Stiko Per Larsson
was @Sweden (2013-05-20 to 2013-05-27)

I am what would be referred to as a singer songwriter. Born and bread in the Swedish county of Dalarna (http://alturl.com/6xuya) which will be rather clear to anyone listening to my music – lyrics in Swedish. After some years in Stockholm I have realised what home means and am now relocated back to where I belong.

Building an audience is something you do for the long haul these days, and though I would probably have averaged some hundred plus gigs annually over the last five years – without radio and mainstream media its a long walk. Fine by me though as I intend to stick around. I have just recently released my fourth album entitled “Järnbärarland” which is a term that is claimed to have been coined by an old Norwegian King who was referring to Dalarna as “country of carrying iron” – and obviously that is true, mining is what essentially built this part of the country. I would not be unique in listing springtime as my favourite time of the year, but in my case the reason might be somewhat unusual. See a few years back I was talking to a friend of mine and we came upon the subject of how the locals many hundred years ago were struck by poverty and forced to actually make it on foot to the somewhat richer capital Stockholm to find work – a journey of some 300 kilometers. Would people actually do that in the twenty first century when again times were not great in area with unemployment rising. We concluded; Yes we will. When it was actually time to set out however, my friend had second thoughts. Carrying my guitar I walked for well over a week, finding people to provide accommodation along the route. Every night I would play my music to whoever happened to be there.

Not only was the walking route still open today, I was hooked. As spring came the following year I decided to walk back from Stockholm to my hometown. That’s how it started. Seven years and counting as the somewhat elusive Swedish spring arrives I will have a new pair of walking shoes. These days my routes would be planned ahead and I feel privileged to experience almost every inch of Sweden close up. The nature we have surrounding us, but often ignored these days, is an amazing experience. The people you meet when you decidedly are not rushing by with the dividers of modern transportation are in themselves the purpose that makes ignore whatever blisters or itches that are still unavoidable.

On my seventh year of walking on tour I seem to have assembled a small but ever growing following, who if they are not turning along the road, are able to watch every show as they are available as live stream on the internet through the able tech startup solidtango (https://stiko.solidtango.com/) Following an unplanned encounter with winter as last years walk originated in the northern parts of Norway, this year I am at the time of writing counting 1.200.000 steps between Falsterbo in the southernmost tip of Sweden back home to Leksand, where I plan to reach on June 7.

As I find this more a pleasure these days, and feel I have long since proven my original point – apart from having the opportunity to perform my music to new people every night, as of last year my walking have taken on a different and far more important purpose. Whilst we play for free – and expect our hosts of providing room and board – I have made the walking tour the focus of my own fundraising effort. Within the framework of SOS Barnbyar (www.sos-barnbyar.se) I want to raise the awareness as well as a raising the financial means to support this organizations vital work primarily with orphans in Ukraine. A country often finding itself – like me – in somewhat of a shadow of media exposure, situated so close to Sweden that you could actually walk there. These kids are often left with very little public support and are entirely dependent on volunteer efforts if they are to get a shot at building a framework for their future life. Neither singing or walking has never felt as good as when I know my efforts are literally providing stepping stones for kids who would otherwise be on streets very different from our own.

My week as @Sweden will provide snapshots of the meetings I experience on the road. Needless to say walking also provides ample time for reflections – I am glad to be able to share some of mine with an extended array of followers this week. Though I perform and usually videoblog in Swedish this week I will also endeavour to do both in English at least once in a while.

For those of you fluent in Swedish or simply keen to expand your world via Google translate you can otherwise find me

www.vandringsturnen.se – my official artist homepage as www.stikoperlarsson.se (dont click this link) has been kidnapped for a ransom .

www.facebook.com/stikoper

www.youtube.com/stikoofficiell