In 1987, artist Kate Gulbrandsen (57) made Europe open its eyes. With her bright blue jacket and high bangs, she sang her way to 9th place in the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “Mitt Liv”.
These participate in MGP 2023
On Saturday, the 57-year-old makes a comeback to MGP, with the song “Tårer i Paradis”.
This time it is a very open and honest Gulbrandsen who is on stage. The song is about the ex-husband, who a few years ago took his own life.
– He chose to go away, he committed suicide. It’s a tough topic for many, says Gulbrandsen when Dagbladet meets her during rehearsals for the first dolphin final in MGP.
She has had the help of artist and songwriter Kjetil Mørland (42) to create the song.
Mørland is among other things behind Ulrikke Brandstorp’s “Attention”, and he himself represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “A Monster Like Me” in 2015.
– Close to losing each other
– We started by finding out what I was going to sing about. So then I told my story, and he thought it was so strong that it became it.
Gulbrandsen and her ex-husband had a daughter Sandra together. Just a few months after the couple separated, he died.
– It’s a story I’ve experienced myself, it’s my own story. It is good to be able to sing about something that is true, she says.
THAT TIME: Kate Gulbrandsen when she participated in MGP in 1987. Photo: Odd Steinar Gulbrandsen / NTB
sea view
– What will it be like to stand on stage and sing about that part of your life?
– I have lived with that story for many years, and the text as well. I wouldn’t have dared to stand here if I hadn’t meant to.
– Suicide is very taboo, and perhaps even more so at the time it happened. We’ve been very open about it all along, and I feel it’s good to have a strong story to sing about, Gulbrandsen continues.
She says that it will be nice to tell the story in front of the Norwegian people, and show that there is also hope in such situations.
– You become very strong in adversity. You can handle quite a lot. At least that’s how I feel.
Mamma Lisa’s farewell to Milo (2)
– How are you today?
– It’s going very well with us now, it does. My daughter and I processed it. It’s been a number of years, but it’s good to be open about things, and talk about it, and not least sing about it.
Now she is looking forward to taking the MGP stage – 36 years after the success of “Mitt Liv”.
That is why she dropped the MGP welding
– I feel so calm, that’s what’s so strange. I always do that when I’m going to sing, because I just can’t wait to be on stage. That’s what’s fun!
Gulbrandsen is not nervous ahead of the dolphin final on Saturday.
– I don’t usually have so many nerves, but it’s clear that you think a lot about memorizing the text and what I’m going to do on stage. I’m excited, and have butterflies, but I don’t feel nervous.
Now she dreams of a place in the final on February 4, in Trondheim Spektrum.
– “Is there a chance perhaps?”, I have started to think in recent days. It would have been a dream to reach the final. But we have many strong and fine artists here this year. Many young people. I am one of the oldest, but age has nothing to do when it comes to music, she concludes.
