Sahlene - Early Life/career

Early Life/career

Born in the Swedish town of Söderhamn on 11 May 1976,, Sahlene was the oldest of seven children having three younger brothers and three younger sisters. Both her parents had strong musical inclinations which were passed on to their children, with Sahlene herself singing from an early age in addition to learning cello, guitar, oboe and piano. However her performing career began as an actress: at age nine she had a lead role in The Children of Noisy Village (1986), based on a story by Astrid Lindgren, and subsequently reprised her role - that of Anna - in the sequel More About the Children of Noisy Village (1987) appearing in both films billed as Anna Sahlin.

Sahlene did not pursue a performing career subsequent to these two films - although she appeared on television in 1989 when the two Noisy Village films were run as a seven part series - until the age of eighteen when she moved to Stockholm with aspirations to be a singer. She was for several years a member of One Voice a gospel choir directed by Gabriel Forss whose members also performed as background vocalists on recordings by such artists as Eric Gadd, Carola and Robyn: Sahlene was also among the members of One Voice who formed the chorale for the Charlotte Nilsson performance of "Take Me to Your Heaven" at Eurovision 1999 where, representing Sweden, the number won. At the subsequent Eurovision 2000, held in Stockholm, Sahlene was again onstage as one of the members of One Voice who formed the chorale for the Claudette Pace performance of the Maltese entrant "Desire". Sahlene's own recording career began in 1997 when she fronted the band Rhythm Avenue on their album Twelve Steps Down the Avenue.