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Singer-songwriter Rosa Rebecka came to Devon to study music and never left.

Since arriving from her Swedish homeland at the tender age of 19, personal tragedy has helped shape her haunting and intimate music.

Born near Gothenburg to a Swedish mother and an American father, Rebecka has been writing songs and poetry since she was five-years-old and went on to play the flute and guitar.

"I was lucky, I was born into a very musical family," said Rebecka.

"My brother, sister and I all sang from childhood. From the very start our parents would harmonise and we were expected to keep the melodies.

Rebecka playing her guitar

"There was never a point when it was questioned whether we'd be able to do it. It never occurred to us it could be difficult to do that kind of thing.

"I do some singing teaching now and so many people have this notion that it's difficult, which is a real shame because it doesn't need to be."

Rebecka swapped the pine forests and lakes of southern Sweden for the rolling hills of Devon after winning a place at Dartington College of Arts.ΜύΜύ

She spent three memorable years there studying, composing her songs and jamming with her fellow students.

"I came to Dartington when I was 19 to study music and I stayed because Devon is so beautiful. It's such a gorgeous part of the world.

"It was a big adventure, I'd never lived away from home before and all of a sudden I was in this strange new country.

"I looked for somewhere in Sweden to study singing and no-where seemed just right.

"Dartington gave me much more confidence in terms of singing and experimenting, it gave me my husband and put my in contact with lots of wonderful exciting people."

Rebecka's songs draw on her personal tragedy

After her graduation, Rosa went on to work as a musician for the Wren Trust, an Okehampton-based community arts charity.

She chose to stay in Devon, where she still lives, leading choirs, giving singing tuition, and performing.

Her 2003 debut album Water Carvings, was dedicated to the memory of her late husband Tom, who died from bowel cancer earlier that year.

"I met Tom, the love of my life, at Dartington," explained Rebecka. "He was a drama student and was really rather wonderful.

"I don't want to live my life as if I hadn't met him, he was a beautiful part of my life.

"He made me very happy and he remains my muse and obviously what happened remains part of me.

"I sing about him, I sing for him and ultimately it's a good thing."

Water Carvings was hailed by Kindred Spirit magazine as 'a beautiful, genuine album filled with exceptional songs which will captivate everyone who listens to it.'

Rosa Rebecka's music is best described as Swedish influenced folk, full of haunting melodies and highly personal lyrics. Her songs are often accompanied by traditional instruments from her home country.

"I really like singing miserable Swedish love songs, there's something incredibly satisfying about it," she added.

Artwork from Rebecka's album Untold

"Of course, if I were to perform them in Sweden, people would understand the words straight away. If I'm singing them here, I have to try and translate the emotions of the song into the texture of my voice to communicate that, it's a wonderful challenge.

"We've had lots of exciting musicians in to record the new album - many of them from Devon, which has been great.

"Georgie Watts plays the vibraphone, which is a completely underrated instrument, it's so lovely and sparkly. Nick Wyke and Becki Driscoll play the fiddle on it and Paul Wilson plays the accordion. Also, Rowan Massey does a beautiful job on the double bass.

"I've got lots of interesting and unusual and instruments from musicians I love."

Rebecka is passionate about music and now teaches others how to sing.

"I give one to one singing tuition and I do choir work on top of performing and writing.

"I love performing and I do feel a strong responsibility for the audiences' experience.

"Some people are really good in studios and some people need somebody to perform too, I fall into the latter category."

Rebecka launched her latest album 'Untold' at Plymouth's Barbican Theatre on Saturday 31 May 2008.