The Senegalese artist Youssou N’Dour and Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho did this tuesday (27/8) received the 2013 Polar Music Prize from His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at a gala ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall.
The Award of one million Swedish kronor ($145 000) each was handed over by the King together with specially made paintings by Swedish artist Jens Fänge. Citations were read by Swedish football player Henrik Larsson and Finnish mezzo soprano Lilli Paasikivi.
Among the artists who celebrated the Laureates were Neneh Cherry and Carlou D who performed Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry’s 1994 hit “7 Seconds”. Swedish soprano Hanna Husáhr performed two pieces by Kaija Saariaho together with The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1991 by the late Stig “Stikkan” Anderson, the musical entrepreneur and manager behind ABBA. The Prize is awarded to two individuals, groups or institutions in recognition of exceptional achievements in the creation and advancement of music. “Our dad liked to say, ‘Music has no boundaries, it touches, influences and changes the world’”, says Marie Ledin, daughter of Stig Anderson and Managing Director of the Polar Music Prize.
Here is a video from the
event:
The celebration continues during the evening with a banquet at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm with celebrity guests such as the Swedish Royal Family, ministers of the Swedish Government, legendary U.S. music entrepreneur Seymour Stein, Polar Music Prize Laureate of 2006 John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Nobel Prize Laureate in Economic Sciences in 1990 William F. Sharpe, Bianca Jagger of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation and many more from the arts, music and cultural industries. This banquet was the place where I did the work, hidding in the shadows of fame.
"The Polar Music Prize 2013 is awarded to Youssou N’Dour from Senegal. A West African griot is not just a singer, but a story teller, poet, singer of praise, entertainer and verbal historian. Youssou N’Dour is maintaining the griot tradition and has shown that it can also be changed into a narrative about the entire world. With his exceptionally exuberant band Super Étoile de Dakar (Dakar Star) and his musically ground breaking and political solo albums, Youssou N’Dour has worked to reduce animosities between his own religion, Islam, and other religions. His voice encompasses an entire continent's history and future, blood and love, dreams and power."
Todays tune "7 Seconds" is a song composed by Youssou N'Dour,
Neneh Cherry, Cameron McVey and Jonathan Sharp, released in 1994 as a single performed by Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry.
The song also appeared on N'Dour's album The Guide (Wommat), released shortly after the single. In 1996, it was included on Neneh Cherry's album Man.
The song was featured in the 1998 movie Northern Skirts and 2005 Uwe Boll-directed movie Alone in the Dark. "7 Seconds" was also performed at Live 8 by Dido and Youssou N'Dour
More info @
Official
Youssou N’Dour Web
Official
Polar Music Prize Web
Listen to ”
Youssou N’Dour -
7 Seconds" on Spotify
here!
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