Music / Tónlist
This page will introduce and promote Icelandic music, bands and artists.
Svavar Knútur
The INLUS was privileged to have Svavar as our guest for our December 2019 Educational Webinar. Despite one of the worst winter storms in memory, Svavar was able to join us on the internet for some stories and songs.
A bit more about Svavar,
Channeling the pain and angst of long dark winters and the insomnia of the 24 hour glaring summer sun, this eclectic musician has in recent years blossomed into a serene and sublime singer and songwriter. Knutur's songs of misery and redemption deliver a healthy dose of hope in the midst of despair. A humoristic storyteller and avid diver into the murky waters of the human condition, Svavar Knútur, sows and reaps a fantastic mixture of art and entertainment.
Svavar is also the first recipient of the Anna Pálína Árnadóttir memorial award for folk music excellence in Iceland. The award was in recognition for Svavar’s continued exploration of new waters in modern folk music both lyrically and musically, a tireless effort to bring older folk music to young audiences and for his continous work on helping out young and emerging artists.
One of his songs struck a special chord with us and he kindly shared the lyrics.
January
Darkness swallows all,
But beneath the snow with stoic, cold resolve.
January stirs.
With a quiet grunt pulls up his pants.
Scowls with a furrowed brow,
piercing eyes towards a freezing sun.
„This disaster will not do!
It lies so flat, but must rise.“
Oh January, the month least loved.
How glorious is your thankless work?
The sun rises gently.
But behind the scenes old January strives.
Like a roadie after the show
or a garbageman on his Monday morning shift.
Oh January, the month least loved,
How glorious is your thankless work?
And after all that he gave
January crawls back beneath his fur.
Until duty calls him forth once more,
like a snow-covered Batman.
Oh January, the month least loved.
How glorious is your thankless work?
I know you January, I see you January.
Mammút
This month, we're featuring Mammút, one of Cole Johnson's (I461267) favorites. Learn more about them here: http://www.mammut.is
"MAMMÚT were founded in down town Reykjavík by five thirteen year old kids back in 2003.
They have grown well known in their home country, Iceland, with more than 6 singles hitting the top of the charts on the national radio station and two gold records.
Their album, Komdu til mín svarta systir, won them three out of seven nominations at the Icelandic music awards for best song (Salt) best album and the best album cover of the year.
In 2015 they signed to Bella Union, a London based record company and their first label outside Iceland. A few months later they released an EP, Rivers End.
In 2017, the 14th of July, their debut LP Kinder Versions was released outside of Iceland.
Kinder Versions got most nominations that year and won them three out of six awards – for best album, best song (Breathe into me) and best singer of the year. "