Ardis Fagerholm

Infobox musical artist
Name = Ardis


Img_capt = Ardis
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Ardis Hemezida Fagerholm
Born = 8 March 1971
Genre = Pop
Dance
Dance-pop
Synthpop
Electronica
Occupation = Singer-songwriter
Instrument = Vocals
Years_active = 1993–present
Label = Stockholm Records

Ardis Fagerholm, born 8 March 1971, is a Swedish pop singer.

At the age of thirteen Ardis crossed the Atlantic to settle down in Sweden. In her new country she was given opportunities that her previous home-country, the West Indies islands of the Dominican Republic, rarely could provide. Growing up on Motown and gospel-influenced american music, Ardis started writing songs and lyrics.

In 1991 the american singer/arranger, Jon Berger, teamed up as Ardis' musical companion. Together they created Ardis' first demo. Originally, Ardis' musical career started after a friend from her Swedish school had the courtesy to lend Ardis a keyboard. The heritage from the Dominican Republic shone through clearly in her songs and lyrics. The heritage was carefully blended with soul and gospel music.

In 1992 Stockholm Records signed Ardis kicking her musical career into high gear. A collaboration with producer Anders Hansson which resulted in the debut album "Love Addict" in 1994. The Swedish audience first got acquainted with Ardis after the release of her version of the classic "Ain't Nobody's Business". However, Ardis' big break was "Shotgun", a song which was chosen as the theme on the soundtrack to "Vendetta", a recent feature film. "Shotgun" became Ardis' second hit single and her break through in the charts. "Love Addict" was released at the end of 1994. All songs on the album were written by Ardis, with the exception of "Ain't Nobody's Business". The album went gold shortly after its release and Ardis was nominated for a Grammis, the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards. A tour started in late '94 and continued in to '95. The extensive tour gave audiences the opportunity to get familiar with the stage personality of Ardis, a personality that caught the fascination of the Swedish media. Statements like "...in private I'm a woman, on stage a bitch" gave fuel for further interest and mystique around Ardis' live performances. After the tour Ardis took a break and started the work on the follow-up to "Love Addict"

In September 1996 Ardis stepped released a single, "Dirty", taken from the album "Woman", which was released in October. Every song on "Woman" has Ardis' signature on the songwriting credit. The production work is, as on "Love Addict", done by Anders Hansson. However, this time no less than four producers were involved, in order to "use everyone's advantages". About "Woman", Ardis says "The songs are more varied and connected. Every piece of lyric and music is more developed. Personally, I've developed, so has my voice - hand in hand, the songs and the lyrics are simply better."

External links

* [http://www.fortunecity.com/rivendell/immortal/798/ardis/eafr.htm Fortune City]