This week Filipp Kirkorov's cover of Malena Ernman's hit "La Voix" has become song of the year due to awards Golden Gramophone arranged by biggest radiostation Russkoe Radio (Russian Radio) playing Russian music, author of the song Fredrik Kempe was invited and received warm greetings of Filipp from the stage. Malena leaving "La Voix" era back in 2009 has released brand new Christmas album "Santa Lucia - En klassisk Jul" that already reached #2 in a second week of sales. The word "classic" in title is very honest definition of the album as you won't find here any compromises and flirting with pop like it was on previous "La voix du nord" album. It's pure opera album with a mix of traditional Christmas songs ("Jul, jul strålande jul", "Stilla Natt", "Betlehems Stjärna") and classic arias of Mozart, Bach, Händel, Fauré and Andrew Lloyd Webber perfectly performed by Malena's oustanding vocal with orchestral arrangement conducted by Gustaf Sjökvist and produced by Bengt-Åke Lundin. If you heard previously performed Pie Jesu and Koppången with a bit cold nordic but crystal clean and massive operatic sound you can see a whole picture of album - get it as opera masterpiece, get it as background album breathing Scandinavian Winter spirit while you're making some Christmas preparations, get is as something difficult to understand for pop-fans but don't ignore it expecting schlager-winner album as first of all it's the album from one of the best European opera singers and "Santa Lucia - En Klassisk Jul" completely proves it. Below you can watch new charming Malena's performance of "Marias Vaggsång" - one of album tracks.
