This spring I have been writing on a new book. It's almost finished and now I seek your help. See more in the album...

I need you help!!!
We are right in the middle of the process of choosing the cover for my new book 'Dare to dream'. Here are four examples. Give your respons in what you like or what you would like to change. Thanx!

1)

2)

3)

4)

Book | Bok

People are passing by in an even stream to see my paintings and talk a little here in Missionskyrkan. I'm one of 70 artists that exhibit my art. this weekend here in the little pittoresque town Hjo. A beautiful place especially during the summer season when it's full with tourists.

Tomorrow I'll have a concert here in Hjo kyrka together with my band. It's been a while since we played together so it'll be fun. My pianist Joakim is this weekend busy with another event so Dan Lindh, a wonderfully talented pianist, replays him.

Hjo | Art | Konst | Vernissage | Exhibition | Concert

This beautiful sunny day when all airplane flights one after the other got cancelled I jumped in my car and drove to the village Götene where people from all over the area gathered to listen to my singing and to what I had to tell.

I was invited by The Swedish Association of Hard of Hearing People (HRF) and when I've told that to my friends it filled everyone with a smile!

In my performance I asked if I may take a picture to put on my blog and to my relief no one disapproved so - Smile!

I just want to mention that the first months of this year I haven't been very keen on my blogging... I have most of my time been writing on my new book "Dare to Dream" that will be released in Swedish this September on the anual bookfare in Gotherburg. But, bare with me... I'll try to blog more often from now on!

Performance | Framträdande | Book | Bok | Götene

 http://www.dagen.se/dagen/article.aspx?id=202986

Dagen.se - Studio Krumelur blir mötesplats för Lena Maria

www.dagen.se

JÖNKÖPING. Lena Maria Klingvall föreläser, sjunger i konserter över hela världen, skriver böcker och målar tavlor. Nu har den energiske artisten som föddes utan armar också öppnat en butik i Jönköpingtillsammans med två keramiker.

February 15th our little shop Studio Krumelur is opening!

It's my friends Hanna Svensson and Carina Johansson who both design ceramics and I with my art and music who are opening it up together.
I have also moved my office and painting studio there and when I'm not performing I'll be in the shop.

If you're ever in Sweden and in the beautiful city Jonkoping, where I now live, you are very welcome to visit!!!

 Address: Barnarpsgatan 31, 553 16 Jönköping

affär | shop

For the first time in my life I have visited the Canarian Island. A beautiful place! Nice people, good food, perfect temperature and no dangerous animals to be afraid of! 

I went together with my parents and my brother and his family. We were 8 people who checked in at Arlanda. It was a beautiful flight...

My bothers' children probably thought it was a long day. First we flew to Madrid, waited there for 4 hours before we could board the plane to Las Palmas. But there are ways to entertain kids... Cola and chips!

New Year's evening we spent at "Joppe's". That's the roof of the Scandinavian Tourist Church in Las Palmas. It was Joakim Holgersson, my pianist, who invited me. His parents Lars-Erik & Gun-Britt Holgersson works this winter at the church and they had arranged a delicious dinner. We had, of course...  great time! 

You can read more about Joakim and my performances at Gran Canaria at

http://turistkyrkan.org/articles.asp?ort=Las Palmas&typ=i backspegeln

During the days I had a lot of rest and enjoyed the sun. We also enjoyed to walk around at the streets of Las Palmas. And one day we found cactuses in the middle of the street!

Almost every evening we went out to eat and have fun together...

I truly enjoyed my days at Gran Canaria! And I had a great start of this year! I could be together with family and friends, the most valuable things in my life!!! It was also very fun to sing with Joakim (first left on the picture). It was a bit of challenge to do a concert "on our own" without Magnus and Robin... But fun... Evelina (next to me) and Sara (to the right) was really nice to get to know and hang out with. They work at the church as well this winter. Jocke also had friends of his coming down: Jan-Anders (not in this picture) Johan and Dag. It was great to get to know them! Always fun to make new friends.
We were called the "youths"... It was really fun, especially when I found out that Sara's mom was younger than me...

At last I want to share the evening view with you... Can you see the moon???

Vacation | Gran Canaria

This fall has been filled with two exhibitions and a concert tour to Thailand and Indonesia.

Here we are, from the left:
Phisan (Bobby) Likhitkul, we sang 'The Rose' together;
Magnus Ahlgren, my great bassplayer;
Suzanna Pavadee Vicheinrut, the Miss World of Thailand 2005 and my interpreter at the concerts;
On my other side Robin Brokvist, my great drummer;
Joakim Holgersson, my great pianist

The concerts in Thailand was arranged by the Hope of Bangkok Church in collaboration with the the Hope of Thai People Foundation, and the Life Improvement Foundation of Children and Youth. They were held to raise funds for the Home of Hope and Mercy in Nakhon Nayok and Bathany Home in Loei

Mrs Rubina Kraivichian Suwanapong is the president of Hope of Thai People Foundation and daugher of the former prime minister in Thailand. A lovely, warm and kind woman who has been arranging these charity concerts for many years.

Here I am at the Press conference together with sponsors and arrangers of the concerts.

Soundcheck in Bangkok at Aksra Theatre where we had concerts on Dec 17.
The concerts were also featuring local artists from RS Promotion, including Payu, Notto and Noey Senorita.
We were joined by an orchestra and a choir from the Hope of Bangkok Church.

We were surrounded by gards when we waited Her Highness Princess Siriwanwaree Nareeratana, representing His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, who came to the evening concert.
Look how streight the gards' fingers are!

My mom was asked if she likes massage. Her answer was no... seems like no one really listened to her answer...

One of the TV shows I was interviewed in.

Suzanna Pavadee Vicheinrut, the Miss World of Thailand 2005 and my interpreter at the concerts, has her own tv show. Here she interviews me at a beautiful garden outside a brand new spa in the middle of Bangkok.

The great singer Peerapat Tenwong and his beautiful woman! Visit his webpage http://bepeerapat.com/

Interesting conversation Joakim?

I have no idea what's so funny... 

What happened in Jakarta, stays in Jakarta.

Beautiful flowers from the Royal family!

We met with the vice Minister of Women rights in Jakarta.

My stylist and assistant in Jakarta. 

I had the great joy to sing several duets with the super nice Idol winner Mike Mohede at a concert at JITEC Mangga Dua, Jakarta on 18 December.

Here together with the MC for the evenings concert.

Before I went on the concert tour I had a small “glögg-fest” at my home with dear friends. 

My first exhibition was held in Linköping where I also had a concert with my band. The same weekend the very next day I had another exhibitions, this time with my colleagues at the Mouth and Foot artists in Sweden and I had the privilege to open the day together with Per Ragnar.

A lot of people came this time! 

Here I am together with Per Ragnar. We both had prepared our performances ahead of time and discovered as we were holding the opening ceremony that it fit amazingly well together.

Lasse and Elisabet Dahlin who runs the publishing company that sells our reproductions.Here in front of my paintings.

After the tour in USA when I blogged last time I went to Mexico to speak at La Ciudad de las Ideas . I felt so honored and excited to there. Just like the TED conference in February Dick Lundgren come with me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR7Y5H6Y-BM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofwN1kVHCq4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWF3T79xTao

Performance | Konsert | Turné | Tour | USA

Robin Brokvist - drums, Magnus Ahlgren - bass, me, Joakim Holgersson - piano

It was really fun and a lot of people...

Some were lucky and got the last seats in the lobby, others had to turn back home...  

Konsert | Performance | San José | USA | Turné | Tour

Now it´s time for a new concert tour in USA. What´s extra fun this time is that my own musicians from home is with me. I am sitting here reflecting over all the different people I have the privilege to meet when I am out travelling.

Last week I was in Lammhult, Torsås and Bettna ( outside Nyköping ).  At the Saturday morning breakfast in Torsås I was sitting next to a woman that I earlier met in Smedjebacken in Dalarna. She came to both of my concerts there, -94 and -96.

Breakfast | Frukost | USA | Tour | Turné

I have to admit it wasn't easy to get up this morning when the alarm went off. My performances is mostly in the evenings and  I have after many yeas become a true evening liking person. But once I'm up and going it's a lot easier! And it turned out to be a very nice breakfast.

A big reason for my tiredness was my late home arrival the night before from the bookfare in Gothenburg. It was so fun with lots of people and impressions and meetings. I was there this year as an exhibiter for the Mouth- and Footpainters. Eva Nilsson was also there and signed her new book "Änglavakt" (=angelprotection) and today Saturday Karin Dahl would also come and sign a children book that Agneta Landhall has written and Karin has illustrated with her paintings.

I went to Gothenburg already Thursday evening after a performance with speaking and singing at a monthly gathering with Aktive Seniors at Fjällstugan. It's always a joy to sing there with great sound and a fantastic view over Jönköping.  

Last Wednesday I went to Stockholm just over the day to record my song in Indonesian! Oh, a new language! Roger Krieg, my technician, said when I called to book the time for the recording in his studio. Yes, that's right! In December i will, for the first time visit this country and it feels exciting! It's the 4th biggest country in the world and the concerts will be held in Jakarta.

To record a song in a foreign language you need a good teacher. A while ago I received an email from a womas, ms April, in Söderhamn who had read my book. She told me that she was from Indonesia but had lived a few years here in Sweden. I asked April if she could help me and she wanted to. She took the train down to Stockholm and she proved to be an excellent instructor!

One of the highlights in September was to sing duet the other Sunday with Hannah Holgersson. She and I were performing artists at a Sunday service that also was a part of Brahe Festival at Marieholms bruk outside Gnosjö. Hannah has such a lovely voice and a beautiful personality. It's not often I get a chance to meet "colleagues" since I do most of my performances by my own so I'm so glad for the friendship we have. Another great thing is that Hannah's brother in law, Joakim Holgersson, is my pianist. Even though we've known eachother for many years this was the first time we had the chance to sing together.

And after the service customers waited and there were CDs to sign!

Framträdande | Bokmässa | Göteborg | Indonesien | Frukost | Breakfast | Gnosjö | Huskvarna | Gothenburg | Stockholm | Indonesia | studio | Bookfare | Performance

Sometimes many different things happens during a week. And the last week has been one of these. One day a film team, sent by the Mouth- and Foot Painters headoffice in Liechtenstein, came to film me in my painting studio at my parents horse farm. They are in Sweden to document us Swedish Painters.   

Saturday morning I was in Sweden's southern deep forests and performed at a breakfast in a summerplace called Sjöborgen. Lots of men and women and delicious food and amazingly beautiful right by the lake Rasjön. 

In between all my appointments it's important to try to stay fit. Last training in the local outdoor pool Attarpsbadet, before closing for this summer. Hmmm... this summer passed way too fast... 

Performance | Swimming | Film

It was such great fun to sing at Stadsparksvallen in Jönköping today. The Ladies National Teams of China and Sweden met in a game and I had the great honor to sing the National Anthem of both China and Sweden. Thanks to Wei Wei and her help (read more about that further down) it all went well and I received big applause especially from the Chinese themselves.

In the intermission I also sang the Ladies National Team of China's own song Go Girl Go which was that same song that Wei Wei sang at the World Cup in Shanghai 2007. It worked, in spite of rain and a somewhat unmodern soundsystem... hmm...

Then of course it was en extra joy that we,Sweden, could win. I love Asia but I'm also an honest Swedish patriot!!!

A big thanks also to Mia Pedersen Smied who came up with this idea!

Jönköping | Soccer | China | Kina | Fotboll

On Sunday it's a soccer game between the Chinese and Swedish ladies' team at Stadsparksvallen here in Jönköping. I have the big honor to sing both the National Anthem of China as well as the Swedish one. It's so fun!!!

To prepare mysef I now found a good reason to contact Wei Wei. A fantastic singer who I heard the first time in an interview in the tv-sofa in the Swedish tv-show 'Doreen 21:30'. It was a big honor for me to get the chance to meet this woman whos voice has reached so many listeners. Sha was also the Ambassador of the Chinese Ladies Team and sang at FIFA Womens World Cup in Shanghai 2007.

If you want to read more about the game on Sunday a Swedish Internet newspaper write about it here:
http://www.jnytt.se/nyhet/25192/lena-maria-framfor-kinesiska-nationalsangen

Then I've had an incredibly fun touring month with my wonderful musicians and the lovely Swedish sommersongs in several concerts!

Last Sunday we were in Lidköping and sang on their new built stage in the Citygarden in the middle of the city. We had a battle this evening with another big event in the same city but still the garden had never had so many people in an audience before!!! It was great! You can read more in the local newspaper:
http://www.lidkopingsnytt.nu/2009/07/13/600-i-stadstradgarden/

But now I'm off to the beach, because today it's sunshine and summer!!!

Kina | Konsert | Performance | Lidköping | Wei Wei | China

Tilde de Paula, one of Sweden's most beautiful and skilled tv-hosts was also the host of this evening event. Personally I was very glad to finally have the chans to meet her. Here she intervies me:

After a short video presentation about me and the interview I sang two famous Swedeish folksongs with a big  band with young and very good musicians (they had even arranged with a trumpet player and a trombon player!) and the whole great audience sang with me. It was great!!!

The liveshow was ended by a miniconsert by Salem Al Fakir and his band. I've never seen him live before but what a sweetheart! Lovely music and a warm and joyful performance!

Another wonderful artist this evening was Andreas Eldeen mostly known for his roles in Jesus Christ Superstar and Spring Awakening at the Malmoe Opera house. I really enjoyed his singing and felt so previleged to meet him. (Even my mom commented his sweet voice!!) So now my great hope is to one day have the chance to sing a duet with him... =)

Konsert | Performance | Jönköping

Time flies and the last week has been filled with treats! I start with the latest  Yesterday!

The lovely and beautiful Táta Vega and me

Táta Vega + Michael Ruff + Straitjacket + House of Praise had a concert at Gullbannagården last night. It was of course super-great!!!
In 2004 Táta Vega and her daughter Chloe came to Sweden and I had the previlage to pick them up at the airport and drive them around. Since then we've stayed in contact and I was so excitied and happy to have the chance to meet with Táta and Chloe again yesterday!

Personally I felt so blessed by the songs and the whole atmosphere in the concert. Most of the concerts I go to I sing myself, so it's such a treat to just listen and be served good music with a touch of nostalgia.

Some members in the choir were also awesome to see again. Mia Sandell, Nicolina Östblom och Ingela Kågebo are friends since more than 20 years! We started the choir Master's Voice in the good old days at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm... Time flies!

--- Wednesday July 1st ---

This day my assistant and friend Mia and I went to Stockholm. First we visited a friend of Mia, Anneli Melin who works at the TV4. She showed us the facility and we fooled around in the studio...

I really enjoyed reading the news... =)

Then it was time for the concert in St Thomas Church in Vällingby. We had a wonderful time in the warm and nice garden where the concert were held and a lot of people came to listen to our summer songs. These are my great, great musicians:

Joakim Holgersson - piano, Magnus Ahlgren - bass, Robin Brokvist - drums, Mats Öberg - Harmonica, Magnus Gidlund - Guitar

Performance | Stockholm | Los Angeles | Konsert

Thousands of thanks to my fantastic musicians: Joakim, Robin and Magnus and the guestmusicians Magnus and Niclas. 
Mia who helped out with all sorts of things.
Johnny/ME3DIA, Pelle/Stagelight (with steadycam...wow!), Bodil and Anna who filmed and Göran who took care of the sound on Saturday with Ebbe, mom & dad and others in Missionskyrkan in Habo,
Hanz and Niclas who arranged everything, Johan and Sebastian who took care of the sound, preasts, choirmembers and others on Sunday in Herrestad's church.

I have received positive respons from many and the new CD seld very well! So fun!!! Now office work waits me with especially one nice task - to send the CD to everyone who's ordered. 

Also a big thanks to Stefan Höögs!!! (He is the programmer of this new site layout)

Uddevalla | Habo | Performance | Konsert