Ida Ljungqvist: Playboy’s Tanzanian Devil is an Angel
Written by Chris Yandek
Saturday, 20 June 2009
Ida Ljungqvist is the 2009 Playboy Playmate of the Year
Listen to the Ida Ljungqvist interview
The year was 1960 when Playboy founder Hugh Hefner began what was to become a celebrated tradition. With JFK running for president and the Cold War in full gear, Hef was busy selecting the Playmate of the Year. His was the enviable job of choosing the über-beauty embodying his publication, from 12 breath-stealing knockouts who had appeared as centerfolds from January to December.
Keep in mind, the very first edition of Playboy – in 1953 – had none other than Marilyn Monroe as the fledgling monthly’s first centerfold. Talk about a bar set high from the get go.
Fast forward to the present and Hef’s eye for beauty – and promotion – is as sharp as ever. The latest Playmate of the Year, Ida Ljungqvist (pronunciation: Lindquist) is both a stunner and a groundbreaker. Born in Tanzania to a Swedish father and African mother, she becomes the first African born Playmate of the Year. Considering 2009 yielded America its first multi-racial president, Playboy is making sure not to be left behind.
Ms. Ljungqvist, as charming as she is pretty, was surprised to take the crown – okay, the ears – because she wasn’t born in America.
The daughter of a UNICEF employee father, Ida is an open-minded individual who credits her thinking to growing up traveling the world. A free spirit, she believes life should be fun; that happiness is choice and when it comes to charity the most important thing is following your passion.
As Playboy Playmate of the Year, Ida considers herself fortunate even though the perks – like potential movie roles – are accompanied by pesky things like rumors and gossip. For example, contrary to online reports, she is not in the middle of a bitter divorce battle. In fact, her divorce is old news. Alert: Playmate Ljungqvist hasn’t been married since February!
Going forward, Ida is optimistic. On the relationship front, her goal is to meet someone who is real, has a sense of humor and a life. She credits her past experiences with men as an asset in finding Mr. Right. Between her looks and personality, there are sure to be many guys vying for that role.
Destiny’s Child was one of the hottest musical groups, from the end of the 1990s to 2005. After numerous lineup changes, founding members Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland along with Michelle Williams toured the world, putting their stamp on music history. Their major hits included Independent Women, Bootylicious, and Survivor. Today, they remain one of the top selling, female groups of all time.
In 2005, Destiny’s Child officially went their separate ways. Since then, Beyonce Knowles’ solo career has led her to superstardom. Lesser known, but certainly no less talented, is Kelly Rowland.
After the group separated, Kelly Rowland found herself for the first time with a performing career that required her to stand on her own two feet. Reflecting on that process, it was something she was quite nervous about.
Nervous or not, Rowland’s talent and drive won the day. Whether it was putting out her recent album Ms. Kelly or traveling to Europe where she found inspiration to record a chart topper dance flick When Love Takes Over, Kelly found her own identity.
Other changes took place in her life, besides her solo career. Recently, Kelly parted ways with longtime manager Matthew Knowles, Beyonce’s father. It was a tough decision, but she came to the conclusion that she just wasn’t growing anymore. She does, however, remain close with the Knowles family. Currently, Kelly is shopping for a new label.
As if the challenge of establishing a solo career wasn’t enough, online gossip surfaced in recent months that Rowland’s Miami home was in foreclosure. Kelly tells me she is financially stable and that she originally put the house on the market because she thought it was too big for her. Later, she decided to take the house off the market concluding it is a place she can continue to grow into. The house, by the way, was never in foreclosure.
So what’s next for Kelly Rowland? She’s hosting a new program on Bravo titled The Fashion Show. By her own admission, she never saw herself hosting this kind of program. While shooting the project, she came to truly enjoy the hosting gig. She also learned more about fashion, which she says is consistent with her interests.
Speaking with Ms. Rowland, you can tell she is happy for her fellow group-mates Beyonce – who has journeyed into wifehood – and Michelle – who is preparing for her role in the play Chicago, in London. You can sense Kelly is enjoying life, including being single. She says marriage is off in the distance, unless Prince Charming comes along.
Ms. Rowland is deciding her destiny now more than ever. In that sense, she is its truest child.
