Swingfly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Swingfly
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| Background information | |
| Born | New York City, New York, US |
| Origin | Stockholm, Sweden |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
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Ricardo DaSilva II, known by his stage name Swingfly, is an American-Swedish rapper and singer. He is also called Swing-Fly, Richie Pasta, and Swing. He started by singing on other artists' songs but also built his own music career. He became very well known after appearing in Melodifestivalen 2011 with his song "Me and My Drum". He finished fifth in the competition, and the song became his most popular single, reaching number 2 on the Swedish Singles Chart.
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Swingfly's Early Music Journey
Ricardo DaSilva II was born in New York City. He lived in Trinidad and Tobago and Panama before moving to Stockholm, Sweden in 1991. In Stockholm, he joined the growing hip hop music scene. He became part of a group called Timebomb. This group included producer Christian Falk, rapper ADL, and DJ Sleepy. They released three songs, including Swingfly's "Smoke 'em Swing," which had a jazzy sound.
In 1995, Swingfly, using the name "Swing," worked with Dr. Alban. They recorded a Euro-disco hit called "Sweet Dreams". This song was a cover of a famous Eurythmics song. It reached number 12 in Sweden and became popular in other European countries, like the Netherlands.
Swingfly also worked with the soul-jazz group Blacknuss All-Stars (later known as Blacknuss). He sang on several of their albums and often performed with them live across Europe and the UK.
His biggest success came in 2004 when he teamed up with the electro/dub/punk group Teddybears. Their song "Hey Boy" became one of the most played songs on Swedish radio that summer. It stayed on the Sweden Singles Top 60 for 21 weeks and reached number 13. After this, Swingfly toured in Sweden, Europe, and the US with the Teddybears.
Swingfly's Solo Career
Swingfly signed a record deal with Dolores Recordings. This label was known for helping Swedish artists become famous around the world. Through Dolores, he released a few singles that did well in Scandinavian music charts. An album was planned for 2006 but was delayed. A new version of the album was planned for 2008, with music produced by RamPac, Klas Åhlund from Teddybears, Kleerup, and Thomas Rusiak. This album had a mix of rock, punk, and electronic sounds. His album, God bless the IRS, was finally released on April 29, 2009.
Melodifestivalen Appearances
Melodifestivalen 2011
Swingfly took part in Melodifestivalen 2011 with his song "Me and My Drum". The song featured the voice of Christoffer Hiding. Swingfly placed second in his semi-final, which meant he moved on to the final. In the final, he finished fifth overall.
Even though he didn't win, the song became very popular. It was released as a single and reached number 2 on Sverigetopplistan, which is Sweden's official music chart. The song was also certified Platinum, meaning it sold a lot of copies!
Melodifestivalen 2016
Swingfly returned to Melodifestivalen 2016 with the song "You Carved Your Name." He performed this song with Helena Gutarra. The song was written by Joakim Åhlund and Andreas Kleerup. They performed it in the third semi-final on February 20, 2016, in Norrköping. However, the song did not make it to the finals.
Swingfly's Music Albums
Swingfly has released two main albums:
- God Bless the IRS (2009)
- Awesomeness - An Introduction to Swingfly (2011) - This album reached number 12 on the Swedish charts. It included his hit song "Me and My Drum."
Popular Songs by Swingfly
Swingfly has released many singles throughout his career. Here are some of his well-known songs:
- "Smoke 'em Swing" (1991)
- "Sweet Dreams" (1995) - featuring Dr. Alban
- "Street Life" (1997) - featuring Lutricia McNeal
- "Something's Got Me Started" (2006)
- "Singing That Melody" (2008)
- "Me and My Drum" (2011) - featuring Christoffer Hiding, this song was a huge hit, reaching number 2 in Sweden and going Platinum!
- "You Carved Your Name" (2016) - featuring Helena Gutarra
Images for kids
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