Björn Afzelius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Björn Afzelius
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Björn Afzelius, May 1994
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| Background information | |
| Born | 27 January 1947 Huskvarna, Jönköping County, Sweden |
| Died | 16 February 1999 (aged 52) Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Genres | Rock, pop, progg |
| Occupation(s) | singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1970–1999 |
| Labels | Rebelle Records, MNW, Nackswing, Amalthea, Norske Gram, Transmission, Not On Label, CMC Entertainment, PolyGram, Plateselskapet, Diesel Music, Premium Publishing |
| Associated acts | Hoola Bandoola Band, Mikael Wiehe |
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Björn Svante Afzelius (born January 27, 1947 – died February 16, 1999) was a famous Swedish singer and songwriter. He also played the guitar. Björn was known for caring deeply about fairness and helping people. He often sang about love, politics, and the happy and sad parts of life.
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Björn's Music Journey
Björn Svante Afzelius was born in Huskvarna, Sweden. His mom and her family loved music. This meant Björn grew up around music from a very young age.
In 1970, Björn started a music group called Hoola Bandoola Band. He formed it with his good friend, Mikael Wiehe. Björn and Mikael stayed close friends. They kept working together even after their band broke up in 1975.
Björn released his first solo album in 1974. His last album came out in 1999, the same year he passed away. Some of his most popular songs include "Ikaros" and "Tusen bitar." "Tusen bitar" means "Thousand pieces." It was first sung by a Danish artist named Anne Linnet. Another well-known song is "Sång till friheten," which means "Song for Freedom." This song was originally by a Cuban artist, Silvio Rodríguez.
Björn wrote about 150 songs during his life. He sold more than two-and-a-half million albums. He died from lung cancer in 1999 when he was 52 years old. Many people in Scandinavia still love his music today.
His Legacy and Awards
Björn Afzelius passed away in Gothenburg, Sweden, on February 16, 1999.
After he died, a special group was created in his honor. It is called the Björn Afzelius International Culture Foundation (BAIK). This foundation helps support a prize called the Freemuse Award. This award celebrates people or groups who have bravely worked for freedom in music.
Here are some of the people who have won the Freemuse Award:
- 2008: Tiken Jah Fakoly, a reggae singer from Côte d'Ivoire. He had to leave his country because he spoke out against unfair politics.
- 2009: Pete Seeger, a famous American folk singer and activist.
- 2010: Two winners shared the award. They were Iranian singer Mahsa Vahdat and Turkish-Kurdish singer Ferhat Tunç.
- 2011: Ramy Essam, who sang songs that became the soundtrack for big changes in Egypt.
- 2013: Festival au Désert, a music festival started by Manny Ansar.
- 2016: Lavon Volski, a rock musician from Belarus.
- 2017: Zohra, which is the first and only orchestra made up of women in Afghanistan.
In 2021, the Freemuse Freedom of Artistic Expression Award started looking for new people to nominate.
Björn's Albums
Björn Afzelius released many albums during his career.
With Hoola Bandoola Band
- 1971: Garanterat individuell
- 1972: Vem kan man lita på?
- 1973: På väg
- 1975: Fri Information
Solo albums
- 1974: Vem är det som är rädd?
- 1976: För kung och fosterland
- 1978: Johnny Boy (with Björn Afzelius Band)
- 1980: Globetrotter (with Globetrotters)
- 1984: Exil (with Globetrotters)
- 1986: Björn Afzelius & Mikael Wiehe (with Mikael Wiehe)
- 1990: Tusen bitar
- 1994: Nära dig
- 1999: Elsinore
See also
In Spanish: Björn Afzelius para niños
