Emma Cairo is a Danish–Norwegian artist and naturalized American performer whose musical life was shaped early by her father, dixieland jazz musician Erland Larsen of the Riverside City Jazz Band. Having played hundreds of shows across the world, Cairo spent most of her adult life in Los Angeles, performing her original music at major venues and participating in high-end entertainment productions before returning to Scandinavia in 2022.

Cairo sings with complete disregard for trends, drawing inspiration from multiple eras, genres, and cultural traditions. Throughout her long career performing in the U.S., Asia, and Europe, she has explored rock, pop, jazz, country, Nordic folk, ballads, and dance music — an eclectic background that shines through in her original work and in her powerful, soulful, and remarkably versatile voice.

In recent years, Emma Cairo has focused on creating music centered on self-growth, empowerment, and spiritual resonance. Her 2021/2022 project, Nordic Manifestation Chants, was inspired by the Nordic song tradition of the Viking era (galdr). The EP — and its accompanying meditation app (currently not available) — introduced listeners to Cairo’s interpretation of “song magic,” merging ancient Nordic vølve/volva traditions with modern manifestation and medicine-music culture. Her chant “Abundance” quickly became a favorite across multiple platforms, including the meditation app Insight Timer.

Cairo’s interest in empowerment through sound extends to all genres she works in. As she explains: “Music —especially repetitive hooks or beats — puts the mind into a theta state. That hypnotic state can imprint lyrical messages deeply into the subconscious, so I find it important that the messages are empowering, whether in pop, rock, or chanting.”

Her 2022 single “Morning Run,” written by American rap artist River Nelson and produced by Alto Beats, added new energy to her expanding cross-Atlantic collaborations. That same year, she performed the duet “Vårvise” with beloved Danish singer/songwriter Sebastian on his tour Trubadurens Aften — a meaningful artistic milestone for Cairo, whose own Nordic ballad “Livets Dans” was inspired by his work.

Cairo’s catalogue also includes the self-produced EP Demos from a Lost Decade (2021), the Nordic style pop/rock album In East & West (2017), the country/pop EP Southern Songs from the North (2014) and numerous collaborations with producers including DJ Severin, DJ Roody, and Mark Bailey. Her music has appeared on Dash Radio, Playboy Radio, KPFK 90.7, and she has performed in clubs and festivals from Los Angeles to Asia to Scandinavia. Highlights include opening for Rising Star winner Jesse Kinch at the Viper Room and performing at legendary Hollywood venues such as Hotel Café, Genghis Cohen, and Vitello’s.

In 2023, Cairo released the infectious dance track “Take Me to Sweden” with DJ Roody, followed by the 2024 empowerment-driven single “Force” with DJ Severin — an R&B pop anthem about reclaiming one’s inner strength after trauma.

Live Performance & Variety: from Vegas to Copenhagen

Emma Cairo has also embraced her theatrical side. Having previously performed regularly in Las Vegas, she brought that energy back to Scandinavia with a live-band variety project in December 2025. Cairo starred in and co-produced “The Vaudevilians feat. burlesque dancers Vala Diona, Dopamine Dolly and Carbie Barbie” at Operaen in Christiania — an electrifying blend of vintage vaudeville, sensual burlesque, and cinematic live music featuring the Copenhagen burlesque professionals and a powerhouse band talented musicians. The production marked Cairo’s return to large-scale stage entertainment, merging her musical worlds with glamour, character, and dramatic storytelling.