By SVERRE GUNNAR HAGA translated from Norwegian by Robert A Jones
Tuesdag 16. May 2000 7:16

HOME AGAIN: Sissel Kyrkjebø brought her daughters Ingrid and Sara to Bergen to celebrate 17. May.

Photo: ODDMUND LUNDE

Dagbladet met Sissel in comfortable and sun-filled surroundings on Nordnes in Bergen yesterday. Earlier this year news came that Sissel's work in the USA on her next album was stopped. At that point, the Sissel Team had worked for two years and used 6 million Norwegian crowns on the project. Now they are working with the producer-team Stargate in Trondheim, Norway and with Jørn Dahl at DiscLab in Oslo. The goal is to release a CD in the Fall.

Lacked hits
"It is clear that the work on the new album has been frustrating. But it isn't unusual in the music business that things take a completely new turn. Therefore, I'm taking the changes calmly," said Sissel.

Her manager, Arne Svare, downplays the stop of work in the USA.

"The USA recording was quit last year and the idea all along was to supplement it with two or three Scandinavian recordings. Neither is it any secret that we believed that it lacked songs with radio potential," said Svare.

Received Star Offer
She has become 30 years old and over 15 of them she has spent in the spotlight. She lives a wonderful life in the Danish capital with her husband and two children. That's all well and good, but:

"Couldn't you have been an international star today if you'd done the right things at the right time?

"It is completely impossible to say any such thing. It would have been incredibly hard work, and still it would be very uncertain. And would I be the person I am today? I received an offer from an American star producer when I was about 18 and it could be that it turned into something. But it could have well meant I lost the opportunity to be involved with the "Titanic"-project, right? I am very at peace with my life right now. It is what is before me that is exciting," said Sissel Kyrkjebø.

A Lot of Fun
In the course of the last few years Sissel has worked with a wide variety of artists and projects, such as Placido Domingo, Warren G, "Titanic," the Chieftains and the Christmas concerts. One doesn't need to be an image consultant to see that the choice of repertoire is ranging in all directions. But it is exactly as Sissel wants it.

"I have always been open for projects that come along which are exciting, and completely unlike each other. Perhaps there should be more of an overall direction, but it's fine that there are side projects also. That's perhaps how I want it to be. I won't be all too hung up on planning, either," said Sissel.

"The point is that I have a fantastic profession where I get to play a lot. The career has perhaps no decided goal, but I have always done what I desire to do.

"I know no other life than this. My work experience consists of a week at an electric firm in the 8th grade. Oh, and I was also a newspaper deliverer for a while," said Sissel laughing.

Diana Krall
The star is now in her hometown with her children, Ingrid (4) and Sara (9 mos.), to celebrate the 17th of May (Norway's Constitution Day). But also to prepare for her next concert on the 31st of May. During the "Nattjazz" festival she will perform two concerts with the world's most-selling jazz artist, Canadian Diana Krall, in an enormous former shipbuilding hall at Nordnes in Bergen. Ticket sales have been so brisk that an earlier concert has been added the same evening, the 31st.

"I received two of her albums a few years ago and nearly fell out of my chair upon hearing her fantastic voice. It turned out that we both had the same management in the USA. Our manager there thought we should definitely do something together. So we met in Paris earlier this year to see if there was any "connection" between us. And there was absolutely good chemistry," said Sissel.

Sissel and Krall each have their own performance before they meet to sing some jazz standards together. The exact songs they'll do together isn't clear. And eek, Sissel for her part hasn't begun practicing, yet.

"I must soon start that! We haven't decided which songs I'll perform, yet. But I'm going to perform new material as well," said Sissel.

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