Kaj’s family is charging for the final: « Feels unreal »
Before tonight’s final in Eurovision, Humortrion Kaj is tipped to win the entire competition and thus make Sweden historically, as the country with the most gains in the history of the competition. On site in Basel are large parts of the families to Axel Åhman, Jakob Norrgård and Kevin Holmström. At home in Vörå, Axel’s aunt Monica Ståhlberg and her husband Stefan Ståhlberg are waiting tense in the evening.
– I decided quite early to see it from home, but it may happen that I will regret it bitterly, says Monica Ståhlberg, who will look at the final of one of the big screen screens that was set up inside Vörå.
On the table in their kitchen is a Kalle Anka magazine with illustrations of quay on the cover. It quickly sold out the local stores, but in the end Monica Ståhlberg got hold of her own copy, in the neighboring municipality.
She produces berths from the local bakery on the table. Green princess pastries with golden glitter and the group’s name. She has a t-shirt with the guys’ faces, on Stefan Ståhlberg’s t-shirt stands the text line « Yksi, Kaksi, Kolme, Sauna » Ur « Just Bath Sauna ». They are ordered from the guys’ webshop, but they did not have to pay.
– Axel said we got them too long and faithful, she says.
She has carried the t-shirt at work she has in healthcare throughout the week.
– People have asked « who was it you were related to » and then I have been told about Axel.
The guys have grown up in a municipality with a strong revue and theater tradition. Interest in music started early for Axel Åhman, she notes and says that the whole family has always been interested in culture. Her nephew was seven years old when he started playing violin. Axel’s grandfather played the same instrument and was not late to cheer on Axel’s newfound interest, she says.
– He spurred him to practice and pushed him to the exercises at the music school.
Now the guys in the quay have been able to release seven albums and set up both an arena show and musicals.
– We have followed them in everything they have done but the gigs have been held here, it has been Ostrobothnia and Åland. Some gigs in Umeå and Helsinki. Actually, it has been thought that it might run out but it never did.
When they learned that Kaj would compete in the Swedish Melodifestivalen, they first did not intend to go to the semi -finals in Malmö. But they regretted.
– We went there and my workmates asked « What do you think? » I said « no, I don’t think it goes well, it’s just fun that they are with ». But already on Saturday of the day we heard that people trolled on the song and had some quay sign, she says.
When things went well, they decided a little about and but to go to Stockholm and the final.
– It was exciting but when it differed so few points after the jury had said its own, I thought they would go for a profit. They heard in the arena that they were audience favorites.
What did you think the first time you heard the song?
– I don’t know if I got stuck for the song right away. And that it would be so big we never thought, not the boys either, says Monica Ståhlberg.
Stefan Ståhlberg tabs in.
– It was trolley friendly.
The Finnish region of Ostrobothnia is opposite the Swedish county Västerbotten and is bilingual, Finnish and Swedish. The fact that Kaj has lifted their home municipality in Vörå in Europe and sings on a little Vörådialect, albeit the song is a little disappeared, has given a lot to the municipality they believe:
– They put the resort and Swedish Finland on the map. In Sweden, many people think that you speak Finnish in Finland, but we are many who have Swedish as their mother tongue. Since then, Finnish -speaking has opened our eyes to us, says Monica Ståhlberg.
During the Eurovision Week, Vörå Municipality has arranged a « quay round » where visitors are allowed to go around on a guided tour to the places mentioned in Kaj’s song « Come Ti Byin ». A ride in seven hours. Monica Ståhlberg takes DN on a significantly shorter one and shows, among other things, Komossaskolan where Kevin Holmström went to school.
She believes that the guys’ success story is based on being down to earth and remembers where they come from.
– They are straight through humble and are themselves.
At the time of writing, the group has the odds on their side and if they sue the odds list they appear to take home the victory in Basel. But the Ståhlberg couple are not as safe.
– Three weeks ago I had said « Yes, I think they win ». But now I don’t know. I think they have the audience’s voice but that’s the jury it depends on, says Monica Ståhlberg.
