Silvana Imam

Silvana Imam is a Swedish rapper and a fearless leader for an entire generation. Her razor-sharp tongue and political lyrics capture the mood of our age. Silvana rose to fame during an anti-racist demonstration in the Stockholm suburb of Kärrtorp in 2013. Since then, she has released three full-length albums, all of which she won, Artist of the Year at Swedish Grammy, Lyricist of the Year at Musikförläggarnas Pris, Best Live Act at both P3 Guld and Manifestgalan, and other prestigious Swedish music prizes. Silvana is the subject of the documentary “Väck mig när vi vaknat” [Wake me when we have woken up] which was awarded a Swedish Guldbagge for Best Documentary in 2018.

Silvana’s latest album, “Helig Moder” [Holy Mother], was released in February on her own label where she is in charge of all decisions surrounding her music. “I am both a businesswoman and an artist. I have always been both of these, but now even more so.” The album describes a utopia: everything we have fought for has suddenly happened, obstacles no longer exist, people have stopped splitting their identities, and we have found each other again. What happens then? ”The goal cannot be power, the goal must be freedom”- Imam said.

The album is a reminder of the role Silvana has taken on in the Swedish rap world: acclaimed, respected, influential, constantly driving change, but as a result, also troubled with a weight on her shoulders.

Photo: Kimberly Ihre