🇳🇴 Kate Gulbrandsen: “I always had a dream to sing in ESC”

Ahead of Melodi Grand Prix’s first heat on January 14th, Shiloh interviews Kate Gulbrandsen. Kate, who represented Norway at Eurovision in 1987, will compete in the first heat on January 14th with her song “Tårer I Paradis”.

What was your early life and career like? Why did you decide to become a singer?

I have been singing on a stage since I was 7 years old, and sung in many song competitions in Norway, Egypt, Tokyo and Italy before ESC 1987.

You represented Norway at Eurovision in 1987 with the song “Mitt Liv”. What was your experience like?

I always had a dream to sing in ESC since I was a girl, and to sing here was amazing, a circus, and a big memory.

Why do you want to represent Norway again this year? 

I have thought about it sometimes, and first now I have a great song that I believe in and it is a song that is very “me”. Kjetil Mørland, who is a great composer, wrote the melody, and we together wrote the lyrics. It’s about a story that I have experienced myself. I look forward to singing in ESC again in Norway, on January 14.

How do you think your prior experience will help you in the competition?

I know from ’87 what will happen, and I am older now and have been singing a lot since that time, and I am calm.

Have you listened to the excerpts of the other competing songs? Is there anyone you see as your biggest competition?  

Well, I haven’t heard too much of the other songs, but I know that Ulrikke and Atle Pettersen are big challengers, and there are many young artists too, but we will see!

What was the composition process like for your song “Tårer I Paradis”? How was it working with Mørland? 

I had contact with Mørland, and he would like to cooperate with me. He was in England and I was in Norway so it was many hours on Zoom. He had a great song, which seemed to suit me perfect, and we worked together with the lyrics. 

What do you think makes your song stand out from the other entries? 

First, I haven’t heard the whole song from the other artists, so it is difficult to say, but I have a song with a lot of emotions, and a history. It’s real and a beautiful melody. It is important to show the message when I sing.

Can you give us any hints about what we will see in your live performance? 

Well, I can’t say so much, but I am going to stand alone, with beautiful lights and colors.

And finally, what would you like to say to listeners who might be discovering your music for the first time through this year’s Melodi Grand Prix? 

I hope they will listen to the lyrics and I hope they will have a nice music experience. 

This year’s Melodi Grand Prix will begin with its first semifinal on January 14th, with additional semifinals on January 21st and 28th. The finale will take place on February 4th at the Trondheim Spektrum, while the semifinals will be held at Screen Studios in Nydalen. All four shows will be hosted by Arian Engebø and Stian Thorbjørnsen.

About Kate Gulbrandsen

Kate Gulbrandsen has been singing since she was seven years old, and is already a familiar face to Eurovision audiences–she represented Norway in 1987 with the song “Mitt Liv”, which placed ninth in Belgium. “Mitt Liv” was written by Rolf Løvland, who also wrote for past Norwegian winners Bobbysocks! and Secret Garden. This year, she’s back at Melodi Grand Prix working with another Norwegian Eurovision veteran, Mørland, whose song “A Monster Like Me” with Debrah Scarlett placed eighth in 2015. But Kate Gulbrandsen’s career as a top Norwegian artist didn’t start at Eurovision; she got her start at Tokyo’s Yamaha Song Festival in 1986. She brings her nearly forty years of experience to the Melodi Grand Prix stage.

Norway’s Eurovision Journey

The Scandinavian nation made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960, with Nora Brockstedt and the song “Voi Voi”, which placed 4th. Since their debut, they have participated 60 times, and made the grand final 57 of these. In addition, Norway has won the competition three times (1985, 1995, and 2009).

Norway’s latest Eurovision participation saw them being represented by Subwoolfer with the song “Give That Wolf a Banana”. During their participation, Norway placed 10th in the grand final, receiving 182 points from the jury and televoters.

Will Kate Gulbrandsen return to the Eurovision stage this year? Are you excited to see her back at MGP? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we prepare for Eurovision 2023!

News Source: That Eurovision Site

Photo Credit: Andreas Fadum / Se og Hør