Natasja’s Calabria / Booty Cologne & Mapei

By Haldan • January 17, 2008 • Mp3, Words is Like Ziti

As I was listening to Z100 in the cab on the way to the airport this summer, I was more than surprised to hear the song that would become everyone’s favorite summer jam, Enur & Natasja’s “Calabria”. While it was great to see this tremendous song, re-executed perfectly by two of Denmark’s finest, reach the 13 year olds who make up Z100′s base, it makes me sad that not many people know the bitter side of the success of this song.

Originally released by Rune Reilly Kølsch (aka RuneRK) and his half brother Johannes Torpe in 2003 as an instrumental house song, that signature saxophone line slowly but surely began invading dance floors from Ibiza to Paris and eventually to us isolated Americans. As the song grew and grew in popularity, a variety of remixes and mashes were made which allowed the synth sax to reach the ears of all different sorts of music fans. In early 2007, Rune (now calling himself Enur) spared down the original, preserving the best parts, and added a ragga beat. He called on one of the brightest stars in Denmark, Natasja Saad, to provide those whoopwhoop vocals. At the time, Natasja was primed to become the biggest international success out of Denmark since Aqua. Her immense talent and glowing personality would most likely have become a fixture in reggae & popular music for years to come. Unfortunately this dream would never come to fruition. While on a trip to Jamaica that summer to record with legendary producers like Sly & Robbie, Natasja was tragically killed in a car accident. She was only 32. She is buried alongside H.C. Andersen, Søren Kierkegaard, & Niels Bohr, among others, in Assistens Kirkegård, Copenhagen’s cemetary for influential artists and visionaries. Next time you find yourself stumbling over the lyrics to Calabria, take a moment to think about Natasja and her friends & family.

Natasja – “Long Time” (Sly & Robbie’s Dark Shade Riddim)

On another note, Natasja had recorded with like half of the talented producers in Denmark, including the super group that is Booty Cologne. These guys manage to combine slow simple hip hop & ragga rhythms with the best of London heavy bass, and German industrial. Not only that, but they have knack for picking guest vocalists. Besides Natasja, Booty Cologne tapped Palms Out’s favorite, Mapei, for 5 songs on their stellar album 2007BC. They also ripped up the Cosmopol Stage at Roskilde this summer, right before Mapei went on and changed the way I experience live music forever. Grab these very fine selections from 2007BC and then hurry up and cop the album!

Booty Cologne – “Wut Jungle” ft. Mapei & Natasja
Booty Cologne – “8 Drunk Gods” ft. Top Cat

[natasja myspace]
[booty cologne myspace]
[enur myspace]
[mapei myspace]
[top cat myspace]
[sly & robbie myspace]

[Read the whole post]

Tweet this | 3 Comments »