About Christina Andersson

Christina Andersson is not just a singer or a friend for me, but a relative – like a sister ... "
B. Okudjava

The amazing actress and singer lives in Stockholm, whose main repertoire for more than twenty years are the songs of B.Okudjava. It was her who opened for her fellows the Russian master. Dozens of songs of B.Okudjava, translated into Swedish, lots of times were performed by her in concert halls, radio, recorded on discs.

Her creative path Christina has began as a dramatic actress in a small theatre of northern Sweden. She then moved to the capital, to the Royal dramatic theatre, where the director noticed and found in Christina not only a dramatic a musical talent as well.

To improve her vocal mastery she was advised to go to the International Theatre centre in Austria, where various actor specialties were taught, including opera. The vocal teacher was a polish actor Alexander Bardini (1913-1995). It was very difficult to become his student. Bardini organised a contest to select the best students. Among the participants was a singer maybe from Bulgaria, maybe from Rumania. He sang a strange song on the unknown for Christina language. This song transformed the soul of Christina, although she could not understand what it was about.

The next day Alexander Bardini came to Christina and asked kindly: “May I work with you?” She was so shocked that she only murmured:” Yes, if you want…”

On the very first lesson she asked her teacher what was the song that she heard previously about.

“It’s a brilliant poet, sing” said Bardini and gave her the lyrics of Bulat Okudjava in Russian and Polish languages.

The voice of Bulat for the first time Christina heard in 1977, in the House of the Swedish writer Hans Bierkegren. The execution of songs which Christina has already loved has made upon her such an impression, that coming back home after that across night Stockholm, she cried from pleasure. How to explain those tears of happiness while she couldn’t understand a single word? Why she became “ill” from these songs before learning the Russian? When she came back from Austria, she went immediately to the director of the firm “Caprice” and stated that she would be pleased if the songs on not only lyrics of Bertold Brecht were recorded, but those of Bulat Okudjava as well. The director was quite shocked from this statement but somehow agreed to listen to the songs of unknown for him Bulat Okudjava for whom Christina was crazy. When they heard them they didn’t understand anything. But Christina was really determined, that she was suggested in a short period of time to translate the songs into Swedish, and then to include some of them to her first album. Christina is still wondering why they listened to her, a young, not yet known singer.

The work was very difficult and tiring. How to translate into Swedish all the pain and distress of the Russian poet? Like this in the team appeared the writer Hans Bierkegren who knew Bulat Okudjava very well and admired him. They worked with full commitment. Finally the first album of Christina Andersson came out. It contained 16 songs. 4 of them were created on lyrics of Bertold Brecht. The other 12 were the songs of Bulat Okudjava! It was in the year 1978. The album had a great success.

Newspapers wrote:

“The singer and actress Christina Andersson exclusively convincingly interprets the songs of Okudjava. Her beautiful voice varies depending on texts - from political satire up to lyrical songs. Yes, she is simply wonderful.”

The success of the first album has inspired Christina. It has appeared that the songs of Bulat are very clear and close to Swedish people. Christina with enthusiasm worked for new songs of Okudjava. The team of translators joins one of the largest Swedish poets Lars Forsel. Now they even work harder on each word so that it is possible to give more precisely for a Swedish listener the message of the sense and the mood of a song.

The Great singer Elena Kamburova (definition of Bulat Okudjava), for a long time with the big fancy concerning Christina Anderson, has given her for the record of this album amazing musicians from the theatre: guitarist Vyacheslav Golikov and pianist Dmitry Maltsev.

Earlier, coming to Russia with concerts, Christina used to bring with her the guitarist from Sweden. But Christina liked Slava and Dmitry so much, that now she sings only with them not only in Russia, but also in Sweden.

The writer Lev Shilov:

“Christina Andersson has gone on a difficult way. Like Kamburova she creates scenically bright theatrical show, but on the other hand, we feel presence of the author in her respect, in her delight of the song, in each movement, by each intonation she admires the song. For her as well as for other popular singers is quite important the way SHE looks, the way SHE sings and does everything but above all, her soul is inside these songs, they’re her life. As if Christina tells: “Look, what a brilliant song, the artist who has created it.”

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