Sophie Zelmani

從1995年以一曲「Always You」開始，來自瑞典這個北方國度的甜美清新鄰家女孩Sophie Zelmani，便以其生活化、發自內心真誠的詩意詞句，簡單乾凈透澈卻能直接觸摸隱藏在心靈深處纖纖情感的音樂，而征服了瑞典、歐陸乃至亞洲的廣大歌迷。 Sophie Zelmani的音樂之所以能像她的人一樣，情感纖細、純凈親切而動人，那是因為她的歌直接紀錄了她的成長心路歷程。 從收錄「Always You」、「A Thousand Times」等單曲，甜美羞澀的首張同名專輯，到走 紅之后面對漫長的巡回演出與數不盡的訪談而感到痛苦，繼而使其創作呈現出苦澀與深沉 黑暗氣氛的第二張專輯「Precious Burden」，再到即將迎向曙光、向傷感告別的第三張專輯「Time To Kill」，以及如今的最新作品「Sing And Dance」－彷佛用音樂來回憶著過去那個在情感或生理上正要愈合，然而一旦觸碰到還是會帶來疼痛的傷口. Sophie Zelmani就像個摯友般分享著她的情感與心情變化，唯一不變的是她的音樂表現方 式，依然是清脆的吉他合弦襯托著她溫暖甜美的歌聲，恰如其分不喧賓奪主的鼓與貝斯， 陪襯上彷如遠方傳來的薩克司風及逐漸貼近的長笛或小提琴悠揚旋律，傳遞出彷佛在冷颼颼的秋天夜晚漫步走在瑞典已然結霜的路上，腳底還不時傳出嘎吱細碎聲響，那沁涼蕭瑟絕美的意境，讓人愈聽愈沉醉其中難以自拔 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.