The World Stops to Listen When Annie Lennox Sings – She Surprises Sting at the Polar Music Prize
Everything began when ABBA secured victory at the 1974 Eurovision Contest. Stig “Stikkan” Anderson served as ABBA’s manager and lyricist. In 1989, Anderson sold his production and music management businesses to Polygram, though he continued to be the Chairman of the Board for Sweden Music AB and Polar Music International. Using the proceeds from the Polygram transaction, Anderson allocated MSEK 42 to establish one of the globe’s premier music accolades, The Polar Music Prize. (MSEK stands for millions of Swedish krona).
The Polar Prize’s independent board comprises members of Anderson’s family as well as distinguished figures globally. (Anderson passed away on September 12, 1997). The roster of recipients who have been awarded certificates by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is both diverse and remarkable, including names like Ligeti, Arvo Pärt, Metallica, Peter Gabriel, and Angélique Kidjo. In 2017, Sting was among the two recipients. During the celebratory dinner and presentations, the organizers surprised the English artist in Stockholm.
The YouTube comments reflect the emotional intensity of Annie Lennox’s rendition of Sting’s “Fragile,” a song from his second solo studio album, “Nothing Like the Sun” (1987). The track was composed following the death of Ben Linder, an American civil engineer, who was killed by Contra “rebels” while engaged in a hydroelectric project in Nicaragua in 1987. Ivan DeSantis comments, “The talent of Annie Lennox is only eclipsed by how graciously she has always carried herself. Great tribute for Sting.”
K M Carter remarks, “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 awarded Sting, it published a video showcasing his commendable accomplishments. Let’s take a look:
Congratulations to Sting. The Polar Awards statement concludes by listing Sting’s numerous musical achievements and stating, “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”.
Usually, two, but occasionally three, Polar prizes are presented each year. In 2011, the recipients were the Kronos Quartet and Patti Smith. In 2022, the Paris-based Ensemble Intercontemporain (“the Stradivarius of modern music”) and Iggy Pop received the awards. There is a dedication to honoring the diversity and breadth of music. In 2017, alongside Sting, Wayne Shorter was the other Polar Music Award winner. The Polar Award webpage highlights Shorter’s accomplishments “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. Over a six-decade career, Wayne Shorter composed “a number of the most enduring pieces in jazz history. Without his musical explorations, modern music would not have delved so deeply.”
Aligned with the ethos of the Polar Music Prize and acknowledging that Wayne Shorter ranks among the greats like Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman as a jazz saxophonist, let’s conclude with the Polar Music Award’s feature on Wayne Shorter. Enjoy.
