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Composer Riedel: Jazzer with children's hits
Photo:
Anders Wiklund / TT / IMAGO
His melodies adorned many of Astrid Lindgren's children's stories: The jazz composer Georg Riedel died at the age of 90.
His relatives told the Swedish news agency TT on Monday that he fell asleep surrounded by his family on Sunday evening after a long illness.
Riedel was a part of the childhood of many people in Scandinavia and beyond.
In Sweden he is considered one of the most famous children's song composers.
One of his greatest successes was the song “Idas Sommarvisa,” which comes from the stories of Michel and Ida from Lönneberga.
In Sweden, the song is sung in kindergartens, schools and even at graduation ceremonies.
The musician penned numerous film music for Lindgren's books, including the title music for "Karlsson from the Roof" and "Michel from Lönneberga" (in the original "Emil i Lönneberga") and also songs from the well-known Pippi Longstocking stories.
For example, “Pirate Grandpa Fabian” or “Being lazy is beautiful,” the original texts of which Astrid Lindgren wrote herself.
Riedel was born in 1934 in Karlovy Vary in what was then Czechoslovakia.
About four years later his family moved to Stockholm.
Riedel later learned the violin, but then found more enjoyment in the double bass and discovered his great passion: jazz.
Riedel met the composer Jan Johansson, who invented the iconic music for the song “Här kommer Pippi Långstrump” (“Hey, Pippi Longstocking”), as a young man.
The two jazz musicians worked together on numerous works.
In the mid-1960s they recorded Johansson's album “Jazz på svenska” (“Jazz in Swedish”) together.
According to TT, the album is considered the best-known and best-selling Swedish jazz record.
Feb/dpa