Siw Malmkvist

Biography

Siw Gunnel Margareta Malmkvist (born 31 December 1936) is a Swedish schlager singer and actress popular in Scandinavia and West Germany (today×Today1969 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Wo ist der Dieb2Frauen sind doch nur Frauen3Die Ballade von Johnny Guitar4Aus den vier Winden unserer Erde5Wenn die Liebe will6Wie eine Symphonie7Heiß ist der Kaffee8Ich wünsche mir so viel von dir9Garten Eden10Der erste Mensch, der mit Tieren spricht11An dem Kreuzweg der Zeit12Jede Frau braucht einen Mann's Germany). She represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960 and West Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969.
She had a number one hit in West Germany in 1964 with "Liebeskummer lohnt sich nicht×Liebeskummer lohnt sich nicht1982 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Liebeskummer lohnt sich nicht2:28A2Columbus fand Amerika2:12A3Ein Herz ist kein Spielzeug2:17A4Mir fehlt der Knopf am Pyjama2:37A5Der Clown3:10A6Liebe wie im Rosengarten2:55B1Nie und niemals2:39B2Wär' ich auch Königin2:40B3Hier kommt ein Herz für dich2:23B4Das Tagebuch der ersten Liebe3:13B5Prinz Eugen2:03B6Ein Junggeselle weniger2:34" ("Lovesickness Is Not Worthwhile"), and on 18 July 1964 she became the first Swede to have a hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, when "Sole Sole Sole×Sole Sole Sole1964 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASole Sole SoleBAber am Samstag", a duet with Italian singer Umberto Marcato, entered the chart, peaking at No. 58. Malmkvist is notable for having recorded in more than 10 languages, including Swedish, English, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish and particularly German.

Early life

Siw Malmkvist grew up in Landskrona as one of nine siblings. She is the daughter of Albert Malmkvist (1901–1979) and Sigrid Lind (1899–1988), as well as the older sister of singer Lil Malmkvist and aunt to Morgan Alling.
Her career started when she participated in orchestras in Skåne. In 1955 she participated in a singing competition, which defined her career. She won the first round of competition locally in Skåne, and got to travel to Stockholm Concert Hall, where the grand final took place. She won the final, receiving a clock as an award, and recorded her first grammophone record, called Tweedle Dee. Malmkvist had also worked as an invoice clerk in Landskrona.

Career

Her breakthrough came in 1959 when she was a hostess on Lennart Hyland's television show Stora famnen. The same year, she won Melodifestivalen with the song "Augustin×Augustin1959 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1AugustinA2Det är min melodiB1Cocktail TangoB2Nya fågelsången", but did not get to represent Sweden in Eurovision Song Contest, as Brita Borg was internally selected to sing the song in Cannes. With the song "Augustin", Malmkvist got her first hit song. It went on to place fourth on Show-Business magazine's bestseller list on 1 March 1959, and sold over 60,000 copies. One year later, Malmkvist would represen Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960 in London with the song "Alla andra får varann", where she ended up placing tenth. In the Swedish Melodifestivalen the same year, Inger Berggren and Östen Warnerbring had won with the same song song, but Malmkvist had been internally selected for Eurovision. Malmkvist again won Melodifestivalen in 1961, with the song "April, April", but again, SVT internally selected another singer to perform it in Eurovision, this time Lill-Babs.
In 1959, she launched her career in West Germany, where she became very popular. In 1961, she had a hit song with the song "Danke für die Blumen×Danke für die Blumen1961 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksADanke für die BlumenBWann kommst du wieder". In 1960, she released the song "Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel" under the pseudonym "Die Jolly Sisters". Later, she would release the song in Sweden as well with the title "Tunna skivor×Tunna skivor1960 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1Tunna skivor2:40A2Tänk att få se just dig på knä2:34B1California Här är ja2:19B2Bill Bailey2:22", which became a hit, topping the chart for seven weeks and selling over 97,000 copies. Her next song, "Läs inte brevet jag skrev dej×Läs inte brevet jag skrev dej1961 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksALæs ikke brevet jeg skrev digBDer var engang på Trinidad2:20", sold over 80,000 copies. From 1963 onward, she lived in Helsinki, Finland, with her husband Lasse Mårtenson and their daughter. During this time in 1964, she became the first Swedish singer to place on the Billboard hit list. Along with Umberto Marcato, she sang the song "Sole Sole Sole×Sole Sole Sole1964 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASole Sole SoleBAber am Samstag" in Italian and peaked at number 58 for five weeks.

Malmkvist had success in the singing competition Schlager-Festspiele in Baden-Baden. At the debut in 1962, she placed second with "Die Wege der Liebe×Die Wege der Liebe1962 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksADie Wege der LiebeBDer eine, der bist du". In 1964, she won the competition with "Liebeskummer lohnt sich nicht×Liebeskummer lohnt sich nicht1982 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Liebeskummer lohnt sich nicht2:28A2Columbus fand Amerika2:12A3Ein Herz ist kein Spielzeug2:17A4Mir fehlt der Knopf am Pyjama2:37A5Der Clown3:10A6Liebe wie im Rosengarten2:55B1Nie und niemals2:39B2Wär' ich auch Königin2:40B3Hier kommt ein Herz für dich2:23B4Das Tagebuch der ersten Liebe3:13B5Prinz Eugen2:03B6Ein Junggeselle weniger2:34", which sold 1,000,000 copies and peaked at number one on the West Germany chart for ten weeks, In Swedish, the song was named "Kärleksgrubbel×Kärleksgrubbel1965 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAKärleksgrubbel2:25BBossa Nova Baby2:13". In 1968, she won the competition once again with the song "Harlekin×Harlekin1968 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Today2Wo ist der Dieb3Frauen sind doch nur Frauen4Die Ballade von Johnny Guitar5Aus den vier Winden unserer Erde6Wenn die Liebe will7Wie eine Symphonie8Heiß ist der Kaffee9Ich wünsche mir so viel von dir10Garten Eden11Der erste Mensch, der mit Tieren spricht12An dem Kreuzweg der Zeit13Jede Frau braucht einen Mann". In 1969, she won the West German selection for the Eurovision Song Contest the same year with the song "Primaballerina×Primaballerina1969 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Primaballerina2Prinz Eugen3Ole Okay4Mir fehl der Knopf am Pyjama5Eine Gondelbahn für zwei6Hier kommt ein Herz für dich7Zigeunerhochzeit8Carneval in Caracas9Harlekin10Frech geküsst ist halb gewonnen11Ein Junggeselle weniger12Sambanacht in Trinidad", placing seventh in Madrid. To this day, Malmkvist's songs remain popular in Germany. In Melodifestivalen 1988, she participated with the song "Det är kärlek×Det är kärlek1988 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Det är kärlek2:562Fri som en vind4:013Flickor bak i bilen2:564Jag väcker dej4:345Det är nu3:326Vad tänker du på4:217Medley7:008Drömmar3:549Äntligen freda'3:3810Bara änglarna vet3:2411Drömmen om livet3:23".

Malmkvist had an acting career in Denmark as well as Sweden. Amongst other roles she played the leading role in the film Forelsket i København (1960) and as Eivor in Varning för Jönssonligan (1981). She soon also showed talent on stage; she had the leading role in the musical Irma la douce. She also participated in the Kar de Mumma-revue at Folkan in 1972, and in the Karl Gerhard show Hej på dig du gamla primadonna at Vasateatern. In 1980, she played the role of Pippi Longstocking in a play at Folkan in Stockholm. She received acclaim for her role as Luise in the musical Nine at Oscarsteatern 1983–84, where she acted against Ernst-Hugo Järegård. In later years, Malmkvist has acted in the musical I hetaste laget at Nöjesteatern in Malmö. In 2008, she played Fräulein Schneide in Colin Nutley's version of the musical Cabaret at Stockholms stadsteater.

In later years she has done many shows, including on Hamburger Börs in Stockholm, along with Lill-Babs and Wenche Myhre. She participated in Melodifestivalen 2004 with the song "C'est la vie" along with Towa Carson and Ann-Louise Hanson. The trio went on to sing at Allsång på Skansen, which is broadcast on SVT. Between 2003 and 2012, Malmkvist participated in the Arlövs revue show every year. In 2003 and 2004, she took part in the Diggiloo summer tour. On 2 June 2004, Malmkvist, along with Wenche Myhre and Gitte Henning, debuted their show Gitte Wenche Siw – Die Show, in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The tour continued until June 2008 in Kiel, with a total of 350 shows. Together with actor Thorsten Flinck, she recorded a Swedish cover of Nick Cave/Kylie Minogue's 1995 hit "Where the Wild Roses Grow", called "Vildvuxna rosor". In 2005, Malmkvist participated in the TV4 show Körslaget, where she was eliminated first on 5 April.
In 2009, she was a celebrity guest on SVT1's Stjärnorna på slottet, where she discussed her life and career. Between 2010 and 2011, Malmkvist, along with Lill-Babs and Ann-Louise Hanson, had a show called Tre damer. In 2010, Malmkvist published her memoirs, named Tunna skivor av mig.
In 2011, she performed at Allsång på Skansen performing a medley of her hits. In 2012, she participated on the SVT show Vem tror du att du är?, the Swedish version of Who Do You Think You Are?. On the show, she was told her ancestors were soldiers at the Battle at Poltava and that she had Snapphanar amongst her relatives.
Malmkvist signed on to be a celebrity dancer on Let's Dance 2020, which is broadcast on TV4. However, on 17 March it was revealed that she would not participate because of restrictions concerning the COVID-19 virus.
In 2021, she took part in two episodes of the TV4 show Så mycket bättre.
In 2023, Malmkvist was a guest celebrity judge on the episode "MARATHON Talent Hunt" of the Swedish-language reality television series Drag Race Sverige broadcast on SVT1 and SVT Play.
In 2025, the documentary film Filmen om Siw ('The film about Siw') premiered in Swedish cinemas. In December of that year, SVT broadcast a three-part documentary series on Malmkvist's life and career, called Siw.
On 24 December 2025, Malmkvist was the julvärd ('Christmas host'), the presenter for SVT's Christmas Eve broadcasts.

Personal life

Malmkvist was married to Finnish-Swedish musician Lasse Mårtenson from 1963 to 1969, and the couple have one daughter. Malmkvist was in a relationship with actor Fredrik Ohlsson from 1971 until his death in 2023; the couple have a son together born in 1973.