Birgitte Grimstad

Last updated

Birgitte Grimstad
Born (1935-12-15) 15 December 1935 (age 88)
Copenhagen, Denmark
NationalityDanish/Norwegian
Occupation(s)Singer, guitarist, composer and writer
Parent
Awards

Birgitte Grimstad (born 15 December 1935) is a Danish-born Norwegian singer, guitarist, composer and writer.

Contents

Personal life

Grimstad was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the daughter of Aksel Schiøtz and Gerd Haugsted. She was married to ambassador Per Øystein Grimstad from 1958 to 1988. [1]

Career

Grimstad studied theatre and mass media at the University of Minnesota, United States. [1] She moved to Norway in 1959, and produced television shows for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), including children's programs and shows with performers such as Alf Prøysen and Lalla Carlsen. [2]

She made her musical debut in 1966 with the single "Det første som jeg ønsker meg", with lyrics by Alf Prøysen, and "Å være barn en sommerdag" (lyrics by André Bjerke). [2] That same year, she issued the album Birgitte Grimstad synger viser. [1] Her first Danish album was Viser er så meget, released in 1968. [2] Her folk album Nordlysun (1972), in cooperation with Geirr Tveitt, earned her a Spellemannprisen. [1] Other albums from the 1970s are Viser i vinden (1972), Ej Blot til Børn (1973), Ord over grind (1977), and Songs of Scandinavia (1978). She published the songbooks Fra Birgitte Grimstads repertoar in 1969 and Menneskeviser in 1972. [1]

She took the initiative in establishing the song quartet Ballade!, which consisted of herself, Åse Kleveland, Lars Klevstrand, and Lillebjørn Nilsen. The group toured Denmark and Norway. Their concert album Ballade på turné, released in 1978, became very popular. The quartet's second album, Ekstranummer from 1980, was awarded a Spellemannprisen. [1] [3] Later in the 1980s she performed Bach's Geistliche Lieder and the medieval ballad Draumkvedet in churches in Denmark and Norway. [1] Her album Pas på de vilde fugle from 1983 included a Danish version of Prøysen's "Vise for gærne jinter", Nordahl Grieg's poem "Til Ungdommen" to Otto Mortensen melody, and a translation of the Elvis Presley hit "Love Me Tender". [2] Later albums are Wondering And Calling from 1986, and Love Is A Flow from 1996. [2]

She was awarded a Musikkritikerprisen in 1972, and a Prøysenprisen in 1999. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alf Prøysen</span> Norwegian singer-songwriter and author (1914–1970)

Alf Prøysen was a Norwegian author, poet, playwright, songwriter and musician. Prøysen was one of the most important Norwegian cultural personalities in the second half of the 20th century. He worked in several different media including books, newspapers and records. He also made significant contributions to music as well as to television and radio. He also wrote in the Arbeiderbladet from 1954 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Eggum</span> Norwegian singer-songwriter

Jan Eggum is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. He has been characterized as a "face for the melancholy", and the themes in his songs often revolve around broken hearts, loneliness, and sorrow. Sometimes, his lyrics include social criticism, but he also reveals trivial and funny sides of himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grethe Kausland</span> Norwegian singer, performer and actress

Grethe Kausland was a Norwegian singer, performer and actress. As a child star she was one of Norway's most popular singers, and she participated in several films as a child. She represented Norway in the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest, singing "Småting" with Benny Borg. From 1973 she performed regularly with the entertaining group Dizzie Tunes. Awarded "Spellemannprisen" 1978 for the album A Taste of Grethe Kausland, and "Leonardstatuetten" 1991 for her achievements on the revue scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otto Nielsen</span> Norwegian songwriter, revue writer, cabaret singer and radio personality

Otto Nielsen was a Norwegian songwriter, revue writer, cabaret singer and radio personality. He participated in Norwegian cultural life for five decades, starting from the 1930s, and played an important role behind the scene as program manager for the radio program series "Søndagsposten" for over twenty years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rune Larsen</span> Norwegian journalist, musician, and TV presenter

Rune Larsen is a Norwegian journalist, singer, musician, record producer and television presenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bokken Lasson</span> Norwegian singer

Caroline "Bokken" Lasson was a Norwegian concert and cabaret singer. She is known for starting the Oslo cabaret Chat Noir in 1912, and also for introducing the children's song "Tuppen og Lillemor" to the Norwegian public.

Einar Leonard Schanke was a Norwegian composer, pianist, revue writer, theatre director and theatrical producer. He wrote revues for the Edderkoppen Theatre, and later for Chat Noir, where he was also director from 1962 to 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kari Diesen</span> Norwegian singer and revue actress

Kari Diesen was a Norwegian singer and revue actress. She worked for the revue theatre Chat Noir from 1937 to 1953, and for the Edderkoppen Theatre from 1954 to 1959. She participated in 24 films between 1941 and 1985. Among her best known song recordings is her version of "Hovedøen".

Norsk pop & rock-leksikon is Norwegian biographical encyclopaedia covering the last 100 years of Norwegian music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kari Svendsen</span> Norwegian singer, banjo player, and revue artist

Kari Svendsen is a Norwegian singer, banjo player and revue artist. She was born in Oslo, and has been married to singer-songwriter Lillebjørn Nilsen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingrid Bjørnov</span> Norwegian musician

Ingrid Bjørnov is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, keyboard player, composer and text writer. Her debut album Første Akt from 1980 with the duo Dollie was awarded Spellemannprisen, and the duo represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984. She spent seven years with the musical Which Witch, which premiered in 1987. Among her later musicals is Markus og Julie from 2007, with text by Klaus Hagerup, staged at Trøndelag Teater. Among her books are Ingrid Bjørnovs pianobok from 2005 and Lakse-enka – nødskrik fra en tørrflue from 2007. She was awarded the Leonard Statuette in 2013.

Dollie de Luxe were a Norwegian pop duo consisting of Benedicte Adrian and Ingrid Bjørnov. Their debut album Første Akt from 1980 was awarded Spellemannprisen. They represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984 with the song "Lenge leve livet".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lars Klevstrand</span> Norwegian singer, guitarist, composer and actor

Lars Klevstrand is a Norwegian singer, guitarist, composer and actor. He was born in Drammen, Buskerud, the son of Olav Klevstrand and Grethe Sofie Larsen, and was brought up in Bærum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alf Cranner</span> Norwegian folk singer (1936–2020)

Alf Cranner was a major Norwegian folk singer, lyricist and painter, considered by many to be the pioneer of the Norwegian folk music wave of the 1960s. The citation for the award of Evert Taube Memorial Fund Grant 1994, to Cranner states: «Det är motiverat att anse honom som sin tids fader för den norska viskonsten». He is known for several popular folk music interpretations and beautiful folk tunes, including these: Å, den som var en løvetann with lyrics by another great Norwegian folk singer and lyricist Alf Prøysen (1914–1970), Bare skrap and Den skamløse gamle damen with lyrics by Klaus Hagerup and Sjømannsvise with the text of Harald Sverdrup. Among Cranner folk songs with his own lyrics is Båt til lyst and Hambo i fellesferien two of the best known. The folk song Din tanke er fri, is Cranner translation of the German Die Gedanken sind frei.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steinar Ofsdal</span> Musical artist

Steinar Ofsdal is a Norwegian composer and flutist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terje Tysland</span>

Terje Tysland is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, guitarist and accordion player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Lise Gjøstøl</span> Norwegian singer, actress and visual artist

Anne Lise Gjøstøl is a Norwegian singer, actress and visual artist. She was born in Oslo. She made her record debut in 1965 with the single "Nå er karnevalet over", and album debut in 1971 with Ta min drøm. She was awarded the Spellemannprisen in 1975. During the 1970s she participated in the song contest Melodi Grand Prix six times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirsten Langbo</span> Norwegian childrens writer (1909–1996)

Kirsten Langbo was a Norwegian children's writer, singer-songwriter and entertainer.

Petter Henriksen is a Norwegian musician and publisher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bård Ose</span> Norwegian music journalist and author

Bård Ose is a Norwegian music journalist and author.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Larsen, Svend Erik Løken. "Birgitte Grimstad". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Eggum; Ose; Steen, eds. (2005). "Grimstad, Birgitte". Norsk pop & rock-leksikon (in Norwegian). Vega Forlag. pp. 212–213.
  3. Eggum; Ose; Steen, eds. (2005). "Ballade!". Norsk pop & rock-leksikon (in Norwegian). Vega Forlag. pp. 39–40.