The songs on here are mostly downbeat. Is that the proper way of saying the opposite of upbeat? (musically speaking. the answer is no. Just trying to make a bit of a joke).
They try to tell stories about life's roads: among those are the ones I was walking on in 2007-2008. Or more so how I was feeling. Sometimes blue, sometimes filled with cautious optimism, sometimes simply wondering. Most of them are melancholy, but, there are three exceptions in "Music", "I Keep Walking the Road That Leads Me Back to You", and "My Kind of Living". The one mentioned second there, is one I wanted to have on the album because I wanted to leave the door open for love again. It was a call, or a prayer, or both.
"A Different Road" ... does one not feel like one wants to walk on a different road than what one is on from time to time? But, then again, whether or not one is walking on one road or another, one is always walking on one's own road of life.
"Wonderful Heartache". The song was written because I had a song idea and a melody to go with it. It just happened that it fit in with the rest of the walkers/songs. My favorite lyric in the song is "A house so full of loneliness". Do you have a favorite lyric in there? If so, please share in the comments! :)
(post is in progress. Will edit and add some more)
In pop culture and art: colors carry meaning. One color can mean different things in different situations and to different people. It's a matter of individual experiences and taste.
Do I sound obvious? (insert positive answer lol)
I used to have blue as my favorite color as a child. Why? Who knows.
All I know is I liked blue. When my children were little, I let them choose ever which colors they liked to wear.
Until awareness of worldly norms and standards suggested otherwise. Will that thought bring a feeling of the blues along? If so, here's a song I wrote just for the reason of wanting to write an upbeat 4/4 shuffle that I could sing at a talent show.
Here's a thought of a different color: blue can also mean something very positive. Like blue skies.
Yesterday in church, we unexpectedly got to sing "I'm Proud To Be An American", or, as the actual title of the song is: "God Bless The USA". I say unexpectedly, because it was at a church service, but, it really was very, very fitting and that is why I say 'we got to sing' as in 'had the privilege to sing'. Because it is a privilege to be, to exist, to worship and praise God and your country at the same time along with others that feel the same way.
Have a Safe and Special Celebration today!
Foot note: Speaking of privilege ... I once had the pleasure of hearing Lee Greenwood play "The Star Spangled Banner" at the opening ceremony at Nissan Stadium (then LP Field) in Nashville, TN for the CMA Festival nightly concerts. He played the saxophone at that particular occasion.
I'm excited to share with you and the world that I have released my first official music video!
The song is "Music", which was recorded over in Sweden and released on my Kriztina Åhs & Countryfied project, but the video itself was recorded in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I wrote the song about the feeling, thrill and magic of enjoying - you guessed it! - music.
I hope you find it as enjoyable to watch and listen to as it was for me to sing it.
Inevitable, there are trials in life. It is a common belief that they will grow you and make you stronger.
"Thank You Song" comes from a place like that. It was a day like any other day (way before this thing in 2020 hit us), and why an event triggered me to write it, is a mystery, just like Life itself, but what I do know is that my husband was still hooked on narcotic pain pills at the time, and the unpredictability of each moment was a constant cloud hanging over us and me. He had had one of his out-lashes and it was after that moment "Thank You Song" came about. I turned to my consolers God and music and reached for my guitar and simply started strumming and singing. The words and the melody instantly started flowing through from my heart and the Holy Spirit . There is no other explanation when a song simply starts seemingly out of "nothingness". The purpose for me that evening was to find strength in life's weakness to connect with a feeling of gratitude, so that I could turn a resentment into something uplifting.
In this day and time, when we all are more or less in an adaptive stage of living, my hope is that you will find strength and inspiration from hearing this song.
He was one of the reasons I started loving country music. My dad had already introduced me to country music at a very young age, but my interest started blossoming when I first heard the Swedish country artist Mats Rådberg sing his version of "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys". And now he is gone and it's hard to believe. The fond memories are many, because Rådberg was the biggest name in Swedish country music ever since he had his breakthrough, and he also was the emcee at the country's biggest country music festival for several years. That very festival had a talent show and someway, somehow I was entered. One day in my fourteenth year of living here on Earth, the phone rang, and my mom answered. After just a few seconds she called on me saying in a very puzzled voice: "There's a man on the line and he wants to talk to you". After taking the handset and curiously saying "Hello?", the voice on the other end said "Hi, this is Mats Rådberg ... ". I wish I remember the rest, but what I do remember is that I sat down and listened, not believing my ears. He called to say I had been selected to sing at the talent show! Since I was under age, my mom took over from there. To meet my hero and to sing in his presence was extremely exciting to say the least. It did happen, but not at the talent show, because my mom thought it was on the Sunday of the festival weekend, but it actually was on Saturday. So, when we arrived, the talent show had already taken place. The producers - including Rådberg - of the show were kind enough to let me sing anyway in between sets that day, and it still is a special memory that I hold dear in my heart.
Today I have some thoughts about the difference between the American word "culture" and the Swedish word "kultur". They do not carry the same meaning at all.
Today's thoughts started as I read a Swedish news article about Max von Sydow. If you haven't heard of him: he was a Swedish actor, most famous for his role as Antonius Block in Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" (one iconic scene is when Antonius plays chess with Death).
Try to stay on topic now Kriz! Okay, so, after I had read the article, I saw suggested ones appear and one of them had the Swedish word "kultur" as part of the headline. "Kultur" in Swedish would translate to "The Arts" in English. It has everything to do with anything that is creative - like music, dance, art, theater and the like. If you say "fin-kultur" (or "finkultur), it would encompass the higher forms of arts like opera, classical music, poetry, classical plays and paintings and art that are very expensive. "The Seventh Seal" would be considered "finkultur".
Now over to the English meaning of "culture". That can be described as things one particular group of people would do/say/listen to because it is part of their culture and heritage. Let me give you some examples: Americans often eat hamburgers as it is part of their culture. Swedes celebrate Midsummer because it is part of their culture.
I hope that clarified and explained the distinction between the two words.
Which is the most summery-est of all summery fruits and berries? (Pause to think ... ) Maybe the blackberry? It has a mysterious hue and tastes like summer ...
Or, does the strawberry taste more like summer? Or peach?
Maybe only the berry and fruit that one has the most pleasant summer memories associated with taste the most summer-y ... :-)
Anyone from the part of Sweden where I grew up would probably vote for the strawberry. Why? Because there are many strawberry farmers in that area! In face, my mom and dad sent me to a strawberry farm to pich strawberries over the summer when I was only thirteen ... Why? Because that is what mom and dad did when they were that age!
But, what flavor do I vote for no ... when I have lived in the South long enough to prefer Southern flavors? Well, I like my strawberries as a shortcake and my peaches ripe, juicy or simply grilled served with ice cream ... or in a cobbler of course! Still served with vanilla ice cream ...
Here is the traditional way to serve strawberries in Sweden:
Strawberries with whipped cream and sugar.
And here in the South, we serve our peaches like this:
Which road are you on? Your own. Everyone is walking their own road. It does have lessons, unexpected turns and pleasant surprises in a curious and wondrous mix. All in all, it is worth walking.
A quote by Kriz Rogers.
Another of my #krizrogersquotes. "Life is worth the effort.
Lemons and all."
Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show
to support Friends 4 Romanian Paws
Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show, one of the top European Country Music magazines wants to show our support for Friends 4 Romanian Paws. They do a great job of helping dogs from Romania to find a loving home where they will have a better life.
We have a soft spot in our hearts for animals. If you have room for one in your life, please find a local animal shelter and adopt a pet just as we did. You’ll be repaid by the love they will give you.
For more information about about Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show visit http://countrymusicnewsinternational.blogspot.com
Friends 4 Romanian Paws are a relatively new non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating the Romanian stray dog problem at its very root. To accomplish this we are working with four shelters in Romania.
Darius shelter is run by Darius Terhes, our go-to veterinarian. He also neuters as many strays as possible in his free time. His help, Mihai, takes loving care of the dogs at the shelter every day. The shelter, that can house up to 60 dogs, and Darius' new built practise are located on a small private property of his.
Friends 4 Romanian Paws are also working on taking in strays from the town Rupea and are planning on offering neutering to family dogs there to get a handle on the stray dog population in this small town. We are really thankful to have a veterinarian in our team who is determined to improve animal welfare in his home country and who has the capacity to give shelter to stray dogs, take care of their medical needs and is even able to perform surgeries if necessary.
Bruno shelter is operated by Eleonora Vlad and her husband Mihai. They shelter about 100 dogs in a well organized environment. Elli is a very kind soul who applies western standards in taking care of the animals. She is grateful for any offered support and does her best to help the dogs on a daily basis.
Friends 4 Romanian Paws also offer a small contribution to Raluca Ferbinteanu, a veterinarian who owns a vet clinic and also shelters around 300 dogs. They hope to be able to help her do small 'spayatons' soon and are taking care of 90 dogs there that were simply forgotten by another organization.
As you can see there is a lot of work to be done and we hope that we can count on your much-needed support because only with that support we can reach our goal of Romania being free of stray dog suffering.
This past Holiday Season was hectic. Or is that something that we decide for ourselves? Hmmm, that could very well be. That whatever we choose to do and feel and think reflects our daily life ... in other words: if one decides to put too many to-do's on oneself, stressful is going to be one's everyday living.
How many "musts" could we cut out of our hearts? What kind of change would it be in your life if you decided to think that the expectations of others oftentimes start in oneself? I think communication helps here. How many gifts do we need? Each person on your list? Maybe they and we don't need as much as we think we do ... talk to them this year before anyone starts any gift list (whether it is a mental note one or a written-down one), and remember, the Greatest Gift has already been given to us:
So, what is this new year going to bring? Much of it is up to us, the Human Kind ...
"My inner joy is not dependent upon any outer circumstance". Quote by Kriz Rogers. Copyright Kriz Rogers.
I am wishing Each and All A Very Happy And Prosperous New 2019!!!!!!!!
One is crazy cute and adorable - talking 'bout videos for goodness sakes! - and the other is a crazy kind of lonely captured in a song. The latter does offer a solution and a reflection on our own responsibility for our situations though (found in the last line of verse two. Lyrics provided).
Kriz Rogers wrote this song when going through a divorce. She performed it live with her band Countryfied at the Swedish Masters of Country Music in September of 2008.
Driving Me Crazy
Lyrics - Copyright Kriz Rogers
The ones I loved before gave me what I asked for
A bunch of lies and heartaches that made me walk the floor.
But, they were honest, told the truth 'bout what they did so I knew.
What a difference it was, not anything like you.
Driving me crazy
To the edge of the world.
My heart is not driven in a way it deserves.
Living by anger - praying for love.
Driving me crazy
to the edge of the world.
At times I touch the sky. Countless days I crawl on ground
so dirty it's like darkness there maybe I belong.
But I'm not stupid, I can see if I stay here I do me wrong.
There's no one who'll rescue me: not anyone but me.
I'm known for having a poetic touch to my lyrics. In this blog post I am going describe how it began - by reading and listening to the works of two national treasures of Sweden. It influenced my songwriting.
My mom and dad - but most and foremost my dad - had a deep connection with reading poetry and the appreciation thereof, most notably of the pieces by the skald Evert Taube and the poet Dan Andersson. In my parents' library, dad had a book with the complete Evert Taube collection and one with the Best of Dan Andersson. Andersson died in his sleep at a very young age (32) at a hotel in Stockholm, but he had already left a considerable legacy with his melancholy descriptions of life, living, people and knowing there was a Divine power.
The theme both poets had in common was their love for nature, but as Dan Andersson lived and worked in the heart of Sweden, his closeness to the land expressed itself in the fields and forests in his works, while Evert Taube's passion was the sea, the archipelago and sailing, since he lived on the west coast of the country.
Dan Andersson's poetry has had many a singer and songwriter putting melody to his words. A member of ABBA (Bjorn), was part of a band before the ABBA days that recorded and released a Dan Andersson song:
Here's a translation of the first, then the last two verses of "Omkring Tiggarn från Luossa" by Dan Andersson, (courtesy of Ola Wikander):
Round the beggar from Luossa people gathered in a ring, by the campfire they sat and heard his song. And of wayfarers and mendicants and every wondrous thing and of his longing he sang to them all night long.
May the black and salty waters cool the cheeks that burn with fever, let’s be miles away from life before the morning breaks above! Not of this world was I, brother; hardships without end I suffered for the sake of worries, faithlessness and of my burning love.
By a shore all dressed in seashells stands a gate of roses heavy, therein sleep the mouldered shipwrecks, and the tired men find rest. Songs unheard and high there sing like violins in distant echoes under arches where eternal children live forever blessed.
It was my dad's favorite and he asked me to sing it for everyone that came to our house.
I tried to find a good youtube video of one of Evert Taube's songs in English, but I couldn't find one :(
But, one of the songs that my class and I were singing at all summer graduation performances (yes, our school had a show each spring before school let out), was "Änglamarken", which translated into English would be "The Earth of the Angels", saying this earth and this life needs nature and its wonders for to have a place for children to play.
Here is Evert Taube singing himself in a ballad he wrote about a sailor:
When thinking about it, I do believe my song "When I'm Watching Butterflies" has drawn inspiration from both poets .... I did not think about it while writing it though.
No place in country music history is as revered as The Home of The Grand Ole Opry. I'm reading a book right now written by Dan Rogers and Brenda Colladay. It sets the "scene" (pun intended) perfectly: "Backstage At The Grand Ole Opry".
I'm only on page 26 of 144, but I've already experienced so many chills and gotten enough tears in my eyes, I have to stop reading for today.
Isn't the book inviting you to not only read, but to go? Actually, you can. They offer guided backstage tours.
