Street singer Søren, whose voice filled Strøget, dies at 53

Street singer Søren, whose voice could be heard for decades on Strøget in Copenhagen, has died aged 53, DR reports. The drop-in centre Gang i Gaden announced his death.

Søren Jakobsen, known as Sanger Søren, sang classics including Shu-bi-dua’s “Den Røde Tråd” and Rod Stewart’s “Sailing”. Singer and musician Kira Skov said his death had taken an iconic figure from the city’s streets.

“While the whole world changed, Sanger Søren stood on Strøget. His voice was always the same,” Skov told P1 Orientering.

Skov knew him from her childhood and youth, when she also sang on Copenhagen’s streets. She described him as a kind man with a unique voice.

Søren’s brother, Anders Jakobsen, told B.T. that Søren began running away from the family home in Brønshøj at the age of 12 because he wanted to sing on Strøget. An earlier DR children’s radio feature described him as homeless at 12 and singing to earn money for daily needs.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also paid tribute, writing on Instagram that Søren “owned very little” but had given Copenhagen something few others could and made people stop, if only for a moment. Among the songs he sang was Gasolin’s “Kvinde Min”, one of her favourites.