Sweden is on the road to becoming the number-one DJ country!
The boardwalk at Gröningen in Helsingborg is filled with music. Many DJ dreams came true when Sweden's first interactive, the Fono Interactive DJ-booth, was installed.
"It was full of activity from the start," Josett Dahlin, initiator and landscape architect at the Helsingborg City Council, explains. "There have been many musicians here, both teens and smaller children, who borrowed their parents' phones to play their music. Surprisingly we've also seen elderly that read or heard about the new DJ trend and wanted to see the new DJ-booth for themselves."
Global DJ trend
Josette Dahlin saw the Fono for the first time during a Trade Show that Lappset attended. She liked the idea of setting the global DJ trend into motion in Sweden, with great Swedish performers in mind, such as Avicii and Swedish House Maffia. "Lappset is good at picking up what the younger generation likes. They have developed many innovative solutions, and Fono is a good example."
Big success from the start
After following a seminar with Lappset, Helsingborg received the opportunity to borrow a Fono over the summer. Josette explains, "It was a success right from the start. The people were curious, and it's interesting to see how Fono attracts all generations." It took little to convince the higher authority that the city should keep the Fono after the loan period ended. "Everyone had seen how much visitors appreciated it, so it was more like we needed to find arguments about why we couldn't keep it," Josette says.
In Helsingborg, we opted to place the Fono Interactive DJ-booth on the boardwalk right by the sea. It's the perfect spot!
- Josette Dahlin - Gröningen, Helsingborg, Sweden
Girls take over!
The area also has a basketball court, an outdoor gym, and a skate park. "It was the perfect spot to place the Fono," Josette says. "It's not located in a residential area, and we often notice the younger generation gathering here. The Fono's been played massively this summer! I passed by once and noticed it was so crowded that I could hardly get anywhere near the playset. It turned out that a gymnastics team of around 70 girls visited the city for a competition they participated in, and they performed their entire dance set with their music playing on the Fono. It was surprising that it wasn't just boys showing off their skills; the DJ table also attracted many girls. It's amazing to see girls owning the space and showing off their creative skills as well, such as performing dance routines. You often see girls just sitting/hanging around the skate park, watching the boys do their thing. The Fono is showing it's attractive for all genders. I love that!"
Empowering Everyone to Be a Star
Josette points out the importance of finding products that anyone can use, regardless of abilities or gender. "For this matter, Fono is a brilliant example. Not everyone likes/can follow courses or DJ training sessions. With a product like Fono, anyone can become a star!"
"It was a success right from the start. The people were very curious, and it's interesting to see how Fono attracts all generations."
- Josette Dahlin - Gröningen, Helsingborg, Sweden about the Yalp Fono