Loreen wants to create her creative place on northern Gotland
Earlier, Loreen went to Iceland or Norrland to find peace. Now it’s Gotland that counts and she dreams of creating her own creative place on the island. We meet her in a long interview about her love for Gotland, life as an artist and also get the answer to what she thinks about Gotland drinking.
Lorine Zineb Noka Talhaoui, Loreen, has after many years of traveling finally found a place to call home – and it is on Gotland that she feels best.
Loreen was born in Stockholm, but grew up in Västerås with her five siblings and their mother. All siblings have become successful in their respective professions.
She says that it is their mother who laid the foundation.
– Our mother has been so incredibly strong. She escaped from a life of poverty in Morocco and the place that was the only thing she knew. Her only security. Mom has really fought for the right to be herself, says Loreen and continues:
– We have got that with us, we have to work hard to get where we want. It is almost as if we are fighting for the family and all those who sacrificed themselves for our well-being.
From the beginning, she never had a dream of becoming an artist. She lived on exploring her voice. From an early age, she tried to find different places to play with her voice as an instrument.
– I could run away and sit under a bridge to hear the acoustics. Sometimes I locked myself in the toilet, turned off the light to focus. My senses and voice should be in focus. I just want to explore my voice, when others came close I stopped, says Loreen.
A lot changed in 2004 when she was in Idol. She describes it as a useful – but tough school.
– Idol was an educational but painful. I had no direct thought of becoming an artist and I had not come very far in my development. The music was my own oasis and sanctuary. But through the challenges that came with the program and its aftermath, I had to find my own artistic expression and protect it. There are always those around who claim to know better who you are than yourself. And that’s where you need to stand.
After joining the program, she decided to try different roles. Among other things, she was involved in several TV productions and worked as everything from editor to post-production producer.
Loreen replenished her skills to be able to understand the entertainment industry as a whole and become totally independent. Having control over every single part of the creative process was important.
– I can say today that I myself can produce what I want purely creatively. As a woman in the industry, this is an extra important position to take, as there has been a gross imbalance between men and women for far too long. Too male-dominated simply. Over the years, people have been told “Do this sweet little woman, so there you can’t do”. Which has been tough when you have felt insecure or not understood everything.
An example where Loreen took full control is with the song “Euphoria” – the song that became her big breakthrough. She had been in the Melodifestivalen the year before when Christer Björkman called and wanted to take her to the competition again.
– Christer called me many times and asked if I would not join. He had a passion and conviction that this song was for me. Eventually, I began to think that maybe I should join again. Much around me during this period brought me in that direction. But I had a clear demand that I should not compromise on my expression. This song and the performance would be a direct reflection of my inner self.
The song “Euphoria” was sung at the provincial gig by a man. Loreen remade much of the song, added strings, created the well-known dance and designed the entire basic performance. Neither Christer Björkman nor anyone else got to see the performance before it was finished.
In a gym, Christer and several other people saw the number for the first time.
– Haha, he probably got damn nervous when he saw what I had created. I understand the panic when the only thing they could see at that moment was a girl dancing on the floor inside a marking of tape that made up the shape and size of the stage. I told them that I thought the performance would be done barefoot with large fabrics for clothes, without extravagant light with only a fan and snow. Then I saw how Christer was deeply moved that I would not have shoes. They panicked and wondered what it was all about.
What is it like to live with a song “Euphoria”? Is it a bit like Hugh Grant will always be associated with Notting Hill?
– I don’t feel that I live in the shadow of it. I live with that song. It symbolizes so much for me that is strong. Those who have a strong relationship with that song are welcome to have it. For me, it provided a great platform to reach out with what I want to convey, but for me it is a symbol of daring to trust own intuition and how strong an impact a person can have on their surroundings when they speak and create their truth.
After “Euphoria”, Loreen has, among other things, had Stockholm as a base and traveled around the world to create music, perform and live. In connection with the corona pandemic, Loreen has had more time in the studio and she has also participated in “Så mycket bättre”.
It has resulted in several songs that are in Swedish. Earlier this spring, the song “Sötvattentårar” was released and more songs in Swedish will be released during the year.
– When I write and sing in Swedish, it gets a stronger emotional impact in me and I really wanted to explore it in more detail in “Så mycket bättre”. I turn and twist words in my story in a completely different way than when I wrote in English. Interesting how much stronger it feels to sing “jag älskar dig” than “I love you”. Every sentence has such a meaning.
In August, she will make her debut as an actress in the film Vinterviken.
– There I play a single young bipolar mother from North Africa. There were definitely parts of my upbringing that I could take with me when I was going to play her. For example, I could be involved in influencing scripts where I felt that certain scenes were not at all connected to the Moroccan culture and how a single Muslim young mother thinks and behaves, says Loreen and continues:
– I felt strongly that I had an important role here to perform and portray this woman in a credible and authentic way. Inclusion is something I am passionate about and therefore felt extra important here against my background.
For the past eight years she has lived more or less on Gotland. During the corona pandemic, she has basically lived full time on the island.
– I love the barren untouched that exists on Gotland and that you get to be here yourself. Previously, I went to Iceland, northern Norway or Norrland several times a year, just to go hiking, alone in beautiful landscapes. Now I do not need it the same way, I love Gotland. It was love at first sight.
There are stories about how the people of Fårö took care of Ingmar Bergman. When a tourist asked where he lived – the people of Fårö pointed in the other direction. How is it for you?
– You respect my space and protect it a little. That’s how it has been and I haven’t talked about living on the island. Some have been amazed at how long I have actually lived here.
The dream is to create a creative oasis on northern Gotland. She and Charli Ljung, DOP and photographer, have applied to change the use of a building so that it can become a reality.
– We want to create a creative hub on Gotland. A place for music, film and photo creators, says Loreen and continues:
– The place you create is incredibly important and many of my most beautiful works have been created here. The hope is to move most of my business here to Gotland. Tour rehearsals and more, to create jobs and joy here.
She is clear that no final decision on their project has yet been made.
– Now we are waiting for what the region will say in the matter. We do not want to speed up the process either, but they must look at it and see what is possible.
Loreen says that after the years on Gotland, she has fallen in love with life here and really wants to take care of the island.
– As a child, I already had an enormous love and respect for nature. Nature was my refuge.
– When I think about it, we humans are spoiled with so much beauty around us. The air, the sea, the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom. Nothing beats it. We must not forget to look around. We have a responsibility to nurture the place we are in.
Now you have lived on Gotland for eight years. Have you had time to taste Gotland drink?
– Yes, and I really hate beer. But Gotland drink is damn good then. It’s a little sweeter and I really like it. I was probably a Gotlander in my previous life.
About Loreen
Age: 37 years.
Family: A great lovely family.
A good book: The power of now – Eckhart Tolle.
A good song: Bremar / McCoy – Determination.
Favorite place on Gotland:
“I love the Stenkusten (Stone Coast). It’s a place I often try to visit and hike at”
• Text: Simon Frid | Foto: Joel Nilsson
• Source: https://gotlandjustnu.se/nyheter/artikel/loreen-vill-skapa-sin-kreativa-plats-pa-norra-gotland/rmxgd78j
• E-magazine: https://etidning.gotlandjustnu.se/1939/gotland-just-nu/420961/2021-07-01/r
• Translation: via Google Translate, the translation may not be completely accurate