Evert Taube's childhood on the island of Vinga, where his father was a lighthouse keeper, was characterized by fishing, shipping, and stories of foreign lands.
Composer Biography
Evert Taube spent five years in South America, where he worked on canal building, as an aide to the Argentine President, and as a gaucho (cowboy), learning Spanish, Italian, and guitar.
Composer Biography
After running away to Stockholm to become an artist, Evert Taube spent his first night in Klara Cemetery at the grave of Carl Michael Bellman, a famous Swedish poet and composer, where he prayed for forgiveness.
Composer Biography
Evert Taube, the composer of the songs on this album, was a versatile cultural figure in Sweden, working as a painter, poet, prose writer, singer, and musician.
Compositional Technique
Evert Taube never learned to read or write musical notation, relying on collaborations with musicians like Lille Bror Söderlundh and Gunnar Hahn to transcribe and arrange his musical ideas.
Cultural Impact
Evert Taube's songs were so popular that many people consider his 'Calle Schewens vals' to be Sweden's unofficial national anthem.
Recording & Production
Evert Taube's earliest gramophone recordings from 1921 to 1925 were acoustic, requiring him to sing into a funnel for mechanical sound transmission before electrical recording became available.
