Carola Häggkvist

Carola Maria Häggkvist ( born September 8, 1966 in Hägersten in Stockholm ), known by the stage name Carola, is considered one of the greatest pop singers and media personalities in Sweden. In Norway it is very popular.

It is not to be confused with its namesake Finnish Carola, who was also a famous singer in the 1960s and 1970s.

Career

It arrived in Sweden at first notoriety with the hit " Främling " ( foreigner ) in 1983, with whom she was third at the Euro Vision Song Contest. The English version of " Love Is not Love" reached # 68 on the Billboard charts in Germany. The album " Främling " is the biggest selling album in Sweden today. In 1986, she released the English-language album, " Runaway ", which was produced by Maurice Gibb.

In 1990 she was runner-up in the Swedish preliminary decision to Euro Vision Song Contest entitled " Mitt i ett äventyr ". A great international success she managed the victory at the Euro Vision Song Contest in 1991, where her song " Fångad av en stormvind " took first place. Another achievement in 1995 brought her a role in the musical The Sound of Music by she performed together with Tommy Körberg. In 1999, she released the Christmas album " July i Bethlehem ", which became the best-selling album of the year in Sweden and again goes every year at Christmas time in the charts. Even their Christmas tours are every year very successful. Published in 2003, Carol, on her twenty-year stage anniversary, the album was " Guld, platina och passion", the number 1 on the Swedish album charts.

Ahead of the Euro Vision Song Contest 2006 Carola made ​​by negative comments about homosexuals, talked about. Carola, who is regarded as devout Christian, attacked the influence of the " gay lobby " at the Song Contest and said in other interviews that homosexuality is " curable" is. Compared to a Swedish newspaper she said, among other things, "If someone prays sincerely enough, so can this be delivered from his homosexuality ." Since the Euro Vision Song Contest is very popular among homosexuals, the indignation was greater among fans about Carol's statement. It was called " Donna Summer the Euro Vision Song Contest". Carola himself always tried to press conferences during the Song Contest, to refute the allegations and argued that she had not made ​​that statement so. However, the rage among fans of the Euro Vision Song Contest remained untamed.

In 2006, she represented Sweden again the Euro Vision Song Contest with her song Invincible ( Swedish version " evighet "). In the Swedish National Team Trials she first won in the first round in Gothenburg and was allowed directly to the final on March 18 in Stockholm. It was traded in advance as a favorite and received over 437,000 telephone votes, or around 70,000 more than the runner-up. This enabled it to the finals before the group BWO and Andrew Johnson decide for themselves, even though the latter got the most points by the jury. On May 18, she came to Athens in the semi-finals in 4th place (214 points) and thus qualified for the final round. She won there on 20 May fifth place (170 points). With positions 3, 1 and 5, it is one of the most successful participants in the history of the Euro Vision Song Contest.

Also in May 2006, appeared in Scandinavia her album Från nu till evighet, which could be placed in Finland, Norway and Sweden in the charts. In Sweden, the CD had already reached two days after publication platinum status. In July 2006 Carol launched a major tour of Sweden and took a duet with Andrea Bocelli on the " Because we believe" means. In August 2006, she was chosen by the viewers of the popular TV show " Folk topping " the best singer in Sweden.

In February and March 2008 Carola took part in the Swedish melodic Festival again to represent with the aim of Sweden to the Euro Vision Song Contest in Belgrade. She sang in a duo with Andrew Johnson the title of "One Love". Although it was expected to direct qualification of the title for the Swedish finals, he could not prevail against the competition in the preliminary round and the second chance.

2013 she presented in the final of Melodifestivalen a new, modernized dance-pop version of " Främling " ( " Främling (30 år ) ) for the 30th anniversary of the title.

Carola began as a child singing. She took singing lessons and participated in many competitions. At the age of 11, she won a contest for children, a success they could repeat several years in a row. Following this, her numerous television appearances were made possible. At the time of the great breakthrough in 1983 she attended the music school " Adolf Fredrik " in Stockholm.

In Bible studies in Norway, she met the preacher Runar Søgaard 1987, whom she later married. From not long -lasting marriage comes from a son.