Carola Häggkvist

Swedish singer (born 1966)

This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous.
Find sources: "Carola Häggkvist" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Carola Häggkvist

Carola Häggkvist in June 2015

Background information
Birth name| Carola Maria Häggkvist
Also known as|

* Carola
* Carola Søgaard

Born|  (1966-09-08) 8 September 1966 (age 58)
Stockholm, Sweden
Genres|

* Pop
* gospel
* schlager

[1]
Occupations|

* Singer
* songwriter

Years active| 1983–present
Labels| Sonet
Website| carola.com

Musical artist

Carola Maria Häggkvist (Swedish pronunciation: [kaˈrôːla ˈhɛ̂ɡːkvɪst]; born 8 September 1966), known professionally as Carola, is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She has been among Sweden's most popular performers since the early 1980s and has released albums ranging from pop and disco to hymns and folk music.[2] Her debut album, Främling (1983), sold around one million copies and remains the biggest-selling album in Swedish music history.[3] During her career, she has recorded many top-selling albums and singles and is referred to as Sweden's most prominent female singer. Some of her biggest hits are "Främling", "Tommy tycker om mig", "Fångad av en stormvind", "All the Reasons to Live", "I Believe in Love", "Genom allt", and "Evighet". Besides Swedish, she has also released records in Dutch,[4] German,[5] English, Norwegian and Japanese.[6]

Häggkvist has represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest on three occasions: in 1983, finishing third; in 1991, winning the contest; and in 2006, finishing fifth.

## Early life

[edit]

Carola Maria Häggkvist was born on 8 September 1966 at Södersjukhuset in Stockholm. She grew up in Norsborg, south of the Swedish capital. At the age of eight, she began to perform at Stockholm's Miniteatern; she also attended Adolf Fredrik's Music School.[7][8] In 1977, Häggkvist won a talent competition and appeared on television for the first time, on Sveriges magasin, performing "Krokodilbarnets klagan".[9]

## Career

[edit]

### 1981–1989: Early career and Främling

[edit]

Carola and John Travolta in 1983

In 1981, Swedish music promoter Bert Karlsson met then 15-year-old Häggkvist after she performed on the television series Hylands hörna and offered her the chance to take part in Melodifestivalen, the Swedish selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1982. She turned down the offer. Songwriter Lasse Holm offered Häggkvist two of his songs for Melodifestivalen 1983, "Mona Lisa" and "Främling". "Främling" was chosen, and with it Häggkvist won the right to represent Sweden at that year's Eurovision Song Contest in Munich. The song scored eight points, the highest possible mark, from all eleven regional juries. Häggkvist represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest on 23 April. She finished third in front of 6.1 million Swedish television viewers, 84% of the country's population. This is still a record in Sweden.[9]

"Främling" became the title track to Häggkvist's debut album, which sold over one million copies, making it the biggest-selling album in Swedish history.[10] After Eurovision, Häggkvist embarked on a tour of European television programmes, promoting "Främling" and performing in it several languages: in English as "Love Isn't Love", in German as "Fremder", and in Dutch as "Je ogen hebben geen geheimen". The album contained hits like "Mickey", "Liv", "Gloria" and "Tokyo". In December 1983, she released her first Christmas album, Julefrid med Carola,[9] which sold 200,000 copies. In 1984, Häggkvist released two top-selling pop/rock albums that together sold over 1 million copies. "Tommy tycker om mig" became a huge hit in Sweden, together with "Hunger". She later travelled to Japan and recorded a single in Japanese.[2] In 1985, the Bee Gees collaborated with her on the album Runaway, which was written by the Gibb brothers and produced by Maurice Gibb. The record sold double platinum when released in Sweden the following year.[2] "The Runaway", "Brand New Heart", "Spread your wings" and "Radiate" became massive hits in Scandinavia. In 1987, Häggkvist embarked on a church tour with pianist Per-Erik Hallin. After this followed a career hiatus for the singer.[9]

### 1990–1991: New image, independence, and Eurovision victory

[edit]

In 1990, she returned to Melodifestivalen, with "Mitt i ett äventyr" ("In the middle of an adventure"). The song finished second in the festival, failing to earn Häggkvist the right to represent Sweden at Eurovision. Edin-Ådahl won the event.[11] Her comeback album, titled Much More, was released, earning a gold certificate in Sweden.[2] However, Häggkvist and songwriter Stephan Berg had already begun planning another attempt at Eurovision.

In 1991, she returned to Melodifestivalen with "Fångad av en stormvind" ("Captured by a lovestorm"). The song won the festival by thirty-two points and became the Swedish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in Rome.[11] British bookmakers considered Häggkvist second favourite to win the contest.[12] On the night of the contest, with one voting jury left to announce their scores, three countries remained in contention to win the contest: Sweden, with 146 points; Israel, with 139; and France, with 134. Neither Israel nor Sweden won any points from the Italian jury, but France won twelve, leaving Sweden and France tied for first place with 146 at the conclusion of the voting. Sweden won the contest after a countback, having received five ten-point scores during the voting versus France's two.[13] "Fångad av en stormvind" became a huge hit in Europe,[2] and was followed by a compilation album, Hits, and a Christmas album, Jul.[9] After her victory, she released an international version of "Much More" and went on an extended promotional tour throughout Europe. Her album produced several hits, among them "I'll live" and "All the Reasons to Live".

### 1992–2004: Albums, tours, and musicals

[edit]

Carola in concert

Häggkvist was the first Scandinavian pop artist to perform in China—in front of an estimated 600 million television viewers[clarification needed]; she also released an album in China in 1992.[2] In 1992 and 1993, Rival International, released Carola's earlier albums on CD. She was originally signed to Mariann Records in Scandinavia.[clarification needed]

In 1993, ten years after her breakthrough representing Sweden at the 1983 Eurovision Song Contest, she recorded a gospel album, My Tribute, which was released in sixteen countries, making her gospel artist of the year in the Netherlands in 1994.[3] The album contains the hit-single "My Tribute", one of Häggkvist's best-known songs. In 1994, Häggkvist released a rock-themed album, '"Personligt" (Personally), marking her debut as a songwriter and selling gold.[9] "Så länge jag lever", "Sanna Vänner" and "Guld i dina ögon" became hits and received a great amount of radio airplay.

In 1995, Häggkvist made her debut as a musical actress, playing Maria in The Sound of Music opposite Tommy Körberg as the male lead. She played the role in 325 performances and won the prestigious Guldmasken (Golden Mask) award.[2] Three years later, she sang the theme song in the Norwegian musical Sophie's World, which was released on the album Songs from Sophie's World.[9] Also in 1998, Häggkvist played the voice of Mirjam in the Swedish version of The Prince of Egypt.[2] In 2002, she made a short appearance as Fantine in Les Misérables in London and five Scandinavian cities.[9]

In November 1997, Häggkvist released another compilation album, De bästa av Carola ("The Best of Carola"), and with it several new singles like "Dreamer".[14] Following this came an album of tracks penned by Lina Sandell, Blott en dag ("Just One Day").[9] The album received excellent reviews and revealed Carola's passion for hymns. In 1999, another Christmas album was released: Jul i Betlehem ("Christmas in Bethlehem"). The album sold 600,000 units throughout Scandinavia, including 350,000 in Sweden.[2] and became the biggest-selling album of 1999. She also co-wrote the ballad "Himlen i min famn", which remains a popular Christmas song that is often performed at Christmas concerts. In the summer of 1999, she toured in the Rhapsody in Rock.

In 2001, she released Sov på min arm, an album based on Christian hymns, gospel melodies and intimate ballads. It became one of the most-sold albums in Scandinavia that year. In 2002, she release the pop/country album My Show, which received great reviews. The album, which marked Häggkvist's return to the pop scene, contained several hits such as "The Light", "I believe in love", which also topped the Estonian and Brazilian charts, and "A Kiss Goodbye". Even though the album only peaked at number 6 on the Swedish album chart, it sold 100,000 copies by the end of the year. In the summer, Häggkvist embarked on a huge and luxurious Scandinavian tour.

In 2003, Häggkvist submitted a song, "Autumn Leaf", for Melodifestivalen 2003. Having performed the demo, she was required to perform the song when it qualified for the competition. Häggkvist decided against doing that, and the song was disqualified from the competition.[15] "Autumn Leaf" appeared on Häggkvist's next album, Guld, platina & passion, in Swedish as "När löven faller" (When the leaves fall). The ballad became an enormous hit. Guld, platina & passion reached number 1 on the Swedish charts and sold over 300,000 copies. She also recorded her favorite Elvis Presley songs, "Walk a mile in my shoes" and "If I can dream". The following year, Häggkvist released a religious album, Credo, which she described as "an expression of my love for God".[16] The album peaked at spot 2 on the Swedish album chart. This was followed by Störst av allt, which Dan Backman of Svenska Dagbladet wrote featured "spiritually aimed music…revolving around belonging, love, death and eternity".[17] Genom Allt became a huge radio hit in Sweden and the soul ballad "Allt kommer bli bra mamma", a dedication to her deceased mother, became popular at religious events.

### 2005–present: Return to Eurovision

[edit]

Carola in 2006

Having performed as part of the interval act at Melodifestivalen 2005,[18] Häggkvist confirmed that she would return to the competition in 2006. She performed "Evighet" ("Eternity"), written by Bobby Ljunggren, Henrik Wikström and Thomas G:son, which she described as a "true winning song". The song qualified from the fourth semi-final in Gothenburg on 11 March 2006,[19] and was widely tipped to win the festival outright as the final at the Stockholm Globe Arena approached.[20] Despite finishing second with the regional juries to Andreas Johnson, "Evighet" won the competition with 232 points.[21] Prior to the contest, Carola visited 12 countries where she promoted her song. "Invincible" received a large amount of air play on the radios in these countries. The song qualified from the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens, in English as "Invincible". Häggkvist in the end finished fifth out of twenty-four with 170 points.[22] This placing also made her the third-most successful artist in the history of Eurovision, counting by total points earned in her performances, with her three songs scoring a total of 442 points, behind only Dima Bilan, the 2006 runner-up and 2008 winner; and Loreen, winner of 2012 and 2023.

Following Melodifestivalen, Häggkvist released a pop album, Från nu till evighet ("From Now to Eternity"). Lennart Wrigholm reviewed the album for Musiklandet; he criticised the amount of new material on the album: "Has this old lady really got such a workload that she cannot put more than ten new tracks on her album?" and wrote that the inclusion of the English version of "Evighet" as a bonus track was "an insult to the potential buyer".[23] On the other hand, Expressen's Anders Nunstedt wrote that on "Jag ger allt" ("I Give It All") "the title does not lie" and that "Vem kan älska mig" ("Who Can Love Me") features a "brilliant refrain".[24] The album topped the Swedish sales chart, and sold approximately 100,000 copies by the end of the year. Stanna eller gå, a Latin-inspired pop song, became a radio hit during the summer. Following the album's release, Häggkvist toured Sweden and received outstanding reviews.[25] During the autumn, Häggkvist had problems with her voice but nonetheless sang "Because We Believe", a song written by Andrea Bocelli, with the Italian tenor.

In late 2007, Häggkvist released another Christmas album, I denna natt blir världen ny ("There is a New World This Night"), a sequel to Jul i Betlehem. The album featured songs in Swedish and English, and was recorded in Jerusalem in June 2007.[26] Stefan Malmqvist of Svenska Dagbladet wrote that, as in previous Christmas albums, Häggkvist is "a saccharine version of herself" when singing Christmas carols.[27] The album was reported to have sold 90,000 copies. Included on the album was the gospel song Go and Tell It on the Mountain. After the release she toured Scandinavia.

Carola entered Melodifestivalen 2008 as part of the duo Johnson & Häggkvist with Andreas Johnson. Their first single was called "Lucky Star" which became popular on the radio. In the melodifestival in February, they sang "One Love", written by Carola, Johnson and Peter Kvint.[28] They were the early favourites to win the whole show, taking part in the second qualifier. They qualified for the Second Chance round, missing out on an automatic final spot. Though widely tipped to qualify for the final after all, they did not even proceed from the first voting round in the Second Chance programme. Although One Love did not become an enormous success, the song Lucky Star which they released a few months prior to the contest did sell well, and topped the Swedish charts for weeks. Carola decided to take it easy the rest of the year, but did embark on a small Christmas tour at the end of the year. In 2009, Carola was reportedly working on her upcoming album, and other projects. She went to the United States to record some new material. She departed from her recording company and signed a contract with X5 Music Group, in which she aims to transfer her music abroad through the internet. In June, she hosted Carola Camp, a camp designed to help talented young singers and entertainers. In May, she performed at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Moscow at the kick-off ceremony, performing her 3 Eurovision songs. In July, she performed, together with the Eurovision winner Alexander Rybak in Norway and sang "Fairytale" and "Främling" and The Jackson 5's "I'll Be There". At the end of 2009, she released the album Christmas in Bethlehem, which contained duets with artists like Paul Potts. She embarked on yet another Christmas tour, visiting Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. She also launched her new website.

Carola attended in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö and performed in a humorous interval act about Swedish culture.[29]

In the summer of 2010, Carola embarked on tour across Sweden, singing the hits of both Elvis Presley and Barbra Streisand.[30] The influence came from Carola's childhood, where her father and her mother would play records by both their favourite artists. The tour was an instant success, selling out and becoming one of the few tours to sell out that year. She took time out from the tour to appear on Allsång på Skansen, and in March 2011 she released a studio album, containing twelve songs.

In 2014 Häggkvist participated in Så mycket bättre on TV4.[31]

Carola attended the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm and was briefly interviewed on screen along with another previous Swedish winner Loreen.[32]

In late-October 2016, she released her new Christmas album titled Drömmen om julen. The release was followed by a tour.

In April 2021, it was announced that Carola would be the spokesperson for Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021, reading out the Swedish jury points at the Grand Final.[33] She performed "Waterloo" with Charlotte Perrelli and Conchita Wurst as an interval act for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.[34]

## Personal life and media attention

[edit]

Her status as one of the most popular national celebrities of her country made her more or less constantly followed by the tabloid press. She has often talked about her Christian faith and much of the focus has been around her membership in the controversial evangelical church Livets Ord (Word of Life).

She was married to Runar Søgaard, a Norwegian Christian preacher, with whom she has a son, Amadeus.[35] The couple divorced in 2000, after ten years of marriage.[citation needed] She adopted a daughter, Zoe, from South Africa, in 2012. (Her parents had both died in 2004.)[citation needed]

In 2015 she was assisting a man to transport eight refugees on the Greek island of Kos. She prevented thieves from stealing the refugees' boat engine, but caused a high-speed car chase. At a police station, the motor thieves accused her of illegally transporting refugees. She was arrested, but released a few hours later with no charges.[36][37]

### Controversy regarding opinions on homosexuality

[edit]

In an interview in 2002 for the Swedish gay magazine QX, she alienated many gay and some heterosexual fans by alleging that she knew homosexual people who had become heterosexual through prayers. She also said that homosexuality would always remain "unnatural" to her.[38]

Four years later, her comment was brought up when she participated in the Swedish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in March 2006. During a press conference a journalist tried to ask her about her opinions on homosexuality, but she did not answer.[39]

On 15 March 2006 Rickard Engfors, who was Carola's cooperating partner during the Melodifestivalen and Eurovision Song Contest 2006, said "Carola doesn't hate gays. If she did, I wouldn't work for her. She is a fantastic person."[40]

During an exclusive interview for one of the Eurovision-related websites before the 2006 contest, Carola was also questioned about this, and she stated that she "would love for every gay person to feel that she loves them" and that she does not think that "being gay is a sickness". She went on to criticize the tabloids for misinterpreting her original words and making an issue out of it. Later in the interview, she also commented on one of her supporting dancers being gay and his boyfriend being "great".[41]

In 2008, she spoke to the newspaper Aftonbladet and again revisited her opinions about homosexuality, which she insisted have evolved over the past two decades and are very inclusive. She said, "I actually invited gays from QX to my 25-year anniversary [concert], but QX turned it down. What can I do? I love all people. I love the gays. So I am definitely not homophobic in any way. We are here for the music and I have no wacky opinions. And I feel love from many homosexuals too."[42]

In 2014, while participating on the TV show Så mycket bättre, she revealed that she had a romance with a woman in the 1980s. She said "I remember when I hung out with a girl actually in the '80s. We were definitely not a couple, but I tested. It was a bit hard because I felt an extreme attraction and a force in that, but I chose not to go further". On the 2019 series of Så mycket bättre, she was asked about possibly having a relation with a woman in the future, and she said that it is a possibility.

## Discography

[edit]

Main article: Carola Häggkvist discography

* Främling (1983)
* Steg för steg (1984)
* På egna ben (1984)
* Runaway (1986)
* Much More (1990)
* Jul (1991)
* My Tribute (1993)
* Personligt (1994)
* Blott en dag (1998)
* Jul i Betlehem (1999)
* Sov på min arm (2001)
* My Show (2001)
* Guld, platina & passion (2003)
* Credo (2004)
* Störst av allt (2005)
* Från nu till evighet (2006)
* I denna natt blir världen ny – Jul i Betlehem II (2007)
* Christmas in Bethlehem (2009)
* Elvis, Barbra & jag (2011)
* Drömmen om julen (2016)

## Dubbing

[edit]

Year | Film | Role | Notes

|
|
|

1998  | The Prince of Egypt | Miriam  | Swedish voice-dub
2018  | Kitty Is Not a Cat | Kitty  | Swedish voice-dub

## Awards

[edit]

Häggkvist was awarded the Illis quorum medal by the Government of Sweden on 13 July 2023.[43]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Biografi". Carola (in Swedish). 16 February 2024. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Eurovision.tv. Carola will represent Sweden again. Retrieved on 29 February 2008.
3. ^ a b Carola International History – Biography. Retrieved on 29 February 2008. Archived 6 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ "Je Ogen Hebben Geen Geheimen". Discogs.com. 1983. Archived from the original on 31 December 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
5. ^ "Carola – Fremder". Discogs.com. 1983. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
6. ^ "Fushigi Na Hitomi (Don't Tell Me What To Do)". Discogs.com. 1985. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
7. ^ Åsa Hagenblad (7 September 2006). Carola: "Känns som att fylla kvinna" Archived 17 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Sydsvenskan. Retrieved on 29 February 2008.
8. ^ Eva Franchell (24 October 2012). "Alliansen premierar lärare i "fina" skolor". Dagens Nyheter (Swedish daily newspaper). Archived from the original on 25 December 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Gylleneskor.se. Carola vi älskar dig – Heja Sverige!. Retrieved on 29 February 2008. Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
10. ^ Thyrén, David; Gullö, Jan-Olof (4 July 2023). "Forty Years of Främling – A Substantial Sustainable Hit". Innovation in Music Conference 2023. Edinburgh Napier University – via DiVA.
11. ^ a b Leif Thorsson. Melodifestivalen genom tiderna (1999, second edition 2006). Stockholm: Premium Publishing AB. ISBN 91-89136-29-2.
12. ^ Terry Wogan. Eurovision Song Contest 1991, BBC One commentary feed. Originally broadcast on 4 May 1991.
13. ^ Eurovision.tv. Eurovision Song Contest 1991 Archived 28 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 1 March 2008.
14. ^ Carola International. 1993 Archived 7 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine and Just the way you are, which topped the charts for several weeks. Retrieved on 1 March 2008.
15. ^ Sietse Bakker (17 December 2002). Carola's Autumn Leaf exits. ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 18 March 2008. Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
16. ^ Lisa Jannerling (27 July 2005). Gud fick mig att kasta blomman Archived 4 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Aftonbladet.se. Retrieved on 18 March 2008.
17. ^ Dan Backman (13 May 2005). Störst av allt Archived 22 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine. SvD.se. Retrieved on 18 March 2008.
18. ^ Martin showade hem segern Archived 18 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Sundsvalls Tidning (13 May 2005). Retrieved on 18 March 2008.
19. ^ Carola och Kjellman till Globen. SvD.se. Retrieved on 18 March 2008. Archived 26 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine
20. ^ Sietse Bakker (18 March 2006). Carola will not sing in dress rehearsal. ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 18 March 2008. Archived 25 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine
21. ^ Peter Tai Christiansen (18 March 2006). Carola härifrån till evigheten – och Aten. SVT.se. Retrieved on 18 March 2008. Archived 12 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
22. ^ BBC News (21 May 2006). Finnish monsters rock Eurovision Archived 9 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 19 March 2008.
23. ^ Lennart Wrigholm (11 June 2006). Från Nu Till Evighet: Mycket Väsen För Lite Ull..... Archived 13 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 19 March 2008.
24. ^ Anders Nunstedt (27 April 2006). Anders Nunstedt betygsätter "Från nu till evighet" – låt för låt. Expressen.se. Retrieved on 19 March 2008.
25. ^ Alexander Borodin (13 June 2006). Det här är Carolas stora sommarturné. Gylleneskor.se. Retrieved on 19 March 2008. Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
26. ^ Leif Råberg (12 November 2007). Carola releases new Christmas album. ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 19 March 2008. Archived 18 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
27. ^ Stefan Malmqvist (14 November 2007). I denna natt blev världen ny – Jul i Betlehem II Archived 11 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine. SvD.se. Retrieved on 19 March 2008.
28. ^ ESCtoday.com (15 January 2008). Carola & Andreas unite. Retrieved on 16 January 2008. Archived 16 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine
29. ^ "Här blåser Carola av scenen i Eurovision". svt.se. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
30. ^ "Carola Häggkvist satsar på krogshow". Expressen. 2 July 2010. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
31. ^ "Orup tokhyllas för "Främling" i Så mycket bättre". Aftonbladet. 22 November 2014. Archived from the original on 24 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
32. ^ "Här dissar Måns Carola – i direktsändning | Melodifestivalen | Nöjesbladet | Aftonbladet". Aftonbladet.se. 14 May 2016. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
33. ^ "Edward af Sillén och Christer Björkman kommenterar Eurovision". media.melodifestivalen.se. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
34. ^ "Eurovision winners pay tribute to ABBA in the Grand Final". Eurovision.tv. EBU. 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
35. ^ "Carola såg sin mamma dö". Expressen. 3 October 2004. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
36. ^ Ramsus (24 July 2016). "Carola arrested in Greece after car chase". Eurovisionworld. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
37. ^ Oxblod, Aino (23 July 2016). "Carola kastades i fängelse på Kos". Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 21 January 2024.
38. ^ "Det spännande numret". QX. Archived from the original on 4 February 2005.
39. ^ "Flydde från Gayfrågor". Aftonbladet. Archived from the original on 24 June 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
40. ^ ""Carola är feg och falsk" – Expressen 15 March 2006". Expressen. 15 March 2006. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
41. ^ Eurovision Song Contest Serbia 2008 | News – Exclusive: Carola (Sweden) speaks out!
42. ^ Jonsson, Lars (6 March 2008). "Carola: "Jag alskar de homosexuella"" [Carola: "I love the gays"] (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
43. ^ "Regeringen tilldelar Lena Anderson, Christofer Murray och Carola Häggkvist medaljen Illis quorum meruere labores". Regeringskansliet (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 13 July 2023. Archived from the original on 15 July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carola Häggkvist.

* Official website

Awards and achievements

Preceded by

Toto Cutugno
with "Insieme: 1992"

|  Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest
1991 | Succeeded by

Linda Martin
with "Why Me?

Preceded by

Chips
with "Dag efter dag"

|  Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest
1983 | Succeeded by

Herreys
with "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley"

Preceded by

Edin-Ådahl
with "Som en vind"

|  Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest
1991 | Succeeded by

Christer Björkman
with "I morgon är en annan dag"

Preceded by

Martin Stenmarck
with "Las Vegas"

|  Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest
2006 | Succeeded by

The Ark
with "The Worrying Kind"

Preceded by

Lecia Jønsson

|  OGAE Second Chance Contest winner
1990 | Succeeded by

Pernilla Wahlgren

* v
* t
* e

Carola Häggkvist

Discography

Studio albums|

* Främling
* Steg för steg
* På egna ben
* Runaway
* Much More
* Jul
* Jul i Betlehem
* Blott en dag
* Sov på min arm
* My Show
* Credo
* Störst av allt
* Från nu till evighet
* I denna natt blir världen ny – Jul i Betlehem II
* Christmas in Bethlehem
* Elvis, Barbra & jag
* Drömmen om julen

Other albums|

* Carola Hits 2
* Det bästa av Carola
* Guld, platina & passion
* 18 bästa
* Främling 25 år

EPs|

* Julefrid med Carola

Singles|

* "Främling"
* "Love Isn't Love"
* "The Gospel Train"
* "You've Got a Friend"
* "Mitt i ett äventyr"
* "Fångad av en stormvind"
* "Blott en dag"
* "Sov på min arm"
* "När löven faller"
* "Walk a Mile in My Shoes"
* "Evighet"
* "Invincible"
* "Lucky Star"
* "One Love"
* "Säg mig var du står"

* v
* t
* e

Eurovision Song Contest winners

Countries

| 1950s|

* Switzerland
* Netherlands
* France
* Netherlands

|

1960s|

* France
* Luxembourg
* France
* Denmark
* Italy
* Luxembourg
* Austria
* United Kingdom
* Spain
* France
* Netherlands
* Spain
* United Kingdom

1970s|

* Ireland
* Monaco
* Luxembourg
* Luxembourg
* Sweden
* Netherlands
* United Kingdom
* France
* Israel
* Israel

1980s|

* Ireland
* United Kingdom
* Germany
* Luxembourg
* Sweden
* Norway
* Belgium
* Ireland
* Switzerland
* Yugoslavia

1990s|

* Italy
* Sweden
* Ireland
* Ireland
* Ireland
* Norway
* Ireland
* United Kingdom
* Israel
* Sweden

2000s|

* Denmark
* Estonia
* Latvia
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* Greece
* Finland
* Serbia
* Russia
* Norway

2010s|

* Germany
* Azerbaijan
* Sweden
* Denmark
* Austria
* Sweden
* Ukraine
* Portugal
* Israel
* Netherlands

2020s|

* Italy
* Ukraine
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Austria

Performers

| 1950s|

* Lys Assia
* Corry Brokken
* André Claveau
* Teddy Scholten

|

1960s|

* Jacqueline Boyer
* Jean-Claude Pascal
* Isabelle Aubret
* Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann
* Gigliola Cinquetti
* France Gall
* Udo Jürgens
* Sandie Shaw
* Massiel
* Frida Boccara
* Lenny Kuhr
* Lulu
* Salomé

1970s|

* Dana
* Séverine
* Vicky Leandros
* Anne-Marie David
* ABBA
* Teach-In
* Brotherhood of Man
* Marie Myriam
* Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta
* Milk and Honey

1980s|

* Johnny Logan
* Bucks Fizz
* Nicole
* Corinne Hermès
* Herreys
* Bobbysocks!
* Sandra Kim
* Johnny Logan
* Celine Dion
* Riva

1990s|

* Toto Cutugno
* Carola
* Linda Martin
* Niamh Kavanagh
* Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan
* Secret Garden
* Eimear Quinn
* Katrina and the Waves
* Dana International
* Charlotte Nilsson

2000s|

* Olsen Brothers
* Tanel Padar, Dave Benton and 2XL
* Marie N
* Sertab Erener
* Ruslana
* Helena Paparizou
* Lordi
* Marija Šerifović
* Dima Bilan
* Alexander Rybak

2010s|

* Lena
* Ell and Nikki
* Loreen
* Emmelie de Forest
* Conchita Wurst
* Måns Zelmerlöw
* Jamala
* Salvador Sobral
* Netta
* Duncan Laurence

2020s|

* Måneskin
* Kalush Orchestra
* Loreen
* Nemo
* JJ

Songs

| 1950s|

* "Refrain"
* "Net als toen"
* "Dors, mon amour"
* "'n Beetje"

|

1960s|

* "Tom Pillibi"
* "Nous les amoureux"
* "Un premier amour"
* "Dansevise"
* "Non ho l'età"
* "Poupée de cire, poupée de son"
* "Merci, Chérie"
* "Puppet on a String"
* "La, la, la"
* "Boom Bang-a-Bang"
* "Un jour, un enfant"
* "De troubadour"
* "Vivo cantando"

1970s|

* "All Kinds of Everything"
* "Un banc, un arbre, une rue"
* "Après toi"
* "Tu te reconnaîtras"
* "Waterloo"
* "Ding-a-dong"
* "Save Your Kisses for Me"
* "L'Oiseau et l'Enfant"
* "A-Ba-Ni-Bi"
* "Hallelujah"

1980s|

* "What's Another Year"
* "Making Your Mind Up"
* "Ein bißchen Frieden"
* "Si la vie est cadeau"
* "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley"
* "La det swinge"
* "J'aime la vie"
* "Hold Me Now"
* "Ne partez pas sans moi"
* "Rock Me"

1990s|

* "Insieme: 1992"
* "Fångad av en stormvind"
* "Why Me?"
* "In Your Eyes"
* "Rock 'n' Roll Kids"
* "Nocturne"
* "The Voice"
* "Love Shine a Light"
* "Diva"
* "Take Me to Your Heaven"

2000s|

* "Fly on the Wings of Love"
* "Everybody"
* "I Wanna"
* "Everyway That I Can"
* "Wild Dances"
* "My Number One"
* "Hard Rock Hallelujah"
* "Molitva"
* "Believe"
* "Fairytale"

2010s|

* "Satellite"
* "Running Scared"
* "Euphoria"
* "Only Teardrops"
* "Rise Like a Phoenix"
* "Heroes"
* "1944"
* "Amar pelos dois"
* "Toy"
* "Arcade"

2020s|

* "Zitti e buoni"
* "Stefania"
* "Tattoo"
* "The Code"
* "Wasted Love"

Songwriters

| 1950s|

* Géo Voumard / Émile Gardaz
* Guus Jansen / Willy van Hemert
* Hubert Giraud / Pierre Delanoë
* Dick Schallies / Willy van Hemert

|

1960s|

* André Popp / Pierre Cour
* Jacques Datin / Maurice Vidalin
* Claude-Henri Vic / Roland Valande
* Otto Francker / Sejr Volmer-Sørensen
* Nicola Salerno / Mario Panzeri
* Serge Gainsbourg
* Udo Jürgens / Udo Jürgens, Thomas Hörbiger
* Bill Martin, Phil Coulter
* Manuel de la Calva, Ramón Arcusa
* David Hartsema / Lenny Kuhr
* Alan Moorhouse / Peter Warne
* María José de Cerato / Aniano Alcalde
* Emil Stern / Eddy Marnay

1970s|

* Derry Lindsay / Jackie Smith
* Jean-Pierre Bourtayre / Yves Dessca
* Mario Panas / Klaus Munro / Yves Dessca
* Claude Morgan / Vline Buggy
* Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvaeus / Stig Anderson
* Dick Bakker / Will Luikinga / Eddy Ouwens
* Tony Hiller / Lee Sheriden / Martin Lee
* Jean-Paul Cara / Joe Gracy
* Nurit Hirsh / Ehud Manor
* Kobi Oshrat / Shimrit Orr [he]

1980s|

* Shay Healy
* Andy Hill / John Danter
* Ralph Siegel / Bernd Meinunger
* Jean-Pierre Millers / Alain Garcia
* Torgny Söderberg / Britt Lindeborg
* Rolf Løvland
* Jean Paul Furnémon / Angelo Crisci / Rosario Marino Atria
* Johnny Logan
* Nella Martinetti, Atilla Şereftuğ
* Rajko Dujmić / Stevo Cvikić

1990s|

* Toto Cutugno
* Stephan Berg
* Johnny Logan
* Jimmy Walsh
* Brendan Graham
* Rolf Løvland / Petter Skavland
* Brendan Graham
* Kimberley Rew
* Svika Pick / Yoav Ginai [he]
* Lars Diedricson / Gert Lengstrand [sv] / Marcos Ubeda

2000s|

* Jørgen Olsen
* Ivar Must / Maian-Anna Kärmas
* Marija Naumova / Marats Samauskis
* Demir Demirkan / Sertab Erener
* Ruslana Lyzhychko / Oleksandr Ksenofontov
* Christos Dantis / Natalia Germanou
* Mr Lordi
* Vladimir Graić / Saša Milošević Mare
* Dima Bilan / Jim Beanz
* Alexander Rybak

2010s|

* Julie Frost / John Gordon [da]
* Stefan Örn / Sandra Bjurman / Iain James Farquharson
* Thomas G:son / Peter Boström
* Lise Cabble / Julia Fabrin Jakobsen / Thomas Stengaard
* Charlie Mason / Joey Patulka / Ali Zuckwoski / Julian Maas
* Anton Hård af Segerstad / Joy Deb / Linnea Deb
* Jamala
* Luísa Sobral
* Doron Medalie / Stav Beger
* Duncan Laurence / Joel Sjöö / Wouter Hardy / Will Knox

2020s|

* Damiano David / Ethan Torchio / Thomas Raggi / Victoria De Angelis
* Ihor Didenchuk / Ivan Klimenko / Oleh Psiuk / Tymofii Muzychuk / Vitalii Duzhyk
* Jimmy Thörnfeldt / Jimmy Jansson / Loreen / Moa "Cazzi Opeia" Carlebecker / Peter Boström / Thomas G:son
* Benjamin Alasu / Lasse Midtsian Nymann / Linda Dale / Nemo Mettler
* Johannes Pietsch / Teodora Špirić / Thomas Thurner

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest

National selection: Melodifestivalen

Participation|

* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* ~~2020~~
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Artists|

* ABBA
* Afro-dite
* The Ark
* Arvingarna
* Alice Babs
* Robin Bengtsson
* Anna Bergendahl
* Inger Berggren
* Lars Berghagen
* Marie Bergman
* Christer Björkman
* Brita Borg
* Carola
* Chips
* Kikki Danielsson
* The Dolls
* Edin-Ådahl
* Lotta Engberg
* Malena Ernman
* Fame
* Family Four
* Forbes
* Frans
* Friends
* Ted Gärdestad
* Claes-Göran Hederström
* Herreys
* Lasse Holm
* Benjamin Ingrosso
* Cornelia Jakobs
* Jan Johansen
* Jill Johnson
* KAJ
* Tommy Körberg
* Tomas Ledin
* Lill-Babs
* Lill Lindfors
* Loreen
* John Lundvik
* Siw Malmkvist
* ~~The Mamas~~
* Marcus & Martinus
* Sanna Nielsen
* Tommy Nilsson
* The Nova
* One More Time
* Charlotte Perrelli
* Lena Philipsson
* Roger Pontare
* Eric Saade
* Björn Skifs
* Martin Stenmarck
* Robin Stjernberg
* Svante Thuresson
* Monica Törnell
* Tusse
* Östen Warnerbring
* Ingvar Wixell
* Måns Zelmerlöw
* Monica Zetterlund

Songs|

* "Absent Friend"
* "Alla andra får varann"
* "April, april"
* "Augustin"
* "Bara bada bastu"
* "Bara hon älskar mig"
* "Beatles"
* "Boogaloo"
* "Bra vibrationer"
* "Dag efter dag"
* "Dance You Off"
* "Det blir alltid värre framåt natten"
* "Det börjar verka kärlek, banne mig"
* "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley"
* "E' de' det här du kallar kärlek?"
* "Eloise"
* "En dag"
* "En gång i Stockholm"
* "Euphoria"
* "Fångad av en stormvind"
* "Fångad i en dröm"
* "Främling"
* "Give Me Your Love"
* "Härliga sommardag"
* "Hero"
* "Heroes"
* "Hold Me Closer"
* "I Can't Go On"
* "I morgon är en annan dag"
* "If I Were Sorry"
* "Invincible"
* "It Hurts"
* "Jennie, Jennie"
* "Judy, min vän"
* "Just nu!"
* "Kärleken är"
* "Las Vegas"
* "Lilla stjärna"
* "Listen to Your Heartbeat"
* ~~"Move"~~
* "Never Let It Go"
* "Nygammal vals"
* "Popular"
* "Satellit"
* "Se på mej"
* "Sol och vår"
* "Som en dröm"
* "Som en vind"
* "Stad i ljus"
* "Stjärnorna"
* "Take Me to Your Heaven"
* "Tattoo"
* "This Is My Life"
* "Too Late for Love"
* "Undo"
* "Unforgettable"
* "Den vilda"
* "Vita vidder"
* "Voices"
* "La Voix"
* "Waterloo"
* "When Spirits Are Calling My Name"
* "The Worrying Kind"
* "You"
* "You're Summer"

Note: Entries scored out signify where Sweden did not compete. Italics indicate an entry in a future contest.

* v
* t
* e

Eurovision Song Contest 1983

Countries|

* Austria
* Belgium
* Cyprus
* Denmark
* Germany
* Greece
* Finland
* France
* Israel
* Italy
* Luxembourg
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Portugal
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* United Kingdom
* Yugoslavia

Artists|

* Çetin Alp
* Remedios Amaya
* Ami Aspelund
* Bernadette
* Guy Bonnet
* Daniel
* Mariella Farré
* Riccardo Fogli
* Armando Gama
* Carola Häggkvist
* Ofra Haza
* Corinne Hermès
* Hoffmann and Hoffmann
* Gry Johansen
* Pas de Deux
* Christie Stasinopoulou
* Stavros and Constantina
* Sweet Dreams
* Jahn Teigen
* Westend

Songs|

* "Do Re Mi"
* "Džuli"
* "Esta balada que te dou"
* "Fantasiaa"
* "Främling"
* "Hi"
* "Hurricane"
* "I agapi akoma zi"
* "I'm Never Giving Up"
* "Io così non ci sto"
* "Kloden drejer"
* "Mou les"
* "Opera"
* "Per Lucia"
* "¿Quién maneja mi barca?"
* "Rendez-vous"
* "Rücksicht"
* "Si la vie est cadeau"
* "Sing Me a Song"
* "Vivre"

* v
* t
* e

Eurovision Song Contest 1991

Countries|

* Austria
* Belgium
* Cyprus
* Denmark
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Israel
* Italy
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Norway
* Portugal
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* United Kingdom
* Yugoslavia

Artists|

* Amina
* Atlantis 2000
* Baby Doll
* Sarah Bray
* Carola
* Clouseau
* Sergio Dalma
* Duo Datz
* Peppino di Capri
* Dulce
* Thomas Forstner
* Anders Frandsen
* Paul Giordimaina and Georgina
* Kim Jackson
* Samantha Janus
* Just 4 Fun
* Kaija
* Elena Patroklou
* Sandra Simó
* Stefán and Eyfi
* Can Uğurluer, İzel Çeliköz and Reyhan Karaca
* Sophia Vossou

Songs|

* "Anixi"
* "Bailar pegados"
* "Un baiser volé"
* "Brazil"
* "Canzone per te"
* "C'est le dernier qui a parlé qui a raison"
* "Comme è ddoce 'o mare"
* "Could It Be"
* "Could It Be That I'm in Love"
* "Dieser Traum darf niemals sterben"
* "Draumur um Nínu"
* "Fångad av en stormvind"
* "Geef het op"
* "Hullu yö"
* "İki Dakika"
* "Kan"
* "Lige der hvor hjertet slår"
* "Lusitana paixão"
* "A Message to Your Heart"
* "Mrs. Thompson"
* "S.O.S."
* "Venedig im Regen"

* v
* t
* e

Eurovision Song Contest 2006

Countries|

| Final|

* Armenia
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Croatia
* Denmark
* France
* Finland
* Germany
* Greece
* Ireland
* Israel
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Macedonia
* Malta
* Moldova
* Norway
* Romania
* Russia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom

|

Semi-final|

* Albania
* Andorra
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Cyprus
* Estonia
* Iceland
* Monaco
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Portugal
* Slovenia

Withdrawn|

* Serbia and Montenegro

Artists|

| Final|

* André
* Arsenium feat. Natalia Gordienko and Connect-R
* Dima Bilan
* Eddie Butler
* Carola
* Vocal Group Cosmos
* Fabrizio Faniello
* Christine Guldbrandsen
* Hari Mata Hari
* Tina Karol
* Brian Kennedy
* Las Ketchup
* Lordi
* LT United
* Virginie Pouchain
* Elena Risteska
* Daz Sampson
* Sidsel Ben Semmane
* Severina
* six4one
* Texas Lightning
* Mihai Trăistariu
* Sibel Tüzün
* Anna Vissi

|

Semi-final|

* Annet Artani
* Anžej Dežan
* Luiz Ejlli
* Séverine Ferrer
* Ich Troje
* Jenny
* Silvia Night
* Nonstop
* Mariana Popova
* Kate Ryan
* Sandra
* Polina Smolova
* Treble

Withdrawn|

* No Name

Songs|

| Final|

* "Alvedansen"
* "Bloody Mary"
* "Every Song Is a Cry for Love"
* "Everything"
* "Hard Rock Hallelujah"
* "I Do"
* "I Hear Your Heart"
* "If We All Give a Little"
* "Il était temps"
* "Invincible"
* "Lejla"
* "Loca"
* "Moja štikla"
* "Never Let You Go"
* "Ninanajna"
* "No No Never"
* "Show Me Your Love"
* "Superstar"
* "Teenage Life"
* "Together We Are One"
* "Tornerò"
* "Twist of Love"
* "We Are the Winners"
* "Without Your Love"

|

Semi-final|

* "Amambanda"
* "La Coco-Dance"
* "Coisas de nada"
* "Congratulations"
* "Follow My Heart"
* "Je t'adore"
* "Let Me Cry"
* "Mr Nobody"
* "Mum"
* "Sense tu"
* "Through My Window"
* "Why Angels Cry"
* "Zjarr e ftohtë"

Withdrawn|

* "Moja ljubavi"

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Norway
* Sweden
* Finland

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template