Annie Lennox Leaves the World Spellbound with Her Voice – Surprising Sting at the Polar Music Prize
The story started when ABBA triumphed in the 1974 Eurovision Contest. Stig “Stikkan” Anderson served as ABBA’s manager and lyricist. In 1989, Anderson sold his production and music management companies to Polygram, yet he remained Chairman of the Board for Sweden Music AB and Polar Music International. With the proceeds from the Polygram sale, Anderson set aside MSEK 42 to create one of the world’s most prestigious music awards, The Polar Music Prize. (MSEK denotes millions of Swedish krona).
The independent board of the Polar Prize consists of Anderson’s family members and esteemed individuals from around the world. (Anderson died on September 12, 1997). The list of honorees who receive their certificates from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is both diverse and impressive, featuring Ligeti, Arvo Pärt, Metallica, Peter Gabriel, and Angélique Kidjo. In 2017, Sting was one of the two awardees. At the celebratory dinner and presentations, the organizers surprised the English artist in Stockholm.
YouTube comments showcase the emotional resonance of Annie Lennox’s interpretation of Sting’s “Fragile,” a track from his second solo studio album, Nothing Like the Sun (1987). The song was inspired by the death of Ben Linder, an American civil engineer who was killed by Contra “rebels” while working on a hydroelectric project in Nicaragua in 1987. Ivan DeSantis remarks, “The talent of Annie Lennox is only eclipsed by how graciously she has always carried herself. Great tribute for Sting.”
K M Carter observes, “Sting’s version is bittersweet, Annie’s is bone-chilling and post-apocalyptic. Shattering. Beautiful.” Dattrax adds, “Sensational. Her voice. Her presence. That performance. Their mutual respect. His appreciation. This video is a masterpiece of beauty. Art that moves us. I cry every time I watch this. Thank you for posting this gem.” When The Polar Music Prize honored Sting, they released a video highlighting his notable achievements. Let’s take a look:
Congratulations to Sting. The Polar Awards statement ends by detailing Sting’s numerous musical accomplishments and declaring, “Sting is a true citizen of the world, who has also been indefatigable in using his position as an arena-filling artist to promote human rights”.
Typically, two Polar prizes are awarded each year, though occasionally three are presented. In 2011, the winners were the Kronos Quartet and Patti Smith. In 2022, the Paris-based Ensemble Intercontemporain (“the Stradivarius of modern music”) and Iggy Pop were honored. The award is committed to recognizing musical diversity and breadth. In 2017, alongside Sting, Wayne Shorter received the Polar Music Award. The Polar Award webpage highlights Shorter’s achievements “in epoch-making groups such as Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis’s second great Quintet and Weather Report,” as well as his contributions to key Joni Mitchell albums. Throughout his six-decade career, Wayne Shorter composed “a number of the most enduring pieces in jazz history. Without Wayne Shorter’s musical explorations, modern music would not have delved so deeply”.
Capturing the spirit of the Polar Music Prize and recognizing Wayne Shorter’s stature alongside jazz legends such as Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman, let us conclude with the Polar Music Award’s profile on Wayne Shorter. Enjoy.
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