Anne Dorte Michelsen

Anne Dorte Michelsen, born in Århus on 17 July 1958, is a Danish singer and composer whose reach has run well beyond her home market. She first became known in Denmark as a member of the groups Tøsedrengene and Venter på Far, before making her name as a solo artist. Her songs are steeped in a longing, melancholy mood, and that quality would prove to travel.

Her second solo record, Næste Dans, sold well in Norway, Sweden and Japan, and it was in Japan that the song Fortrolighed found a large following. Its appearance as the title song of a popular Japanese television programme gave it a wide audience there. Listeners apparently responded to the unfamiliar sound of the Danish language and the wistful character of the music. As a leader she has released ten albums, and she has also published a book titled Næste Dans.