Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and Metallica; but now may be on hiatus); Hafdís Huld (spiky female popstress); and ebul-
lient garage-rockers Benny Crespo's Gang. HAM was a relatively early hard-rock band
that released its first album in 1988, but have lately seen a resurgence after a 16-year break
and the release of
Svik, harmur, og dauði
(Betrayal, Tragedy and Death; 2011). Retro
Stefsson is a newer alt-pop act, and Hermigervill makes electro-pop and shows up on con-
cert circuits.
Similarly, Reykjavík's live-music venues are ever-changing - the best thing to do is to
check the free website/paper
Reykjavík Grapevine
(
www.grapevine.is
)
for current news
and listings. And if your trip coincides with one of the country's many music festivals, go!
The fabulous Iceland Airwaves music festival (held in Reykjavík in November) showcases
Iceland's talent along with international acts, as does Secret Solstice (June) and ATP
Festival (July). Þjóðhátíð (National Festival) in Vestmannaeyjar, attracts over 16,000
people for four days of music and debauchery in late July or early August.
Traditional Music
Until rock and roll arrived in the 20th century, Iceland was a land practically devoid of
musical instruments. The Vikings brought the
fiðla
and the
langspil
with them from
Scandinavia - both a kind of two-stringed box rested on the player's knee and played with
a bow. They were never solo instruments but merely served to accompany singers.
Instruments were generally an unheard-of luxury and singing was the sole form of mu-
sic. The most famous song styles are
rímur
(poetry or stories from the sagas performed in
a low, eerie chant; Sigur Rós have dabbled with the form), and
fimmundasöngur
(sung by
two people in harmony). Cut off from other influences, the Icelandic singing style barely
changed from the 14th century to the 20th century; it also managed to retain harmonies
that were banned by the church across the rest of Europe on the basis of being the work of
the devil!
You'll find choirs around Iceland performing traditional music, and there are compila-
tion albums, such as
Inspired by Harpa - The Traditional Songs of Iceland
(2013), that
give a sampling of Icelandic folk songs or
rímur
.
