A beautiful story Lasse, thanks for sharing.
Norm
Lasse Karlsson wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I hope this is not regarded as a too inappropriate OT-message for the list, but I
>just can't help mentioning that a dear friend of mine has been featured in two
>articles in the New York Times.
> It's about this girl, Johanna Grüssner, now resident in New York, teaching music (an
>ex Berklee student) in a Bronx school, and leading a gospel choir there. She decided
>to bring the kids to visit her home in Åland, Scandinavia (my home country) (in the
>Baltic sea right between Sweden and Finland) during this week and the NYT obviously
>found it an interesting story.
> (As have the ABC Network who sent a film team along, shooting on location during
>this week. Two publishing houses have offered to buy the rights for a book on the
>story about her and the choir. A film company has also approached them for a possible
>film project.)
>
> If anyone cares to read it (the two articles published so far) you can find them
>here (you will have to register, unless already done so):
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/11/nyregion/11FINN.html?searchpv=site06
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/17/nyregion/17FINN.html?searchpv=nytToday
>
> There actually i s a Pentax connection too, in that I have probably shot maybe
>close to a hundred shots of her (some of them published), in private or performing as
>a jazz singer at her own concerts or at jazz festivals. (I have also reviewed/written
>about her recordings and concerts for local newspapers as well as for a Swedish jazz
>magazine.)
> (Actually, some six or seven years ago, I arranged (as well as recorded) her first
>own jazz concert under her own name (I booked a place and had my friend and piano
>player (whom I had played with as a bass player for almost ten years) getting his
>band to accompany her).
> She has since released two CD:s under her own name (of mainly jazz standards plus
>some Scandinavian numbers in a jazz tone.) When she gets all the pieces in the right
>place (the right song, in the right key for her, in the right arrangement - like for
>instance in her version of "My One And Only Love") she's got such a heavenly
>beautiful voice that can bring tears in your eyes for the sheer beauty of it.
> She is definitely an unusual person in many respects, and someone I care for a lot.
> Apart from being happy for her getting all this attention, I am of course proud to
>have my home country, Åland, and "my people" the Alanders, featured in such a
>positive fashion.)
> One thing about the articles though. We Alanders, usually do not use the word
>Finland, or Finnish for our country (that's another long and interesting story),
>normally we say Åland or Alandish etc.)
>
> Hope this wasn't too OT or personal for the list (and as I said - Pentax has been at
>least to some degree instrumental in her career as well...:) ).
-
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