Estonian popular music artists stepping out onto the world stage face a linguistic challenge. These ears have yet to hear a native Estonian son or daughter master the lingua franca of the pop world, English, to the extent that the listener would not notice that songs are being sung in a foreign tongue. I'm not sure that is terribly important for commercial success - ABBA, after all, never shook off that sensual Swedish soft-mouth sound, pleasing palatization that is common to Nordic people speaking English. That however, is of little importance in the pop world, where the lyrics are often secondary to the tune.
Hedvig Hanson's musical world is far different. An eclectic blend built on a jazz foundation it is tinged with African and Brazilian influences, creating quite a musical tapestry. She sings in a cool, Nordic voice, one that in the higher registers has at times a resemblance to the warblings of Agnetha Fältskog (of ABBA fame).
Add to this that Whitney Houston (!) is one of her all time heroes. Also consider the individuals that Hanson cites as vocal influences - a diverse list of greats such as Shirley Horn, Dianne Reeves and Sade, as well as lesser-knowns Dee-Dee Bridgewater, Rachelle Ferrel, Erykah Badu and Tania Maria, and you wonder what colour is Hedvig Hanson's own voice. Sure isn’t “white”, as this recording reveals.
In 1993 at the age of 18 she enjoyed her first triumph, winning Estonia's biggest singing contest, ”Kaks takti ette” (Two bars forward). At that time she cited the influence of Candy Dulfer on her singing. Fortunately, her tastes have improved. Her personal appeal saw her quickly become a "press darling" as the front person for the Estonian all-star jazz band Basic Concept.
Released exactly 10 years later, this disc is an attempt to move from the small Estonian stage and capture the international market. Sales are high in Europe; Germany especially has taken to Hedvig's interpretations. This thanks to her signing with International Artists’ Emarcy label, who have promoted this album heavily. Hedvig Hanson toured Europe after the September release of this disc as part of the legendary "Rising Stars" bandwagon phenomenon, (quite unlike the made-for-TV American Idol nonsense).
Hanson is backed by an able all-star Estonian jazz quartet along with five special guests, who provide much of the "mojito" that the artist is lauded for. Her talents as a singer and songwriter lie in the ability to capture dreamy emotions with an honesty that indeed does evoke Sade's songcraft. She recognizes her influences, thanks her "soulbrothers" in the liner credits for understanding her as a friend and a musician. Acknowledging that sometimes life is sweeter than a dream, she can captivate her audience with a breathy phrase, onethat shares the sweetness that she has found in her life with those around her.
This is quite the interesting recording - in both senses of the word. Captivating, yet also questioning. Is it captivating enough to capture a slice of the international market? Only time will tell. Perhaps the underlying simplicity that helped propel Gilberto to superstardom in the 1960's will make up for that pronunciation and inflection issue. Then again, perhaps those petty issues matter less than actual musical qualities, and on this afro-white recording Hedvig Hanson demonstrates musical diversity in spades.