Christmas Hysteria

When I was a little girl, I remember kinda liking Christmas. The smell of oranges and carnations, a warm feeling of love and tenderness as the candles were lit inside and my mum was preparing all the yummy food. Outside, the wind was blowing and snow would fall creating the light we all need in this dark place of the earth.

There was always a lot of music and singing songs in different harmonies together.

We never bought christmas gifts. We made them ourselves. I spent the whole year preparing my gifts, knitting, painting, sawing, creating things at school and home to give at christmas. Something I had worked with, figured out by my own imagination, with my own hands, it is a gift that is much more fun to receive, than something someone just bought.

The only thing I bought was a christmas tree. My parents did not like it so they did not wanna buy it..... I guess it was the idea of bringing in a tree to die for no real reason.

So, we had to go and buy our tree ourselves, me and my sister, hand in hand. Struggling to drag it home in the snow, placing it somewhere inside, not to make too much of a mess and then decorating it with the glitter and red and golds.

As I grew older, the christmas tree thing just faded.

I much more preferred to sit round the table, playing games and enjoying the company of others. I must confess, I have not bought a christmas tree since I was 12. And Im perfectly fine without it. I might put some nice lights in my palm tree in the living room this year, but, that´s it.

If I had something, like a gift from my grand parents that they used to have for christmas, I would have brought it into the light for christmas...but I have none.

I will spend my christmas with my grand mother at her home for the elderly, along with my mother and her husband. They spend a lot of time visiting her, taking care of her, and it is such a wonderful thing to watch my mother, her caring for her mother and taking care of her like grandma used to do with my mother when she was a child. Life moves in Circles. Way to many elderly are just being left alone to die. Relatives just don´t have time the often say. I think it´s bullshit. The reality is that they are scared. Scared to face the reality that we are all getting old and ending up like them somehow.

We will most likely be one of very few relatives who spend time there. Too many families are occupied in their homes, preparing, buying, stressing their hearts out to have the food ready in time and not really being able to enjoy the peace of the holiday because of the guilt of not being with their parents or grand parents who are not able to move from their service homes or hospitals.

Why don´t everybody move their holiday celebrations to where they are?? If you can´t move the mountain you will move yourself to it, right?? The respect to our elderly....where did it go?

I´m looking forward to this christmas, as most of my holidays, I´ve spend with my grandmother. I will be wherever she is....Grand ma Rules!:) ....love to you all and happy holidays!

Dancing keeps me sane

Fall is finally here in Sweden. Outside my window the orange gold leafs are fallling. Is that why they call it fall??? Mother Nature is slowing down, to fall asleep for a while until springtime comes around. There is something relaxing with fall, yet sentimental. Me..I love sunshine and light, salt water and sandy beaches. Something tells me I´m in the wrong place right now:):

There is this love hate thing going on with me and my native country....I love clean air and having the luxury of bathing in drinking water. I guess there´s not many places left on this planet where you can actually do that. But then on the other hand...Swedes are not known for their openness. ( unless you´ve had a few drinks) Actually..that is what is going on in peoples minds....IF someone talk a little too much, being just a little TOO happy, over the top friendly. people can actually accuse you for being drunk.......The country of superstitions.. Anyway..I was born here..I have most of my family here and many of my good friends..... and that is reason enough in life for sticking around........for a while......and..meantime .......I dance to Earth Wind and Fire to keep all thoughts away.....

The Divorce

Finally the papers have been signed, sealed and delivered. Now it is official....I have divorced my major record label.

For me (and for a zillion other fellow artists, both of great international impact such as George Michael, Prince ( who´s record-company separations have been followed in press all over..) and others not as internationally well known.....the collaboration with a record company is as private as it can get...in the sense that the music that is being written and recorded is a part of the artist heart and soul. We give away a piece of ourselves in our words and music. It is almost like our music become our kids......and when they are being miss treated for various reasons , not respected and simply being left to chance, the feeling is......well you can imagine.....It is not very pleasant ...

So the artist will put the blame on the record company for their lack of focus, structure and interest, and the label with blame the artist for all kinds of weird stuff that makes you wonder why they signed you in the first place....

At the end of the day you will find the two parties throwing dirt at each-other and it will always end up with the fact that the artist is the ultimate looser, because he or she is the one who poured the heart out. A major label does not honestly care . there´s very little feeling and almost all about the money. Heard that one before right???

But then time flies,...... you somehow get over it it......

Life is short and there are more things to be done than to live with the passed.

So, respectfully accepting, and moving on....

I am totally happy for my divorce and were on speaking terms.

So now, with the new start .....I have now released the album on my own label, and feel free to buy a song or two at http://www.klicktrack.com/klicktrack/search?q=meja or check i-tunes or www.meja.net.

Peace and lot´s of love and all that jazz!!! now back to work :)

Thank You Japan!!!

Time flies again....been a great couple of months though...I was rehearsing with my band in Stockholm for a week before going back to Japan. It´s been a while......a long while...rather....something like 9 years. I was both scared and amused to to this tour. I mean..what can you expect?? When something has been so grand, as it has been in Japan for me, my major market in the world and all my wonderful fans over there.....that has been folowing me since the start back in 1996. Since we all know that time flies, and things constantly change...what could I expect really? Kinda scared to maybe face the reality that there is no one out there such long time after the hits...How crazy are you and all about the money in 1999. One can not take anything for granted. So yes, I was really looking forward to the tour, and at the same time battling the thoughts in my head. They are often the worse....."how can you think anyone will come and see you today?? to much time has passed, the world has forgotten about you" bla bla bla....my bass player says I am my worse enemy. He is so right. I would be so much better off without these stupid thoughts that pop up.

So, with these mixed emotions we leave for Japan. Landing in Tokyo on a tuesday. I can´t remember I was that jet lagged before.....we all went out and had a bite to eat in the afternoon, and I felt like I was on a rocking boat. The evening followed with a Sony Music dinner and my former japanese tour manager took us out in the late Tokyo night, to a funky rock bar where we sort of forgot that we were both tired and jetlagged.

It felt just like in the good old days. The following day we went to the venue, Billboard Live in Tokyo. It was a chic night club feel with great sound and the people working there were fantastic. So, the following 4 shows we did there were all fantastic. To my big surprise, there were so many people coming out to see the show, both new and old fans. So many people dancing, clapping, enjoying listening....... I had a blast and for the first time in a long time felt life was wonderful. I would give and receive back...and I was at the right place in the right time.

I was also touched by the fact that reality was the contrary of what my mind had created... My japanese fans had not forgotten about me......It was the complete opposite.....As an artist.that is the most valuable thing on earth. I mean, an artist without an audience is the loneliest creature on the face of the earth. So, thank you, all my lovely Japanese fans.....You Rock!!!

I believe in the GOOD!!

A while ago I was in LA, shopping ( eeehhhhhh...) at the Beverly Center. On my way out of the mall, I´m speaking on the phone, heading for the car, putting my bag on the roof and happily driving away. I hear a weird bump, but thinking..what the h..... Not thinking further until it´s time to pay the parking ticket. No, wallet, no BAG!!!! Smart...... so...I rush up to the 2nd floor, seeing only traces of things that used to be IN my bag....a broken lipstick, a broken pencil.....You get the picture?? I´m heart broken...never mind the wallet...money as we all know, is replacable......but my diary..my camera with all the nice shots....aaaarrrrggghhhhhh.

Thank God I had the house keys in my Lucky Jeans pocket. Driving home like a maniac, calling the bank, Amex, all that stuff. Heading down to the Police station. That was an adventure in itself. Waited 3 hours for my turn, and that time was better than going to the movies. All the drama...all our different stories and lives we live....It was very interesting. Anyway, I get my police report and drive home. Starting from scratch.....until the phone rings a week later. " Hi!, my name is Christina, I have found your bag at the Beverly Center. I have it with me now and nothing seems to have been taken from there......"

Can you believe that?? in LA?? I was totally amazed....

We met, she gave me the bag, I wanted to give her something to show my appreciation .

Christina just refused......so....I gave her one of my CD´s and drove off.....

Happy...very Happy!!

with Ebbot at Särö by the Sea , Sweden

For the second year I went up to see my friend Ebbot at Särö. Him and his wonderful friends creating a really chilled out vibe, making music totally free and alive. Last year was a blast, with Olle Ljungström, my dear brother, and this year was no less.

I did, fo rthe first time in my life, a Janis Joplin tune. Get it while you can. It was a total pleasure screaming my ass off. Thank you guys for a lovely evening/night/morning

Long live Southern Comfort!! and Long live the Music!!

CLIMBING THE JAPANESE BILLBOARD CHART

The album was released on july 21st, and now the fun starts. Yesterday the album went in on #19 on the Japanese Billboard Chart for International Artists. That is a very good start. I´m happy for this....along with all of us who has worked on this album for a while.......Sony Japan Rocks......

ART AT TAXINGE CASTLE

So, the vernissage on saturday was all good fun. Rumors say over 400 people came by to watch and buy the first 2 days.....What is wonderful aswell, are all nice people I meet on these events and all inspirational discussions we get in to..Also, I wanted, and had thought of bringing my guitar player so we could sing some songs aswell, but there was a time limit......I was struggeling to get the paintings ready and on a few the colour had just dried on delivery:):) But next time........The Taxinge Castle, by the water, is a magnificent place worth visiting. The nature of Sweden is defenitely the worlds Top 5.
So, now that mission is completed......the exhibitions is there til this friday 23rd. Now...over to something completely different......The release of the AniMeja Ghibli Songs Album......

AniMeja CD Artwork

AniMeja- songs from the animated world of Ghibli

After a few months work..finally the new album for the Japanese market is ready. I just got a DHL with the first copies....It´s like this.... I was asked ( by my record company in Japan, Sony Music) to do a covers album with a selection of movie themes from the famous Ghibli Productions Family. For anyone who yet do not know of Ghibli, and their animated masterpieces, check it out! They are movies made for both children and grown up children....like me.
I love the style of animation they use, and the message in each movie. There always seem to be an underlying message or thought that is on a deeper level than " just another cartoon". And it is not much of the prince looking for the princess in a tower- kinda thing. Official release date is July 21, It will be good fun coming back to Japan!!

And.....you can trust I was nervous yesterday before my premiere of Stockholm Jazz Festival. Really.....The human psyche is a tricky thing. Now...I have been performing for a few years now, and still.....butterflies all over the place. When will I ever learn. I wonder if it has got to do with me being very hard on myself...so In my head everything HAS to be PERFECT, and if it isn´t.....I suck. But....nothing can be perfect.... there is no such thing...and....IF there were....Perfect is booring.... One reason of extra nervousness might be that everything was new to me. The band, the sound, the fantastic arrangements and being listened to by a Jazz audience.......We never had time for a sound check..so the vocals were pretty much all over the place, like singing in a room of with cotton walls......My critical me was hard on myself, as my more liberal loving me was totally happy and jazzed up. And after the gig I found out it was all broadcasted live on National Swedish Radio. Maaaan....I´m happy I did not know that before the gig...then I would have climbed the walls.):):):):):):):) Anyway...all I can say is that I had a blast, that´s what it all comes down to. The judging voices in my head can take a break, and I really wish I get to do more of these kind of gigs!!! Thank you Håkan Broström!!!!

Jazzing at Fashing

So, for the first time I did a show with wonderful big band jazz musicians, Håkan Broströms New Places Orchestra, at this little club in Stockholm called Fashing. It´s one of the oldest and highly respected jazz clubs in town. Accompanied by one of the worlds greatest guitar player Ulf Wakenius (member of Oscar Peterson Quartet) and my old friend Jennifer Brown. We had a blast..... This is a slightly new twist for me, still I did the Mellow album with a touch of Bossa Nova and Jazz, but this was something totally different. I had such a great time. Wish you could have been there with me. I got arrangements for Beautiful Girl and How Crazy are you, songs I have not been singing in many many years, along with the beautiful Carol King cover "Natural Woman". I will perform at the Stockholm Jazz Festival this year aswell, with the same wonderful Band, on June 10th. Bringing in a bit of Jazz in my life can only be a good thing. I realize there is something I have lost along the way. Most people know me as a pure pop singer, but, when I started my career I sang in various constellations of bands singing only soul and jazz/blues tunes. Always doing a " Georiga on my Mind" or a " God Bless the Child" when I didn´t get into the Little Milton groove or singing Signed Sealed Delivered by the god himself, Stevie Wonder. So...if feels like i´m on to something, or rather, returning to something I have missed. Singing the jazz....blues....soul...from another place in my heart. This is the magic with music. It brings me to explore new sides of myself constantly. For this I am forever thankful.

On adjusting to Nature

I can´t help but think that all that has been happening the passed week is good for us in the long run. We have been so incredible spoilt in our western society, and we do take so many things for granted every day. In some ways we are getting more and more lazy as we speak. When the elevator breaks down or electricity is being cut for a while, we get to think. What are our solutions ? Do we stop and realize how vulnerable we have made ourselves deliberately? Is that a smart move or a very stupid one? Yet a major crisis has not occurred. All we complain of is that we can not fly zig-zag across the planet. That is not a real problem. There are other issues far more terrifying. So, I see this week as a " great, let´s re value and change our patterns for a while, let´s use our creativity and find solutions" And..let´s hope Katla stays cool calm and collected :)

room with a view

THE VIEW FROM MY STUDIO WHERE I AM PAINTING SINCE A MONTH BACK IS FANTASTIC. I SEE NOTHING BUT THE OCEAN. SUNSET AND THE SMALL ISLAND JUST OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE. I REALIZE THIS IS PURE LUXURY. TO BE ABLE TO BREATHE THIS AIR. WATCH NATURE AND RECHARGE MY BATTERIES. THE PAINTINGS ARE SLOWLY COMING TOGETHER AND ILL BE WORKING ON THEM TIL THE END OF THIS MONTH.....THEN ITS TIME FOR THE MUSIC AGAIN......WILL POST SOME PICS FOR YOU LATER.... OH...AND HAPPY EASTER BY THE WAY.....

a room with a view

THIS IS THE VIEW FROM MY STUDIO WHERE I HAVE BEEN PAINTING THE PASSED MONTH. LOVELY EH?? PURE LUXURY

Sunday Morning Thoughts

I have just ordered the movie "The Cove". I can´t wait to see it, and I am sure it will be a sight for sore eyes. Most of you already know by now that I have always had a love for dolphins and the water world. It started as a little girl. I called them "Fälldiner", a cloning of words as dolphis in swedish are Delfiner, and at the time we had a primeminister named "Fälldin". I must have been 7 or so. A few years later my family and I went on a sailing cruise down to Portugal. It was an old beautidul ship called "Tironga". As we left the harbour of Gothenburg, and got out a little further, dozens of bottlenose dolphins came to play by the boat. They are facinating creatures, and the ocean is a fascinating place. Just think about it. There´s a huge world down there that we, even today with all our technical equipment, don´t know anything about. There are aminals down there we have never seen. A grand percentage of the bottom of the ocean is not explored, We can´t find technology to get us down ther...but what we CAN do, it to use it as a trashcan. Since it will always look as beautiful on the surface, the waves that come and go and the shimmer om the water as the sun sets...you know.....but underneath....How does it look? Why are we so stupid that we dump our shit in the ocean and pretend nothing is going to happen, and that it will never come up to the surface?? Of course it will, It has no other place to go.
Us, human beings clame to be on top of the food chain. Unfortunately some of us think that we are smarter than the rest of the living mammals on this planet aswell.
I find evidence every single day in the morning paper, that shows that such is not the case.
We put ourselves on the side of everything else that is happening in the world. Like we are totally separated from it.
When shall we wake up to the fact that we are living in interaction with earth, with the air we breathe, water we drink, earth that gives us food we grow and so on and so on. Earth is a smart and well designed creation down to every little seed.
It is trying to work in it´s perfection, and will do so in the future , if we don´t come and fuck it up. We have already made an impressive mess.
There are so many dumb things we humiliate us with on a daily basis , we just don´t se it. Yet.... Manipulating nature and animals to reach a higher profit. Here we go, It´s all about the money....and we are STUPID enough NOT to put an end to it.
Yesterday I read in the morning paper of a new, kontroversial way of breeding cheep. The ewe will get hormone treatments so that she can give birth 3 times a year instead of once.
The lamb will grow up to get killed and never see daylight. So, here we go, Human beings acting God, trying to change the laws of nature once again. It´s perverted.
The second thing is...This hormone they give, a synthetic version of progresteron called Chronogest...probably stays in the meat of the animal. And then YOU who will eat this will get it in your system. So..if your a man, discovering you just got boobs..you now know why :):):)

Mr Sailor-man

Took a walk in the fab spring weather, in-between the painting sessions.

Now..I just quite a bit of paint, so I get a little dizzy and start seeing thing....but tell me, Can you see him??? .

He just stood there, looking like an old sailor with a friendly face. Tomorrow he has faded in the sun......that´s your faith when your a snowman in spring.

The ASTRODOGS are born

I have been working on this other side kick of mine a few years now. It´s a company I started called Astrodogs. My friend Tanja who has a company, DogArtist, asked me to design dog collars. It sounded like fun, I went home thinking and then all sorts of strange ideas popped up. The toughts of IF astrology really is applicable on dogs? regardless of breed? God knows, but the more I thought of it the more fun it got, so I contacted a friend of mine who is an astrologer, and she helped me out writing this first product...a Dogoscope!! The book is just being translated into english, so for now it´s for you swedish reading folks....

I´m continuing with the Astrodogs, and we are having wild plans for the future. Not only dog stuff, but also products for kids. Since I am extremely childish along with the illustrations:)

Jonas Rahm is the genius behind the pictures. I just love them.

We will also make sure that x amount of sales goes to our Astrodog Foundation to support different programs and project supporting the dog (animal)-human connection. There are a zillion good project on how to make this world we live in more loving (I was just about to write human...but I have strong doubts about the being human part....is it really a good thing?? Look at what we manage to create to the world and to it´s inhabitants?? We can do better)

In sweden we have something called " dog on receipt" so you can actually instead of taking pills, get help from having a dog with you to cheer up your world. Also all the nice projects where you bring dogs to the home for the elderly, also in re-habilitation in prisons etc etc.

Not to mention, as we are not only focusing on the dogs..there are also so many necessary organizations acting for the good of children. So there´s lot´s to do! We are setting up the web site www.astrodog.se and www.astrodogs.com if you wanna follow the development of this endless project:) Much lov eto you all, now I´m heading to the studio for some painting:):):)

Peace Out!!!

tuesday thoughs

Just came back to the south of Sweden, after weeks in Stockholm. it´s hard to describe what happens to me when I come back here....but it sort of feels like "landing". It is so peaceful and quiet, except that I might hear 2 cars a day passing by. Snow is just disappearing and small flowers will fight to reach out and up towards the sun. Yesterday I had the first feeling of spring, like I had when I was young. You know the day when you can put on your sneakers instead of heavy snow boots. I am looking for flowers in my garden but it is a bit to early, or is it that spring is late? Snowstorm in Barcelona and mother nature has turned us all upside down. Global warming or not - something is happening.

Here, in this sleepy village, I am left to myself. Here I have to seek what it is I have within that urges to come out. Sometimes it is scary, when your facing a white piece of paper, or a white canvas and I just don´t know where to start. Or don´t know if anything will come out at all. Sometimes it is scary. To be creative can be seen as a gift, by many, but also a curse, and the different wars that go on within. Those you can never see on the outside. My acting teacher in LA gave me a book called " The war of art" I can highly recommend it. Actually, I should go ready some pages right now........

Go Red like the Rose

I am doing a collaboration with the Swedish Organizations 1,6 and 2,6 Millions Club especially for the International Womans Day on march 8. Their main purpose is to shine a light on womens health and well-being. They were founded by Alexandra Charles, a woman with great heart, and it is an honor for me to donate my song "Roses in December" to their members. And while i´m at it.... with you as-well. The song will be available on www.meja.net for free until spring arrives .):) Their campaign says "Go Red" and I thought, as Roses are not always red, but this rose in particular was red. I am referring to THE rose that made me write the song. I came home to my quiet medieval fishing village the last day of november, after been traveling the world working with the album. I was, as happens, heart broken and had the feeling I was to be big time dumped. I came home to this quiet place, where silence almost hurts. The snow covered every part of the earth, as I walked out to the back yard to see this one rose refusing to die. It was so beautiful, and the least I´d expected to see. 

A rose in december, because it passed midnight before I had the song written:)

Just found a few pics from one of the shows in Mumbai. As you can see, it was a very laid back show, sitting down singing in peace and quiet kind of:):) We played at the Center of Performing Arts in Mumbai in December, my musicians, Andreas Unge, Johan Carlberg and Niklas Gabrielsson and me. It was a small concert hall with an extra ordinary air- conditioning system. It worked so well we had to ask them to turn it off...:) We all loved Mumbai and hope to come back there sometime soon for more shows.

Recap of Summer

I´m at home, for once...sitting writing in peace n quiet. I got here today, and normally it takes a week to unwind, letting my spirit land in my body, as the Native American Indians would say. "sit down and await your spirit". So, now I am here, waiting....

I have been asked to write a kind of an admiration letter to my dear friend Olle Ljungström. He is one of Swedens best artists, I think. He has a way of expressing himself, with words and vocally that just hit´s the right spot. He is a unique man.  He will release a book very soon and I guess we are a whole bunch of people who will express out love to this wonderful man. (Oh, on the photo..Olle to the left, me on the right ) Anyway, It got me thinking of him, and memories of last summer. 

I was going down south to a place just outside Gothenburg called Särö. My friend Ebbot (from The Soundtrack of our Lives) had a club there over summer and I came there to join in with the band on this last show of summer . As I got there, we started talking about Olle, our mutual friend,  and of the odds of having him joining us for the evening. 

I called him, and after a bit of persuasion a few hours later there he stood, in the hotel lobby, well dressed as always with a hat,  a huge smile and a glass of wine. It was a night I will always remember. 

Summertime in Sweden, just by the ocean and with two of my favorite artists, Olle and Ebbot. ..Somewhere I think I have it on video...haha...totally crazy. 

I did some old Meja songs in a new arrangement, but the real deal came later. .Starting off with my favorite song "Coconut Grove" as a duet with Ebbot. But most brilliant I must say, was when the three of us, Olle, Ebbot and me,  were doing the old T-Rex song "Children of the Revolution". I can´t really remember if the audience were mesmerized or in chock.):) But man did we have a great time!!!