Towa Carson

Infobox Musical artist


Name = Towa Carson
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Birgit Carlsson
Alias =
Born = March 31, 1936 (age 71)
Died =
Origin = Eskilstuna, Sweden
Instrument =
Genre = Schlager
Occupation =
Years_active = 1954–present
Label =
Associated_acts = Hanson, Carson & Malmkvist
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members = Infobox Musical artist


Name = Hanson, Carson & Malmkvist
Background = temporary
Birth_name =
Alias =
Born =
Died =
Origin = Sweden
Instrument =
Genre = Schlager
Occupation =
Years_active = 2004
Label =
Associated_acts =
URL =
Current_members = Towa Carson, Ann-Louise Hanson,
Siw Malmkvist
Past_members =

Towa Carson, born Birgit Carlsson on 31 March, 1936 in Eskilstuna, Sweden, is a Swedish schlager singer. She debuted in 1954 and had the most success in the 1950s and 1960s, when she recorded many duets with Lasse Lönndahl. She participated in the Swedish song contest Melodifestivalen (which serves as a national preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest) in 1967 ("Du vet var jag finns", third place) and 1968 (two songs - "Alla har glömt" took fourth place, while "Vem frågar vinden" took the fifth). Unlike many other schlager-singing Scandinavian stars, she never sought international career, despite allegedly receiving offers from the U.S. and Germany.

In 2004, at the age of 68, she teamed up with fellow veteran Melodifestivalen participants, Siw Malmkvist and Ann-Louise Hanson, to enter the contest again. The trio, under the name "Hanson, Carson & Malmkvist", gained media attention due to the average age of the ladies far exceeding 60. Their song, "C'est la vie", written by the prolific Swedish composer , was a mix of a typical schlager tune with uptempo dance beat. The ladies advanced from their semifinal round thanks to their popularity with televoters and took the tenth place on the final night, with an energetic performance including Siw's spectacular kicks. They also appeared at one of that year's Allsång på Skansen events.

In 2006, Towa Carson celebrated her 70th birthday. She is married to Bengt Anlert, a former football player for Allmänna Idrottsklubben. The unusual first name she uses on stage stems from her father calling her "Min lilla Tova" when she was a little girl, with reference to her tangled hair ("tova" means "tangle" in Swedish).

Kvällstoppen

* 1964 - Visa Mej Hur Man Går Hem "(with Lars Lönndahl)" - 12#
* 1964 - Jag Måste Ge Mej Av - 3#
* 1965 - En Lilja Är Vit "(with Lars Lönndahl)" - 13#
* 1967 - Laxå "(with Mats Olsson)" - 20#
* 1969 - Casatchok - 11#

References

"This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding Swedish Wikipedia article as of 22 September 2006."
* [http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,443708,00.html Aftonbladet report on Hanson, Carson & Malmkvist advancing to the Melodifestivalen final] Sv icon
* [http://hd.se/familj/2006/03/30/towa_carson_jag_har_tackat_nej Helsinborgs Dagblad report on Towa's 70th birthday] Sv icon
* [http://www.vt.se/%5CGEN_Utmatningpersonligt.asp?CategoryID=443&ArticleID=1146852&ArticleOutputTemplateID=70&ArticleStateID=2 Västerviks-Tidningen report on Towa's 70th birthday] Sv icon
* [http://svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=11558&lid=puff_169742&lpos=lasMer Official Melodifestivalen 2004 contestant page for Hanson, Carson & Malmkvist] Sv icon

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAmVJzy0eCE Video clip of Hanson, Carson & Malmkvist performing "C'est la vie" at the Umeå round of Melodifestivalen 2004 Semifinals]
* [http://www.flipnoise.com/softtempo/rm/TOWA%20CARSON_03-Tillbaka%20Igen.ram Music sample from Towa's 1976 record - "Tillbaka Igen"]