Since we interviewed Bobby Ljunggren at Melodifestivalen 2005 in Stockholm, where he went on to win Songwriter of the Year, he has been keeping busy writing songs for next year and working with the Lithuanian delegation on their song Little by Little. In another exclusive interview, esctoday.com editor Barry Viniker caught up with Sweden�s �Mr. Eurovision�, Bobby Ljunggren, at the Lithuanian delegations hotel in Kyiv. On the table for discussion was his Lionheart Record label�s development and Schlager and former Eurovision Song Contest singers Shirley Clamp, Anna Sahlene and Nanne Gronvall. Also discussed was his views on this year�s contest, and what�s coming up in the future.
How are things progressing with Lionheart since we last met in Sweden during Melodifestival 2005?
Things are going great. Nanne Gronvall�s single >Håll om mig has gone gold, as has her album 20 år med Nanne in Sweden. She is more popular now there than ever before, after being in the music industry for 20 years. Shirley Clamp is just 5000 short of going gold with her new album Lever mina drömmar and her single Att alska dig is only 1500 short now.
For three years now, we have focussed on the Eurovision Song Contest and Melodifestivalen, and they have been three very good years. We already started writing for next year in March, although after three years, Shirley Clamp may take a break from the competition. Sonja Arlen will hopefully be there in her own right though, she was singing on stage with Shirley this year and of course is doing the backing vocals in Kiev for Lithuania.
And how are the international expansion plans coming along?
Very well. Ann Wisboun is still very successful in Poland, and will be releasing her new single in the Ukraine, Russia and the Baltic states too. We are working with Sony in France to introduce her there too.
Anna Sahlene (ESC2002 Estonia, MF04) has just come back from a promotional tour in Japan where she is gaining popularity. We are talking with Warner in the UK too.
