Lars Salem Al Fakir (born 27 October 1981) is a Swedish musician, singer, songwriter and record producer.[1] He regularly collaborates with Vincent Pontare as the songwriting and production duo Vargas and Lagola.[2] Together, they have worked with many artists, including Avicii, Axwell & Ingrosso, Madonna, Seinabo Sey and Lady Gaga. In addition to their songwriting and production work, they release alternative pop music as Vargas & Lagola.[3]
Salem Al Fakir | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Lars Salem Al Fakir |
Also known as |
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Born | (1981-10-27) 27 October 1981 (age 40) Huddinge, Sweden |
Genres |
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Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 2006–present |
Website | vargasandlagola |
Al Fakir learned to play violin at the age of four and subsequently toured Russia as a solo violinist at the age of fourteen, but returned to Sweden to study jazz piano. As a student he attended the Adolf Fredrik's Music School in Stockholm.[4]
In the autumn of 2006, Al Fakir released his first EP Dream Girl. He is most famous for his chart topping albums This Is Who I Am (2007), Astronaut (2009) and Ignore This (2010). At the Swedish Grammy Awards in 2008 he won big – taking home four awards and being nominated in seven categories.[5]
He took part in Melodifestivalen 2010, the Swedish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, with "Keep On Walking" and finished in second place.[6]
After his solo career, Al Fakir became more focused on the songwriting. Beginning to collaborate with Avicii on "Silhouettes" in 2012.[7] Among the first co-writes with Vincent Pontare are Avicii's 2013 Billboard Hot 100 single "Hey Brother" and "Younger" by Seinabo Sey.[8]
At the 2014 Swedish Grammy Awards, Al Fakir, Vincent Pontare and Magnus Lidehäll were awarded Composer of the Year after writing for Veronica Maggio's album Handen i fickan fast jag bryr mig and the Petter album Början på allt, and work with artists like Galantis.[9] In 2014 he wrote numerous songs on Mapei's album Hey Hey and Avicii's "The Days" and "Divine Sorrow" (with Wyclef Jean).[10] Al Fakir followed up with another successful year in 2015 co-writing most songs on Seinabo Sey's highly acclaimed debut album Pretend and songs for Madonna's Rebel Heart album.[11][12]
Vargas & Lagola have co-written some of the biggest hits by Axwell Ʌ Ingrosso – "More Than You Know", "Sun Is Shining", "Dreamer" and more - taken from their 2017 album More Than You Know.[13]
The duo have also contributed to two songs on Swedish rock band Ghost's Billboard 200-charting and Grammy Award-nominated album Prequelle, including the album's second single "Dance Macabre" which topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart.[14][15][16]
In 2018, the same moment as Vargas & Lagola blazed onto the alternative pop scene with the hit single "Roads", they shared the no.1 spot as Sweden's most streamed songwriters for songs including Avicii – "Without You (feat. Sandro Cavazza)" and "Waiting For Love".[17] After working closely with Avicii for several years, Al Fakir and Pontare played a key role in finishing up the 2019 posthumous Avicii album TIM and are featured artists on three of the album songs.[18] On 5 December 2019, Vargas & Lagola performed at Avicii's Tribute Concert in Stockholm.[19]
Vargas & Lagola's debut album The Butterfly Effect was released in January 2020.[20]
Year | Album | Peak positions |
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SWE [21][22] | ||
2006 | Dream Girl (EP) | — |
2007 | This Is Who I Am | 1 |
2009 | Astronaut | 7 |
2010 | Ignore This | 1 |
Single | Year | Peak positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
SWE [21][22] | |||
"Dream Girl" | 2006 | 25 | This Is Who I Am |
"Good Song" | 36 | ||
"This Is Who I Am" | 2007 | 43 | |
"It's True" (with Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso) |
38 | ||
"It's Only You, Part 2" | 2008 | 41 | Astronaut |
"Astronaut" | 2009 | 34 | |
"Roxy" | — | ||
"Keep On Walking" | 2010 | 3 | Ignore This |
"4 O'Clock" | 49 | ||
"Split My Personality" | — | ||
"I'm So Happy" (featuring Josephine Bornebusch) |
2011 | — |
Single | Year | Peak positions | Certification | Album |
---|---|---|---|---|
SWE | ||||
"Silhouettes" (Avicii) |
2012 | 11 | Non-album single | |
"You Make Me" (Avicii) |
2013 | 1 | True | |
"Something New" (Axwell Λ Ingrosso) |
2014 | 20 | More Than You Know | |
"On My Way" (Axwell Λ Ingrosso) |
2015 | 18 |
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"Sun Is Shining" (Axwell Λ Ingrosso) |
1 | |||
"Renegade" (Axwell Λ Ingrosso) |
2017 | — |
Year | Artist | Title | Album |
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2012 | Avicii | "Silhouettes" | Non-album single |
2013 | Avicii | "You Make Me" | True |
"Hey Brother" | |||
2014 | Galantis | "Smile" | Galantis (EP) |
"Help" | |||
Mapei | "Blame It On Me" | Hey Hey | |
"As 1" | |||
"Second to None" | |||
"Step Up" | |||
Wyclef Jean | "Divine Sorrow" (featuring Avicii) |
Non-album single | |
Avicii | "The Days" | The Days/Nights | |
2015 | Madonna | "HeartBreakCity" | Rebel Heart |
"Wash All Over Me" | |||
"Messiah" | |||
"Rebel Heart" | |||
Galantis | "Kill 'Em with the Love" | Pharmacy | |
"Call If You Need Me" | |||
Avicii | "Waiting For Love" | Stories | |
Seinabo Sey | "Younger" | Pretend | |
"Poetic" | |||
"Hard Time" | |||
"Easy" | |||
"Words" | |||
"Sorry" | |||
"Still" | |||
"Ruin" | |||
"Burial" | |||
"Pistols At Dawn" | |||
2016 | MishCatt | "Another Dimension" | Highlighter |
2017 | Johnossi | "On A Roll" | Blood Jungle |
Avicii | "Friend Of Mine" (featuring Vargas & Lagola) |
Avīci (01) | |
"Without You" (featuring Sandro Cavazza) | |||
Toby Randall | "Hold Me Down" | ONE. | |
Axwell Λ Ingrosso | "More Than You Know" | More Than You Know | |
"Something New" | |||
"This Time" | |||
"Renegade" | |||
"Sun Is Shining" | |||
"On My Way" | |||
"Dreamer" | |||
Axwell | "Barricade" | ||
2018 | Seinabo Sey | "I Love You" | I'm a Dream |
"Never Get Used To" | |||
"I Owe You Nothing" | |||
"Breathe" | |||
"Good In You" | |||
Ghost | "Dance Macabre" | Prequelle | |
"Life Eternal" | |||
MagnusTheMagnus | "It Don't Impress Me" (featuring Madi Banja) |
Non-album single | |
"Calling" (featuring KIDDO) | |||
David Guetta | "Light Headed" (with Sia) |
7 | |
RØMANS | "Glitter & Gold" | Non-album single | |
Salvatore Ganacci | "Kill A Soundboy" (featuring Nailah Blackman) |
Non-album single | |
2019 | Gryffin | "You Remind Me" (featuring Stanaj) |
Gravity |
Frank Walker & Astrid S | "Only When It Rains" | Non-album single | |
PRETTYMUCH | "Eyes Off You" | Phases - EP | |
Avicii | "Peace Of Mind" (featuring Vargas & Lagola) |
TIM | |
"Tough Love" (featuring Agnes, Vargas & Lagola) | |||
"Excuse Me Mr Sir" (featuring Vargas & Lagola) | |||
Otto Knows | "About You" | Non-album single | |
Ghost | "Kiss The Go-Goat" | Seven Inches of Satanic Panic | |
"Mary On A Cross" | |||
Agnes | "Intro" | Nothing Can Compare | |
"I Trance" | |||
"Not Dangerous" | |||
"Interlude (What Is Wrong)" | |||
"Limelight" | |||
"Interlude (I Like To Sing)" | |||
"Nothing Can Compare" | |||
Mapei | "Ether" | Sensory Overload | |
2020 | Galantis | "Steel" | Church |
"Unless It Hurts" | |||
"Never Felt A Love Like This" (with Hook n Sling featuring Dotan) | |||
Agnes | "Goodlife" | Non-album single | |
Lady Gaga | "Sine from Above" (with Elton John) |
Chromatica | |
2022 | Ghost | "Twenties" | IMPERA |
Year | Artist | Title | Album |
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2013 | Veronica Maggio | "Sergels torg" | Handen i fickan fast jag bryr mig |
"Jag lovar" | |||
"Hela huset" (featuring Håkan Hellström) | |||
"Va kvar" | |||
"Låtsas som det regnar" | |||
"Hädanefter" | |||
"Dallas" | |||
"Bas gillar hörn" | |||
"I min bil" | |||
Petter | "Mighty" (featuring Newkid) |
Början på allt | |
"Början på allt" (featuring Eye N'I) | |||
"April" | |||
"Håll om mig" (featuring Daniel Adams-Ray) | |||
"Tills döden skiljer oss åt" | |||
"King" (featuring Lilla Namo) | |||
"Maj" | |||
"Arbete" | |||
"Alla vet" (featuring Agnes) | |||
"Fristad" | |||
"Juni" | |||
"Sitter på en dröm" | |||
"Minnen del II" | |||
"Släpp mig fri" | |||
2016 | Veronica Maggio | "Den första är alltid gratis" | Den första är alltid gratis |
"Vi mot världen" | |||
"Pang pang" | |||
2018 | Petter | "Kliv på!" (featuring Eye N'I) |
Lev nu |
"Lev nu dö sen" (featuring Vargas & Lagola) |
Year | Awards | Category | Nomination | Outcome | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | The Swedish MPA Awards | Best Newcomer | Himself | Won | [34] |
The Monica Zetterlund Scholarship | Young and Promising Artist | Himself | [35] | ||
SKAP Anniversary Award | - | Himself | [36] | ||
2008 | Expressen Kultur - Spelmannen | - | Himself | [37] | |
Swedish Grammy Awards | Composer of the Year | Himself | [38] | ||
Male artist of the Year | Himself | ||||
Producer of the Year | Himself | ||||
Newcomer of the Year | Himself | ||||
Song of The Year | "Good Song" | Nominated | |||
Album of The Year | "This Is Who I Am" | ||||
Lyricist of the Year | Himself | ||||
P3 Guld | Best Male Artist | Himself | [39] | ||
Best New Artist | Himself | ||||
2010 | Swedish Grammy Awards | Composer of the Year | Himself | [40] | |
Male Artist of the Year | Himself | ||||
2011 | Swedish Grammy Awards | Song of the Year | "Keep On Walking" | [41] | |
Male Artist of the Year | Himself | ||||
2014 | Swedish Grammy Awards | Composer of the Year | Himself (with Vincent Pontare & Magnus Lidehäll) | Won | [42] |
The Swedish MPA Awards | International Success of the Year | Himself (with Vincent Pontare & Magnus Lidehäll) | Nominated | [43] | |
2015 | Swedish Grammy Awards | Best Children's Album | Himself (with Glada Hudik-Teatern & Pontus De Wolfe) | Won | [44] |
Composer of the Year | Himself (with Vincent Pontare & Magnus Lidehäll) | Nominated | |||
The Swedish MPA Awards | International Success of the Year | Himself (with Vincent Pontare) | [45] | ||
2016 | Swedish Grammy Awards | Composer of the Year | Himself (with Vincent Pontare, Magnus Lidehäll & Seinabo Sey) | [46] | |
2018 | Swedish Grammy Awards | Composer of the Year | Vargas & Lagola | [47] |
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Studio albums | |
Singles | |
Related articles |
General | |
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Other |
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