Fred Bo Gunnar Åkerström (27 January 1937 – 9 August 1985) was a Swedish

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

guitarist and singer particularly noted for his interpretations of Carl Michael Bellman's music, and his own work of the typically Swedish song segment named ''visa''. These songs, ''visor'', are traditionally very narrative and the performance is "acted" to some degree. The singer is in context a ''vissångare'', a

troubadour A troubadour (, ; ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female equivalent is usually called a ''trobairitz''. The tr ...

character. Åkerström was also known for his actor's interpretations of Bellman's 18th century material, and his unusual ability to reach deep bass notes (especially on his interpretation of Bellman's song '' Glimmande nymf'').

Life

Åkerström was born in Stockholm to a family of meager circumstances, which would later influence the social, economic, and political criticisms found in many of his works and public appearances. He aspired at an early age to become a ''vissångare,'' after having heard local singer-songwriter Ruben Nilson (1893-1971). After performances at the famous ''Vispråmen Storken'', a barge in Stockholm where folksingers performed, he released his first record in 1963, . He was a contemporary of

Cornelis Vreeswijk Cornelis Vreeswijk (8 August 1937 – 12 November 1987) was a Dutch singer-songwriter and poet who lived and worked primarily in Sweden. Born to Dutch parents in IJmuiden, Netherlands, he emigrated to Sweden with his parents in 1949 at the age ...

, and the two were at times very close, touring together and releasing a joint record early in their careers. He became an alcoholic in later life. His daughter CajsaStina Åkerström is also a singer.

Bellman interpreter

Like Vreeswijk, Åkerström was a major interpreter of Carl Michael Bellman's songs, giving them "a new and more powerful expression" than they had had before, starting with his live performance of one of '' Fredman's Epistles'', " Nå skruva fiolen" in 1964. Åkerström believed that Bellman had been misinterpreted by an earlier generation of artists: far from being a jolly and romantic person, Bellman was, Åkerström thought, an accurate social reporter of poverty, sickness, death and suffering. Åkerström published ten albums containing Bellman songs, of which three were dedicated to that subject: '' Fred sjunger Bellman'' in 1969; '' Glimmande nymf'' in 1974; and '' Vila vid denna källa'' in 1977. His performances increased in intensity until it seemed to audience and critics that Åkerström was identifying himself with Bellman. In his book ''Ingenstans fri som en fågel'', Peter Mosskin wrote of Åkerström that no-one in two hundred years had succeeded better at bringing Bellman to life, making the story of his music an important element in Swedish cultural history. His later Bellman recordings combined his guitar with cello and flute.

Political views

In the late 1960s, Åkerström was influenced by left wing politics and started recording more political songs such as Kapitalismen (Capitalism) which originally was a danish protest song written by Per Dich. He also joined the Communist Party (known then as KPML(r)) and published the songs under their record label Proletärkultur

Discography

*'' Fred Åkerström sjunger Ruben Nilson'' (1963) *'' Fred besjunger Frida'' (1964), ''visor'' by Birger Sjöberg *'' Visor och oförskämdheter'' (1964), concert tour recordings with

och Ann-Louise Hanson *'' Visor i närheten'' (1965) ''visor'' by Fritz Sjöström *'' Doktor Dolittle'' (1965) *'' Dagsedlar åt kapitalismen'' (1967) *'' Fred sjunger Bellman'' (1969) Bellman interpretations *'' Mera Ruben Nilson'' (1971) *'' Två tungor'' (1972), includes song ''"Jag ger dig min morgon"'' *'' Glimmande nymf'' (1974) with Trio CMB (guitar, flute, cello) Bellman interpretations *'' Bananskiva'' (1976) *'' Vila vid denna källa'' (1977) with Trio CMB (guitar, flute, cello) Bellman interpretations *'' Sjöfolk och landkrabbor'' (1978) *'' Åkerströms blandning'' (1982)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akerstrom, Fred 1937 births 1985 deaths Singers from Stockholm Swedish male songwriters 20th-century Swedish guitarists 20th-century Swedish male singers Interpreters of Carl Michael Bellman's works Swedish male guitarists Alcohol-related deaths in Sweden