As usual, the Karamelodiktstipendium is surrounded by almost ceremonial secrecy. This year's "unveiling" took place at Lasse's in Parken in Stockholm - and, unusually, there are four scholarship recipients.
Bo Sundström, Mats Schubert, Fredrik Dahl and Michael Malmgren from the long-running Bo Kaspers Orchestra received the Povel Prize "for a rare and vast treasure trove of songs created during a long and successful career."
"It is incredibly honorable. We hope to be able to follow in Povel Ramel's footsteps to some extent, even if it is a very, very large footprint," Bo Sundström said to TT.
Sundström says that Povel Ramel "was in a borderland of jazz music" in the same way that Bo Kaspers Orkester has been since the band was founded.
"It's about how to get these songs into a rather strange language like Swedish, but Povel Ramel in particular has shown that you can do that," Sundström said.
Bo Kaspers Orchestra celebrates its 35th anniversary this year and is currently performing "Il magnifico", an anniversary show that marks another ten years with the band. In the fall, it will go on tour across the country.
The Karamelodiktstipendium was established in 1982 by Povel Ramel and among those who have received it are Björn Skifs, Robyn and Kristina Lugn. The scholarship consists of a diploma, caramels and an undisclosed amount of money.
"There will probably be a beer somewhere and a pizza, then quite a lot of the prize money will have gone," Sundström said with a laugh.
