– Welcome here. Norwegian-Nicaraguan Sid Hart smiles kindly as he greets us in his friend’s apartment. He is tall, slender and his gaze is immediately drawn to his dark hair and dark eyes. They radiate charm and goodness. He seems safe where he is. I leilegheita. In the music. In life. We meet at the beginning of June – the month where the celebration of queer love and diversity is in focus. A celebration that means a lot to the 27-year-old. He is among the artists who will perform at Pride Oslo. “I hope I can show people in Norway that Pride is something unique, and a privilege that has long been fought for by those who came before me.” And that one must continue to fight. Because things can always change, and if you do not have it in the back of your mind, it can have serious consequences. He speaks from personal experience. Because it has taken many years to get to where he is today. Fear of violence and harassment is something that has characterized Sid. As a person and artist. The turning point 27-year-old Sid Hart was born in Nicaragua, and is the second child in a sibling group of four. His father is Indian, but grew up in Norway. His mother is Nicaraguan Katia Cardenal, a highly acclaimed Central American folk musician. Among other things, she is known for her versions of Alf Prøysen’s shows, and has also performed with several Norwegian artists such as Bjørn Eidsvåg, Anne Grete Preus and Sissel Kyrkjebø. Sid Hart had a good and safe upbringing. Sid Hart together with his mother Katia Cardenal – who is also an artist. Sit Hart with mom Katia and the rest of the siblings in front of the Christmas tree. Sid Hart with his mother Katia Cardenal.15-year-old Sid Hart pictured in the newspaper for the first gong. His sister Nina and he themselves formed the duo Nina y Sebastian, and were very popular in Nicaragua. For the first five years, Sid and his family lived in Oslo. Then they move to Nicaragua. The Norwegian culture was still with him. In the capital Managua, he went to a Nordic school. – I felt included and accepted throughout my childhood. The school was progressive and open, he said. But when he started high school, he was shocked. Gone were the Nordic values he was used to from childhood. High school was a crash course in Latin American-conservative macho culture and Catholicism. There was no room for an applicant artist soul who had discovered that he was queer. Suffocating macho culture – It was a strong culture shock, he emphasizes. Nicaragua is a Catholic country where conservative values are strong. The high school Sid went to the bare mark of it. According to Sid, the teachers and classmates were very conservative. It did not take much to be seen as the committee. “I was a very sensitive guy. It does not fit into the boys’ club. In Nicaragua, the macho culture is very dominant. “You should be sporty, masculine and not show signs of emotion. It was difficult for me to adapt. It was even more difficult when he realized that he liked guys. Criminally being gay In Norway, it has been 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalized, and we have come a long way in the fight for the rights of queers. But there are still countries where homosexuality is forbidden. In 68 countries it is criminal to be gay, in eight of them you can risk being sentenced to death. Solidarity is one of the cornerstones of Pride. According to Inge Alexander Gjestvang, who is the leader of FRI – the association for gender and sexuality diversity, it is important to have an international focus in addition to the national one. – Many of us take very basic human rights for granted, rights that queer people around the world are constantly fighting to gain access to, says the leader. Inge Alexander Gjestvang is a member of FRI – the association for gender and sexuality diversity. Photo: Press photo / FREE In recent years, Poland has been criticized for introducing gay-free zones. Recently, there has also been a storm around the World Cup in Qatar after it was known that several hotels deny gay access. – We can not pull up the ladder after us, neither nationally nor internationally, freedom is something that benefits everyone, and we will never take it for granted, Gjestvang adds. – Gret as a child In Nicaragua, it is not forbidden to be queer, but it is still not accepted by society. You may get in trouble with education. You may lose your job or career opportunities. You may be banned by your family or lose friends. For Sid, this meant he had to hide his girlfriend. Only the family and the closest friends knew about it. Sister Nina was the first to learn that he liked boys. – I cried like a child. She was so nice and supportive. It was the first and most important step. The rest of the family was also supportive. After a quarter of an hour, the music was a haven. “Through musicians, I met other queer people. Music and art were a way to explore emotions without making it open, Sid says. In constant fear of being “revealed” Sid’s full name is Siddharta Sebastian Cardenal Kapoor. In Nicaragua he is known as Sebastian since he and his sister Nina form the artist duo Nina y Sebastian. – “Sebastian” was almost an alter ego that I used that was easier for the Nicaraguan audience to digest. “Sid Hart” is who I really am, he says. In Nicaragua, they were one of the most emerging bands, with over 300,000 plays on Spotify. Watch the music video of Nina & Sebastian’s “Canción De Adiós” (Goodbye). Still, he felt reduced. – I did not dare to write love songs about boys. He still managed to break through, and was a familiar name to most people. But not everyone liked what they saw. Sid often experienced harassment from other men, and lived in constant fear of being “exposed” and subjected to violence. – I was a public person who was sensitive and open about feelings. That was not how a boy should be. I was often met with homophobic comments. Never dare to go out on the street with make-up or nail polish. “Small things could create aggressive reactions. The inner conflict erodes. Sid went into a depression and tried to numb the difficult feelings of intoxication. Partying was a big part of the day. – It was a period where I could not have the life that my heterosexual friends had. – They had the opportunity to be in a relationship and have a safe and nice time with their boyfriend. I felt limited, and handled it in an unhealthy way, he says. Did he know it was a risk? He came to a point where he no longer felt protected. He decided to move to Oslo. Just before he posted a picture of himself on Instagram where he showed more of his queer page. Among other things, he wore earrings. This led to a major debate in conservative Nicaragua. In the news, they discussed whether men could wear women’s clothing or not. – The opportunities I had as a musician and artist were fewer and fewer. It hurt. I thought that music – which was about love – was a universal feeling. The meaning behind the message had not changed. It disappointed and shocked me a lot. He also lost hundreds of fans. Afraid of your own life – I knew it was a risk. But I did not think it would be so concrete, heavy and direct. In 2018, the dictatorship in Nicaragua was stricter and freedom of expression for artists was increasingly narrowed. Sid moved to Norway with the hope of being able to express himself fully, both in music and as a person. – I put my friends, my family and the artist career behind me and start from scratch. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to do so. When he came to Norway, he felt a newfound freedom. Finally, he could wear jewelry, dress in makeup, wear feminine clothing. Simply find yourself. – It took time too. But just walking down the street to not be afraid of being harassed meant a lot to me. Sid Hart did not have to be afraid in Norwegian streets. Photo: Ulrik Kramer / news – Love is a universal language Although he initially thought it was sad to have to start his artist career again, he is happy that today he can live freely and make the music he wants. Soon he will be out with the single “Boys in Love” which is also the name of the project that will become a double album. “Boys in Love” is a collection of hidden songs about falling in love between guys that Hart has not dared to release until now. The project has also been a form of forgiveness and healing over the lost adolescence. He points out that there are many Norwegian young people who may take their freedom for granted. He wants to make it clear that this is not the standard elsewhere. “It is something unique and beautiful that Norway offers. Allowing myself to be in love and loving is important to me. ”Love is a universal language that everyone can recognize themselves in, regardless of orientation, identity or gender. news broadcasts live from Pride on Saturday 25 June on news 1 and news TV.
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Sid had to hide his girlfriend – Special
