Love, life and laughter

Three friends, a Friday evening and a beautiful apartment in the trendiest part of Gothenburg. We ate, we drank, laughed and almost cried. One's enjoying married life, one's going through a divorce and one is waiting for a proposal. So many life destinies to discuss, dreams to share and opinions to express. In between that we managed to sow a business idea, but more importantly take a deep flashback trip to 90s R'n'B! I was so inspired I spent Saturday morning making a new playlist on Spotify. This smooth TLC song has been on repeat quite a few times today, can't believe I haven't listened to it for 15 years!

The power of modern media

I'm sure almost every Swede on Facebook saw a link to a video of three girls singing Robyn's Call Your Girlfriend, using only empty margarine cartons as 'instruments'. This link started spreading sometime late last week, Thursday perhaps.

By Friday, I had about four different Fb friends linking it, the Guardian (that is the UK Guardian!) featured them and today the group, known as Erato, performed on one of Stockholm's radio morning shows (this time using empty cottage cheese "Keso" containers).

Not only am I impressed by their talent and innovation (dare I admit I prefer their version to the original?), I'm so inspired by how quickly a video of three girls can spread from a kitchen in Sweden to West Africa and the rest of the world!

Nothing compares

Do you know this person?

(Picture borrowed from people.com)

I didn't think I did either, until I read on People that this is Sinead O'Connor. That's right, Sinead O'Connor, whose song Nothing Compares 2U still gets played all over the world, whose lyrics most of us still remember, word for word, THAT Sinead O'Connor.

(Picture borrowed from the Daily Mail)

I remember a couple of weeks ago reading about fans booing her off stage, feeling they had been cheated because the woman they saw in front of them was clearly not the Sinead O'Connor. Well, it seems it was!

My first thought when I saw the photo was, gosh, she really looks different, what happened? Then, I happened to read some of the comments on People's article and it was clear that most people were shocked by her weight gain. Funnily, that was the last thing I had thought of. To me, the shock in her changed appearance has more to do with the fact that she previously seemed to be a rebellious figure, her shaven head alone made her look it. But now...that hair? That outfit??? Now she looks so...ordinary. Like... an average 40-something mother of 2 or more.

I am not judging her for changing, it's been over two decades, we've all changed since then. I just thought I'd let you know what she looks like today, in case you happen to bump into her some day! (And I felt it would be nice to think of something other than the riots.

Music, sweet music.

I'm going through what I can only describe as a music revolution. After years of not really finding time to listen to music (which I love so much!), I am making time for music in my life. Somehow, I've managed to squeeze it in to everything I do at the moment: upbeat music for walks and the gym, r 'n' b and quiet soul just before bedtime, but most exciting: world music and old school soul for when I'm working.

See, it has to be something mellow enough for me to still concentrate on work, yet keeping me in a good enough mood to continue working. So many songs are being rediscovered, songs I haven't listened to in years, even a decade or two (I know, I'm showing my age)!

From the World Music scene, I am falling back in love with Salif Keita's Moffou album, especially Here. And just as I can enjoy that song, despite not understanding the lyrics, I believe non-Swedish speakers can enjoy Marie Fredrikssons Ännu Doftar Kärlek, Eva Dahlgrens Vem Tänder stjärnorna or another Eva Dahlgren favourite, Ängeln i rummet

Magic!