'Laik dæt' - About my choice of song 
×
News Concerts Music Video Shop Lyrics Photo Gallery Art Gallery Socialize Biography Info Central TRIO Hver gang vi møtes

'Laik dæt' - About my choice of song
Hver gang vi møtes / 20 Jan 2016
When Ravi was the guest of honor in Norwegian TV-show 'Hver gang vi møtes' very first episode this season (aired Jan. 9th 2016), I had chosen to sing and play a song called 'Laik dæt'. Ravi is known for plenty of skills, but he's also consequently presented the Norwegian language written in a manner that brings him into the curriculum of Norwegian schools. His 'trick' is to write both Norwegian and English foneticly - he writes the words as they sound when spoken. He's a man of language and lyrics, and he has the habit of adding subtitles to his music videoes (foneticly true to his written lyrics, not as a translation to what he sings). For this I smilingly call him a smartass, and for being such an intelligent and well knowledged human being. In addition, he has an unnerving ability to compose small hooklines and melodies that you can't seem to get out of your head once it's there.

In the song 'Laik Dæt', Ravi has sampled and programmed bits of an old tune sung by legendary Karin Krog (with her permission), which was written by John Surman. At first I thought it odd to mix a jazz chorus in English with a Norwegian rap with Ravi's peculiar, rytmical phrasing. I could relate to Karin's melody, but not to the lyrics, and I could relate to Ravi's words, but not his rhythm. I spent some time in a small sailboat this summer, and I remember how windy it was out in the ocean outside of Halden, with huge waves and the calamity of the boat engine. I was sitting below deck, trying to figure out how to arrange this strange song, and somehow make it 'mine'. I do have to connect to the music to be able to cover a song, and I never do anything musicly just because someone else want me to. I struggled, and I let it rest, and the engine made too much noise anyway.

Unni Wilhelmsen fikk sekser i VG for Laik dæt i Hver gang vi møtesFor the first time in my life, I woke up later that week, and I had dreamt how to play and sing the song! never happened before. I remembered exactly how I dreamt it, and I picked up my small, G-sharp guitar designed by Fredrikstad's Øivin Fjeld, and the first two chords I played was exactly what I needed. I had to rearrange and cut a word here and there, but not much. I altered the chorus to make sence to my logic and emotions, and voila - there it was! Unbeknownst to me, Ravi wrote and released this song way before his daughter Else, was born. To me, this was clearly a raffined, wize and heartfelt lullaby to her. But during the TV episode with Ravi, he told us that the song is older than his fatherhood, and was I a bit embarassed by that information. But maybe this now, this song is a song for Else? It is to me.

It turns out the song Karin Krog originally sang, has a long and interesting history, until now this recent developement I've contributed to. Read Tore Johansen's story about this song on Facebook

It's far from every day I get a positive surprize 'like that' from Norwegian newspapers. The Saturday the first episode was aired, I was playing a private event while my friends and family watched my version of 'Laik Dæt' on TV. I came down from stage after my performance, and someone in the audience handed me a mobile with this review displayed... :D I was off to a good start!

You can find the lyrics HERE, and read everything about the show HERE


 
<< ALL >>
Top
 
        

Unni Wilhelmsen © 1996 - 2024