Edda Karin Hjartardóttir Magnason is a Swedish singer-songwriter, musician and film actress of Icelandic descent. She has released three albums, Edda Magnason (2010), Goods (2011), and Woman Travels Alone (2014). She has also released a soundtrack album, Monica Z - Musiken från filmen (2013). She made her debut as an actress in the film Waltz for Monica, playing the leading role of Monica Zetterlund.
Magnason grew up in Lövestad, a tiny village near Ystad, Sweden, but her father is, as her name suggests, from Iceland. One of seven children, she began composing her own pieces on the piano early on in childhood, dreaming of becoming a classical concert pianist.
When she was 16 she began writing electronic song-based pop music with English lyrics that she made into demo recordings. Some of these songs were used on the soundtrack of the 2002 Swedish film Hot Dog.
In 2004, she studied music composition in Gotland, then moved back to Malmö to take an active part in the music scene there.
She has developed a uniquely personal, eclectic music style which has been described as "a seamless blend of jazz, pop, folk song and classical music," with a vocal style reminiscent of Björk or Kate Bush.Magnason plays the leading role of Monica Zetterlund, the legendary Swedish jazz singer, in the film Waltz for Monica, which was released in September 2013. This was Magnason's first acting role, and she likens the experience to performing as a musician. The film follows Zetterlund's early career, moving from small-town Sweden to the jazz clubs of New York and Stockholm, rubbing shoulders with such celebrities as Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis. Directed by Per Fly, with a film script by Peter Birro, Sverrir Gudnason and Kjell Bergqvist played supporting roles.
The film was described in the Swedish media as an immediate critical and public success. It was seen by over 500,000 filmgoers in 2013, making it the year's most popular film in Sweden. It has been sold to 23 countries worldwide and numerous airlines. It was nominated for eleven Guldbagge Awards, and won four.
Magnason herself sings the full repertoire of Zetterlund's songs on the film soundtrack. A soundtrack album, Monica Z - Musiken från filmen, produced and arranged by Peter Nordahl, was released by Universal Music. Over 20,000 records were sold by December 2013, making this into a Swedish Gold album.
Magnason was signed by Paradigm Talent Agency, based in Beverly Hills, in February 2014.
| Date of Birth | 22nd August 1984 |
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| Age | 40 Years |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Country | Sweden |
| Current City | Lövestad parish |
| Language | Swedish |
| Reference | IMDB |
| Career Start | 2003 (21 years ago) |
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