Sebastian

Born in Sønderborg in 1949, Danish musician Knud Grabow Christensen is known by the name Sebastian as a singer, guitarist, songwriter and composer of stage music. Initially influenced by the Anglo-Saxon folk of Donovan, Sebastian recorded a few singles in English and the album The Goddess (1971) in the early 1970s, before shifting to Danish with the song “Lossepladsen bløder” and the album Den store flugt (1972), which established him in the Danish rock scene. Across records in the 1970s and 1980s — from Over havet under himlen (1973) to Stjerne til støv (1981) and 80'ernes boheme (1983) — Sebastian developed a blend of folk rock, pop and keyboard-driven rock, supported by lyrics that are often political but centered on storytelling and observations of everyday life. In the late 1980s, voice problems led him to focus more on composition, notably for musical theatre and young audiences, with works such as Skatteøen (1986), Ronja Røverdatter (1991) and Pippi (1998), as well as music for television including the series Nana (1988) and Gøngehøvdingen (1992). Still active in the studio, Sebastian regularly releases new albums in the 21st century and continues collaborations with different generations of performers — among them Lis Sørensen, Sissel Kyrkjebø and Sara Grabow — confirming Sebastian’s singular position at the crossroads of Danish song, rock and musical theatre.