Sophie Zelmani

从1995年以一曲「Always You」开始，来自瑞典这个北方国度的甜美清新邻家女孩Sophie Zelmani，便以其生活化、发自内心真诚的诗意词句，简单乾净透澈却能直接触摸隐藏在心灵深处纤纤情感的音乐，而征服了瑞典、欧陆乃至亚洲的广大歌迷。 Sophie Zelmani的音乐之所以能像她的人一样，情感纤细、纯净亲切而动人，那是因为她的歌直接纪录了她的成长心路历程。 从收录「Always You」、「A Thousand Times」等单曲，甜美羞涩的首张同名专辑，到走 红之后面对漫长的巡回演出与数不尽的访谈而感到痛苦，继而使其创作呈现出苦涩与深沉 黑暗气氛的第二张专辑「Precious Burden」，再到即将迎向曙光、向伤感告别的第三张专辑「Time To Kill」，以及如今的最新作品「Sing And Dance」－彷佛用音乐来回忆著过去那个在情感或生理上正要愈合，然而一旦触碰到还是会带来疼痛的伤口. Sophie Zelmani就像个挚友般分享著她的情感与心情变化，唯一不变的是她的音乐表现方 式，依然是清脆的吉他合弦衬托著她温暖甜美的歌声，恰如其分不喧宾夺主的鼓与贝斯， 陪衬上彷如远方传来的萨克司风及逐渐贴近的长笛或小提琴悠扬旋律，传递出彷佛在冷飕飕的秋天夜晚漫步走在瑞典已然结霜的路上，脚底还不时传出嘎吱细碎声响，那沁凉萧瑟绝美的意境，让人愈听愈沉醉其中难以自拔
With no musical background and without ever having performed in public, Zelmani rose to the top of the charts with her debut album. In spite of being known as very shy, she soon reached an audience all over Europe and Asia with her tender singer/songwriter country. Zelmani got her first guitar at the age of 14 and was taught some chords by her father. She learned to write songs, and almost ten years later, sent a few tapes to various record companies. Sony replied first and brought her together with producer and guitarist Lars Halapi, known for having worked with Ulf Lundell and Bo Kaspers Orkester. But the very close collaboration with Zelmani, where Halapi had total control over the arrangements, was perhaps his most successful. He gave her self-titled debut a flavor of early Van Morrison, but it was Zelmani who had written all the songs and whose clear and fragile voice gave them an air of honesty. The album entered the charts at number four in the winter of 1995 and soon it had gone gold in Sweden and Japan. Zelmani made a big promotional tour throughout Europe and then went to promote the album in the U.S., where similar female singer/songwriters, like Jewel, were successful. Precious Burden was released in 1998, and if it wasn't the same immediate success as the debut, it got very good reviews. Trying to keep the touring at a minimum, the shy star was not able to avoid fame totally and learned to cope with it more and more. The previous two albums had very much been studio products with Halapi producing and playing many of the instruments, but for the next album, Zelmani formed a real band. Halapi still produced and arranged, and also wrote one track for 1999's Time to Kill LP.