Alexander Rybak - Interview on YLE Radio Vega, Finland 17.02.2014

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That was maybe Mats Paulson most famous song "Visa Vid Vindens Ânger".

This time performed by no other than Alexander Rybak, who is our guest in "Vega Visor".

Welcome!
Thank you. A very good start.

And welcome to Finland.
It's a nice country.

What does Finland mean to you?
For me Finland first and foremost means a mix of Belarus, where I am born, and Norway where i live.

In what way?
In Norway we have a lot of positivity and everyone is happy and pleased, and there is a lot of love. But not much discipline.

In Russia there is strong discipline and in music and sport they keep a high level all the time, but it is a bit too strict.

Finland has a fine balance between these two countries.

I remember a visist i made to a musical school, a high school in Finland. Where they prepared some orchestra things for me and it was such a high level.

And everyone was so happy and it was an inspiration for me.

And after that I have made a concept where I arrange my songs and others songs, Michael Jackson and Cold Play, for orchestras.

Then I come for 2-3 days and hold a seminar, as a conductor and leader.

And you conclude it with a concert?

Then we conclude it with a concert as a popstar, but also classical.

I think my mission in this world, especially after Eurovision, my mission has been to show people that one should never forget their roots.

You mentioned Eurovision which you are most famous for as the man who completely overwhelmingly made an outstanding victory in Eurovision Song Contest in 2009.

And in the middle of this big hit spectacle you chosen to record a calm lovely little album with Mats Paulson's songs.

You like it?
Yes, it's fantastic.

Great.
Why did you do that in the middle of the big hit spectacle? You could have done whatever.

The whole world was in front of you.
Yes,but to do whatever, you have to start with something.

It's always important to listen to oneself, and ones heart, what one finds fun to do.

So I tour a lot in Turkey, Poland and Greece and Russia, with pop songs and everything.

But to me it's important not to forget my classical background and that I am a violinist, a composer and that there is different music.

Life gets boring if you only make hit songs for radio. Because then you have to be one format that is commercial.

And I think that commercialism is a positive word. That means it sells, and that people understand.

And I love to be understood, but that doesn't mean that everything commercial I do shall be in the same format.

Your countryman Hanne Krogh has said it very wisely. "The bigger your success is, the smaller is the spotlight you get".

People expect you will do only that you are known for.

I totally agree with Hanne Krogh. One should choose your own career.

And it's is so much more important that one are pleased with the people around, than having even more people around and not feel comfortable.

"Resan till Deg". Lyrics Mats Paulson, and this time music by Alexander Rybak.

On this album there are songs that are made by Mats and some songs you have made together.

How did you select the songs for the album?

It was during the period when I took part in ”Let's Dance” in Sweden,

and I got to feel the Swedish culture and I liked the green meadows and ...eh.. the happy children, I like that culture.

Then I thought of my friend Mats Paulson who wrote me an e-mail after he had heard my version of ”Visa Vid Vindens Ângar” on Youtube.

That was such a big thing for me so I wanted to do something even bigger for the two of us, and that was collaborating.

Music is so much better when you share it with others. And to be completely honest, I don't like co-writes.

When people write together.
I don't like when people sit in a studio and one writes one note and another says here it should be heart and here smart.

It's really difficult and I don't understand why they work in that way.

You have never heard of Mozart and Haydn sitting in a room and one took one phrase and the other the next. There has to be a vision.

Otherwise there will be a compromise. Someone always has to make a compromise and in the end nobody's soul is in it.

Yes I think so, but then you get ”Euphoria” which really is a hit and she sings from the heart, and that one she has made with many others.

So there aren't any absolute answers in this world.

For me it doesn't work, but I can get inspiration from a text.

I'm not the best author of lyrics, because I'm primarily a composer.

But Mats Paulson wrote very good lyrics so it was very inspiring for me to choose some of his lyrics and compose a melody to them.

Here we will have another example of that. This song is called ”Your first kiss”.
Yes.

You heard "Din Första Kyss". Lyrics by Mats Paulson, and music by Alexander Rybak, who also sang and to our pleasure is our guest here at "Vega Visor" this Monday evening.

You recorded a folk CD when you were at the height of your pop and schlager career.

How was the CD received by the screaming teenage girls and little boys who love this schlager figure Alexander Rybak?

A really good question, firstly you aren't completely correct, because I didn't make it in 2009 but in 2011.

So it was two years later?
Yes, so by then I already had control of my career and I know what I wanted and what I didn't want.

Then there are the teenagers and what they expect. I have the greatest respect for them, and I have respect for all of my audience.

There are many old, there are many young, on facebook I have almost 650 000.

Followers.
Yes.

A lot of people from many countries. And I think there is music for every occasion. What do you call it in Swedish?

For every mood
Yes, for every mood, for every style.

I made the choice not to play these songs on the biggest stages and the biggest summer festivals.

Music like that of Mats Paulson you have to play when people are calm and ready to listen.

You can listen in the car, you can listen in the summer when you are relaxing.

People think that after a CD you always have to make a world tour, but I'm very much against that.

The first thing I did after that CD was a revue, a comedy revue in Oslo. So my life hasn't got a big plan, but each project is very big.

And that becomes the plan.
Yes, and there's one plan after the other.

And it's so important for me to do everything 100%, because then you afterwards feel you have done everything you could and are very pleased with what you have done, and then you move on.

Alexander, how was the selection process of the Mats Paulson's songs for this CD?

I had to think about what kind of style I have as a song writer,

but sometimes a text... My favourite text I wasn't able to write a melody for.

I had too much respect for it. I selected those texts where I immediately could hear the melody.

Then there was one that I think was pretty obvious, it has the same name as your girlfriend, Maria.

Yes, she is my ex-girlfriend now.
She is your ex-girlfriend?

Yes, we were together for two years, that's too long in this world.

Anyway, here's the love song to her. Isn't also the melody by Mats Paulson?

Yes it's his melody and his text, but it fitted me very well and it still does.

Maria, is the one Alexander Rybak sings for and about here.

Some last questions, Alexander. What are you doing now, there's almost three years since you recorded this album, what do you fill your days with today?

I have chosen to work locally, in Russia I make Russian songs, in Sweden I make Swedish songs and in Norway...

The last thing I did in Norway was Christmas tour and a Christmas CD.

There are many in Ukraine that think that I'm only in Ukraine and not travelling in Europe.

There are many in Sweden that think that I'm only in Sweden and Norway.

I don't think globally because I love the world and I love every culture, so if I make a Greek single with bouzouki and violin,

I don't need to show it in Norway because there's the internet.

I think that every song and every talent will get to the place it needs to be.
It finds its audience.

But, I'm soon an adult so I need to find a tactic, well I'm beginning to find a tactic that I'm very pleased with.

But my big project, my really big project, that is ten times bigger than Eurovision,

is my musical that I'm writing now and have spent two years on and it is about trolls.

About trolls?
Yes, and there are different actors who are contributing.

It's an album but I'm hoping there will be a large stage production.

Maybe at the Swedish theatre in Finland, but it's in Norwegian so first in Norway.

So you are doing like Björn and Benny did when they made ”Chess”, first an album then a musical.

Was it like that?
Yes.

That was inspiring, that was good, you really gave inspiration Lundin.

We wish you good luck with the musical and all other projects.

The most important thing, if there's a principal listening now who thinks I only do pop music, but no, I also do classical.

And if there are any music schools that want a concert with Alexander Rybak they have to call my manager.

Fantastic, take this as an invitation. We started with Alexander praising Finland so we understand you come back if you get an invitation.

Absolutely.

Thank you for being our guest in "Vega Visor" tonight, and we end with another song from your lovely album.

"Träden i Villa Borghese".
Perfect.