BLUES ANNIKA – Blues Annika (Nacksving, 1980)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

After Annika Dahlqvist's 1974-1977 stint with Albins Bluesband she was already an experienced singer when she recorded her first and only album, with all original material bar a Swedish language cover of blues classic ”Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out”. The album made quite some rumble upon its release in 1980, and Blues Annika soon became nationally known for her honest lyrics where she managed to transfer the original blues vocabulary into a functioning Swedish counterpart. The blues was more than a pose and a nickname – she had led a hard life in Gothenburg's netherworld of drug addicts but is said to have kicked her habits when she recorded her album with The Freelancers, a backing band featuring familiar Gothenburg progg characters including Hannes Råstam and Bengan Blomgren.

The songs deal with classic blues topics – men, booze, drugs, the police, money shortage – and Blues Annika's delivery is convincing and the band performances are spirited. In other words, this is an unusual Nacksving album being both inspired and with a genuinely dedicated production. Blues Annika doesn't possess a huge voice but that actually works in her favour – it would have been a lot easier to dismiss her album had she been a Janis Joplin wannabe. What she may lack in vocal power (after all, she's no Memphis Minnie or Bessie Smith), she makes up for with 100% credibility.

However, foreign listeners may still find the album bit standard sounding without understanding the lyrics that, after all, is a crucial part of the album's appeal.

Blues Annika is also featured with one track on Nacksving compilation ”Från flykt till kamp”.

It's not exactly known what Blues Annika does today, but she seems to live in a sheltered housing in her native Gothenburg, sadly suggesting that she might have fallen back into alcohol addiction after the album was released.

Amazingly enough, live tapes of Albins Bluesband have survived and is up on Youtube for all to hear: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

Full album playlist