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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT — msK
By: Terrence Hazly
All the way from Copenhagen, Kirsten
Rigmor, is creating music with producers
in Denmark and in the USA. Listening to
all kinds of music is a big part of her life
with her strongest inspiration comes
from listening to tunes from Billie Holi-
day and Stevie Wonder. The collabora-
tions with different people inspire her,
which can be heard in her music. I was
fortunate to run into her and here is our
conversation:
Tell us how you got started and how long you have been singing?
Both my parents introduced me to classical music. My mother plays pi-
ano; my father plays cello. My older sisters turned me on to jazz, soul
and funk music. We had a tenant from Jamaica who turned me on to
Bob Marley. I got my first Bob Marley album “Survival” for my birthday at
the age of eight. I have been singing in school music lessons, and got
my first leadsinger role in a funkband called Splonge when I was 21. I
started composing melodies and writing lyrics, singing with this band for
about three years.
Describe to us your singing style.
I am a self-taught singer. The way I sing is inspired by Billie Holiday –
she has touched me deeply since I was teenager, but listening to voices
and sounds that I find pretty and lovely also inspire my singingstyle.
Tell us a little bit about your songwriting techniques.
Normally I compose lyrics and melodies at the same time; I improvise.
Sometimes I write the lyrics first and then find a melody; other times I
create melodies first and then write lyrics.
What types of obstacles have you encountered getting to where
you are?
I think it’s a challenge to get soul music heard in Denmark because pop-
ular music here is more like Rock and Pop. I have experienced that
some people thought I was too “old” to have a singing career when I
was 32, which disappointed me, but I told myself that “music is sup-
posed to be music”, and I stuck with my songwriting and kept doing mu-
sic my own way.