– It was the worst experience in my life. My God, what a day.
This is how artist Carina Dahl (37) describes to Nettavisen the moment she received the heartbreaking message that her best friend, blogger Tuva Willassen (28), had died.
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In early May it was The 28-year-old was found dead by the sea on a beach in Turkey. She left behind her grieving family and friends, and for the 37-year-old, the memory of the shocking message is seared into her brain.
– I had just started my tour when Tuva passed away. I was sitting on the tour bus with Petter Katastrofe and had finished playing a concert when I got the message. I was shocked, but Petter was very good at having there and then, Dahl tells Nettavisen.
It has been seven months since Willassen’s death, and Dahl has processed the loss in various ways. She wrote a song in his honor for her, and when it was taped on TV, memories of Willassen popped up everywhere.
Found solace in memories
In spring, the stage is set for another season of the popular TV show “Kompani Lauritzen”. In the fourth season, a new group of celebrities compete in the military, including Carina Dahl.
Registration takes place in Åndalsnes in Møre og Romsdal, and there is no doubt that the entrance exam is tough. But for Dahl, the experience has been tougher for entirely different reasons.
Two years earlier, Dahl and Willassen were traveling with a friend to Åndalsnes, and the artist still speaks warmly of memories of the trip.
– We were together for several weeks. We did a lot of summit hiking, went to Romsdalseggen and Rampestreken and climbed, Dahl says of the Norwegian vacation with Willassen.
Dahl was originally on a summer tour then, but Willassen always agreed to participate in such things, says the artist, and considered her to be fearless and spontaneous.
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Even though Willassen is gone, the memories are not gone. During the recording of “Company Lauritzen” in Åndalsnes, Dahl felt that her friend was, in a way, there with her, in her spirit.
– When I was on “Kompani Lauritzen” I thought a lot about Tuva, says Dahl.
– There were a lot of memories of her there. It was special, keep going.
However, Dahl found solace in his stay in Åndalsnes.
– I often thought: “Do you see me now, Tuva? I am now at the top of the mountain on which we stood.” It was comfort I had, says the 37-year-old and continues:
– I always like to think that those who have lost see us and are proud of us.
Fear of making a mistake
Shortly after Willassen’s death, Dahl was asked if he could do a song in memory of the 28-year-old. At that time, everything was very fresh and the artist could not find words to describe the loss.
– I can’t sit down and write something to order. It was too early and I didn’t quite understand, she says.
He then put aside the idea of a memorial song, and instead tried to dive into what had happened. It took several months before Dahl could think of a song idea for Tuva Willassen.
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When the recording of “Kompani Lauritzen” wrapped up this fall, Dahl returned to his normal life. As mentioned, the TV recording brought back many memories for his friend and he was constantly thinking about Willassen.
This led to the words suddenly being there, and Dahl sat down to write. The result was the song “Te æ ser dæ again”.
– I had time to work a bit on the song and Tuva during “Kompani Lauritzen”. When I finished there, that song came to mind.
The day before the song was released in November, Willassen’s family and friends gathered at Dahl’s to hear the song for the first time. It was something Dahl feared.
– I was so insanely nervous, and I didn’t quite understand why. I knew they would like the song, but I was so scared that I was wrong and something was going to go wrong.
But the memorial song was met with love and gratitude, according to Dahl. After the song’s release, she also received hundreds of messages from people claiming that the song helped those in similar situations.
– I’m so happy to be able to use my voice to shed light on the topic of mental health. And that people find solace in the song is what matters most, concludes Dahl.
