSHL, we specialise in providing high quality education to students from around the world. We believe that committed teachers, a focus on the individual and a supportive learning environment all contribute to academic achievement. The school is located near Arlanda Airport, in a serene environment with abundant opportunities for recreational activities. Come visit, try boarding, or book a virtual tour. Welcome!
