Åke Larsén

Swedish drummer, born August 12, 1943, died January 19, 2012. He was a Swedish musician, singer and composer. He was best known as the fast-talking and singing drummer in Rockfolket, with songs such as Cadillac and Karl-Alfred Boy as their signature tunes. These were sung with Åke's characteristic dark "monster voice". As a young man he also played in the bands of East End Jazz Men, New Generation and Stubinerna. The New Generation was affiliated with the Bee Gees when they toured Sweden in the late 1960s. Later Larsén also played in the jazz band Prima, with among others "Rock-Boris" Boris Lindqvist and Hinke Ekestubbe. Prima's specialty was songs by Louis Prima, of course, and Louis Jordan - so-called Las Vegas jazz. They made a success at the Stockholm Club Stampen in the Old Town. Åke Larsén wrote several of the Swedish lyrics for Prima's songs, including An ice cream with the banana for the lady "/" Banana split for my baby ". As a composer, his best known song was "Johan B. Lund" (written together with Per-Arne Eklund) performed by Svante Thuresson in Melodifestivalen 1977. The song came in second place.