Svarta Ballader

Tracks

All the lyrics are poems by Dan Andersson. All the arrangements are by Sofia Karlsson, except for "Jag väntar..." (Karlsson, Esbjörn Hazelius), "Omkring tiggarn från Luossa" (Karlsson, Oskar Schönning) and "Helgdagskväll i timmerkojan" (Karlsson, Schönning).

1. "Jag väntar..." (I am waiting) - 4:07 (music: Gunnar Turesson)
2. "Vaggvisa" (Lullaby) - 4:19 (music: Sofie Livebrant)
3. "Jag har drömt..." (I dreamt) - 3:26 (music: Sofia Karlsson)
4. "Omkring tiggarn från Luossa..." (Around the beggar from Luossa) - 4:18 (music: Gunde Johansson)
5. "Julvisa i Finnmarken" (Christmas song in Finnmark) - 3:15 (music: Thorstein Bergman)
6. "Vaknatt" (Wakeful night) - 2:15 (music: Thorstein Bergman)
7. "Du liv..." (You, life) - 4:47 (music: Sofie Livebrant)
8. "Till min syster" (To my sister) - 2:17
9. "Helgdagskväll i timmerkojan" (Holiday evening in a log cabin) - 6:07
10. "Mot ljuset" (To the light) - 3:47 (music: Sofie Livebrant)
11. "Minnet" (Memory) - 3:05

Recording

The disc was recorded on several occasions in 2004. Tracks 1-5, 9 and 11 were recorded at Gammelgården, Osmo in May and September. The end of track 11 was recorded over the phone in March of Sofie Livebrant. Track 6 is a home recording made of Peter and Sofie in Stockholm's Gamla Stan in October. Tracks 7 and 10 were recorded in the Capsule in December. Track 8 was recorded by Janne Hansson in November at Atlantis Studios.

Participants

Reception

The album was very well received. Helsingborgs Dagblad gave the disc rating of 4/5. The reviewer wrote "With her fingertip-sensitive arrangements she manages to bring Dan Andersson's poetry about dreams, breakup and longing poetry to our time." Dagensskiva.com acclaimed the album and awarded it 10/10. The reviewer wrote "Sofia Karlsson has built a bridge to my childhood encounter with Dan Andersson. The romantic, primeval forest's loneliness and longing for intimacy." Rootsy.nu described the disc positively in which the review ended with the words "hereby Black ballads and Sofia Karlsson are appointed to 2005's best albums in the genres Swedish song and folk music."

In 2006 she won the prize in the category of "folk/world music" at Manifestgalan. The statement read "With a blending of Swedish song tradition, folk-musical precision and playful borrowing of genres, Sofia Karlsson's album Black ballads made Dan Andersson unmissable for yet another generation."

In 2008 Karlsson was awarded the Dan Andersson prize. In her acceptance speech, she said "For me, this is the best prize you can get. It is awarded by people who love Dan Andersson, his poetic quality and his work. And it is given to people who love Dan Andersson, his life and work. So there is a prize handed out as much of and for love, as the effort and success. So for me this is the best prize I can get."

Black ballads was a success with both critics and consumers. The album has sold over 60,000 copies in Sweden.