First Place In Our Hearts

Krakkaveldi gives 12 points to Celebs

Words: Margrét Aðalgeirsdóttir, Sóley Hulda Nielsen Viðarsdóttir & Borghildur Lukka Kolbeinsdóttir

Images: Art Bicnick

Though it’s Diljá’s “Power” that will rep Iceland at Eurovision this year, another band won the hearts of three young journalists. Margrét, Sóley and Borghildur picked the brains of siblings Valgeir Skorri Vernharðsson and Katla Vigdís Vernharðsdóttir from the band Celebs.

How did you decide to participate in Söngvakeppnin?

Valgeir: Last summer we were playing in the Westfjords when my brother Hrafnkell started talking about the idea of participating. He didn’t think we’d like the idea but we thought it was a great.

Katla: There we met a man who controls everything in RÚV’s programming, which cartoons are played and everything, and he told us to participate. He was thinking about it, we were thinking about it, so everything clicked together.

What do you think is your most impressive song you’ve made?

Katla: I would probably say “Doomsday Dancing” (their Eurovision submission) because we wrote it in a fun way. We were all together and we thought so much about every part of the song, which was kind of fun, to always be improving and practising this much.

Are you writing any new songs?

Katla: Yes, we wrote a new song the other day which we’re going to release, maybe we’ll do a video too. Aren’t you excited?

Margrét, Sóley & Borghildur: YES!

Why is the band called Celebs?

Katla: We were joking around about the fact that we live in such a small town where everybody knows each other. There are maybe 300 people in Suðureyri — your school has probably more kids than residents there. So when we started a band and somebody wrote an article about us, we became a bit famous in our tiny village.

Valgeir: In Suðureyri, everybody knows everybody, so technically everyone is a bit famous there.

Where is the party monster?

Katla: We’re not sure! The party monster showed up out of nowhere and we didn’t have a clue who the monster was. Then we got chatting and it said it lived in Iceland and we asked it if it wanted to join us onstage.

The girls: We don’t believe you.

Valgeir (laughing): You don’t? We’re going to try and play a bit next summer and if we see you at the show we can introduce you!

Eurovision

Embracing Her Power

We caught up with Diljá before she conquers Liverpool

Words: Jakobína Lóa Sverrisdóttir & Nína Marín Andradóttir Images: Supplied

Diljá is a 21-year-old singer from Kópavogur who will be representing Iceland at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. She has one brother; asks for raspberries, salty licorice flakes, and cookie dough in her bragðarefur; and can listen to the Polish Eurovision contribution from 2022 on repeat.

What is most exciting about participating in Eurovision?

It’s probably the opportunity, knowing that so many will listen to me and see what I’m doing.

Are you nervous about performing for this many people?

Not a bit. I think I’ve finished my share of stress for my lifetime. I’ve stopped experiencing stress. I took it all out in one go some time ago and now I can always see the positive side of things. Of course, I realised I was nervous and never did anything to help me but I never had control of it and somehow, all of a sudden, I’ve managed to control it and can shut the anxiety off because I know it’s just going to ruin things for when it was announced, it swept over me that it couldn’t be happening and I needed to wake up. I’ve often dreamt these types of dreams and then wake up and realise it was “one of those”. I lost complete sense of reality for the next few days. I’m even still feeling a certain high over it all.

Eurovision songs. If it’s enough that the song is written for the purpose of entering Eurovision, even though it doesn’t move forward, then my favourite is “Statements” by Loreen. It competed in the 2017 Melodifestival, but didn’t get through to Eurovision. But my favourite Eurovision song that actually entered the competition is me and others.

What was your favourite Eurovision song from last year?

Probably Sweden, “Hold me Closer” by Cornelia Jakobs. I thought it was fabulous.

What was your initial thought or reaction when you were announced as the winner of Söngvakeppnin? It was 100% the feeling that this couldn’t be happening for real. I always believed it could happen but

Was your song written in Icelandic or English?

It was originally written in English and I like it better that way. Then we wrote the Icelandic lyrics in three days before the deadline. There was a bit of a time pressure around that.

What’s your favourite Eurovision song of all time?

It depends on what you define as

“Amar Pelos Dois” by Salvador Sobral, which won in 2017.

But finally: It’s been your dream since you were a kid to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. Do you have any advice for people or kids who want to make their dreams come true?

Yes, it’s just about continuing doing what you do. For a person who’s anxiety-ridden, like I was, it was extremely difficult at times but I was determined in not allowing my shadows to stand in the way of what I actually wanted to do. So really, no matter how scary your dream seems, if you don’t want

Nokkur Góð

Ten Years of Sonic Supremacy

Words: Jóhannes Bjarkason & Þórir Georg

Image: Supplied by Þórir Georg

Þórir Georg is a name that needs no introduction to avid followers of the Icelandic music scene. A prolific artist spanning multiple genres and decades, Þórir has championed the indie-rock and hardcore scene for years, developing a cult following.

Þórir’s Nokkur Góð (A Few Good Ones, in English) is his first of at least two releases this year. With plans to also drop a black metal album under the stage moniker Óreiða in May, one wonders how many hours are in Þórir’s day.

Nokkur Góð is a compilation of songs recorded between 2009 and 2019, originally released by independent labels. Þórir’s lo-fi production and soundscape work excellently within the indie-rock, pop and punk framework of his music. Reykjavík Record Shop released 250 copies of the album on vinyl on April 14. Þórir Georg had a few words to say about the album’s songs.

Ten Years

Originally released on the I am the obviously a dumb play on the Queen song title “We Are The Champions”. I always thought it was incredibly funny to be a band and write a song called “We Are The Champions” and I wanted to reference that somehow. The song references a song from my first solo album that was released 11 years prior to this EP. As the name of the song perhaps implies though, it was written a year before the EP got released.

Idiot Song

A song from an album of mine called Ræfill. The lyrics are about how frustrating I find most public discourse of art here in Iceland a lot of the time.

Fastur

The most recently released song on this compilation. Only released digitally as a single. “Fastur” translates as “stuck” and the chorus alludes to being stuck inside your own head — something I felt like I struggled with a lot. Turns out I’m just autistic.

Skiptir Engu

From my album Janúar ; an album that nihilism. The name of the song translates as “It doesn’t matter”.

Ælulykt

The smell of vomit. My ode to Reykjavík nightlife as a perpetually sober person. From the EP of the same name.

Greifarnir

Greifarnir are a legendary Icelandic pop group from my hometown of Húsavík. I particularly recommend their 1987 banger “Þyrnirós.” Another choice pick from my album Ræfill

Segðu Bless

From the Ælulykt EP. Like a lot of my songs, it’s about having a hard time dealing with reality.

Hunger

A song I had forgotten all about. It was released on a compilation of Icelandic artists called Iceland Whatever. I found it going through an old hard drive and you know what, it’s pretty good.

Ekki Neitt

Another song from the nihilistic Janúar. The title translates as “nothing.” Figures.

Years and Years

The only song on here from my album Pantophobic. It perhaps has a mellower vibe than most songs on the album, but I felt it fits. Pantophobia is the fear of everything.

Ask Yourself

The first song off of my album Ræfill We tend to feel a lot of things and have a lot of opinions without ever questioning them. I think it’s healthy for everyone to second-guess themselves once in a while.

Never Ever

Another song from the I am the champions EP. It’s about having a constant stream of music playing in your head at all times. Some of it’s made up, and some of it is music you’ve heard somewhere. Some of it is good, and a lot of it bad. But I wouldn’t want it any other way. This song is a bit of a banger, but then again, all 12 songs are.

Current Kids, Future Musicians

The Upbeat’s role in fostering children’s creativity

Near Reykjavík harbour stands Harpa, the crown jewel of Icelandic culture and music. Concerts, conferences, parties you name it, Harpa does it all. It’s a grand concert hall, home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Icelandic Opera and various other musical endeavours, including the children’s creative prize Upptakturinn, or The Upbeat.

Every year, in celebration of the Children’s Culture Festival of Reykjavík, about a dozen kids premiere a musical composition within Harpa’s opulent walls. Although, if you were to stumble

Bending the rules

into the concert without any prior knowledge of the festival, you’d probably think the pieces were composed by full-fledged, tax-paying adults.

Kids in grades five through 10 are encouraged to apply with their own musical ideas. If shortlisted, they compose their piece in collaboration with professional musicians, who help polish and refine their work. Students from the Icelandic University of Arts (LHÍ) ultimately perform the pieces with an assist from some of the country’s most famous performing artists — think Bríet, GDRN or Jónas Sig.

As project manager of the Upbeat, Elfa Lilja Gísladóttir has worked diligently, developing the project since its inception in 2012. Upon meeting at her office, Elfa was preparing an evening of activities with this year’s young participants, which include a photo shoot. “You’re more than welcome to come,” she told me. I was grateful for the offer, but our in-house photographer was busy and I couldn’t operate a camera to save my life.

The Upbeat was originally the brainchild of opera director Steinunn Birna Ragnarsdóttir, who saw an opportu- nity to diversify the music landscape through encouraging collaboration between Harpa, Reykjavík Music City, RÚV and the LHÍ. “I want to emphasise that it’s important to maintain this collaboration, not to be an island, because the more professionals that participate, the stronger and deeper roots these pieces acquire.”

In addition to this collaboration, the Upbeat also cooperates with cultural institutions in other parts of the country. “The northeastern region has their own Upbeat in Akureyri. The east region does activity programmes in the fall, which we then select one from to produce in the Reykjavík Upbeat. We’ve also had kids from the west, which is not an official partner. But Harpa is the cultural centre of all the country’s kids, so we’ve decided to not be fixed on the rules. [We] bend the rules so the child enjoys the benefit of the doubt. The other stuff is just formalities that the grown-ups need to figure out.”

A child all grown up

Through the ongoing development of the project, the Upbeat has experienced a transformation of its status in the Icelandic music scene. “We started this project with very limited funds and by volunteering a lot of our time,” Elfa explains. “We decided very early to try something new each time, so little by little, the Upbeat has grown. We’ve stopped being the youngest child and have started directly affecting the Icelandic music scene.”

“These kids have this amazing experience and many of them continue to do great things in the music industry,” Elfa says, emphasising the scope of the project’s supporters. “All of our collaborators are tremendously important, and Harpa manages the group beautifully. We’ve also enjoyed neverending support from musicians.”

Talking about the futures of the Upbeat’s participants, Elfa mentions that many of the past participants are now grown up and continue to help the project, either as performers, composers, or instrumentalists. “I call them our Upbeat kids.”

Past participants include Guðlaug Sóley Höskuldsdóttir, stage name gugusar, who received the Best Performer of the Year Award at the

Icelandic Music Awards last March. “Gugusar wrote one of her first musical works in the Upbeat. So it’s fun to experience this development. When we showed up we were the little kid, but now we have grown up and are following these individuals, proud to have been able to give them the support they needed,” Elfa says.

The selection committee consists of a panel of renowned musicians Ragnhildur Gísladóttir, Unnsteinn Manuel, Tryggvi M. Baldvinsson, and Ása Dýradóttir. “They bring all their specialities and backgrounds to the table, with endless respect for the kids. That’s what I cherish,” Elfa adds.

Music that provokes

While Harpa seems like an intimidating venue in which to take your first steps in music, Elfa sees it as the kids’ right. “It’s often said that children inherit the land. Of course they will, but 25% of the Icelandic population are children aged 18 years old and below. It’s their right to be able to enjoy culture and arts, just like adults. At the same time, it’s the grown-ups who control this ship. We must be conscious of increasing accessibility for the kids. No child knocks at Harpa and asks, ‘Are you going to perform my music?’ So, with all our wisdom and experience, we need to open those doors and provide children with access.”

Asked about participation, Elfa says that the number of applicants varies between years. This year, approximately 70 children applied. The most it’s seen is 90. “I’m certain that we are reaching the kids that are interested. Some are interested in sports, others in visual arts. Here we are giving a platform to children who are playing and working with music. A lot of them come from school bands and music schools, but we’re also reaching out to kids through afterschool programs and youth centres. We’ve even received applications from people who’ve never touched an instrument in their life. There’s no requirement for musical knowledge. Of course, children who come from a musical background have an edge in terms of tools and resources. But that’s not necessary for success. The committee is looking for something new, something creative. Music that provokes.”

Accessibility and opportunity

Speaking about accessibility, according to figures from Statistics Iceland, approximately 15% of students in Icelandic primary schools are not native Icelandic speakers. Going into the interview, I wanted to know more about what is done to encourage the participation of those children. “It’s something that we are aware of. Just today, I was figuring out how to arrange communications with a child’s family that speaks neither Icelandic nor English. It involves a great deal of cooperation between different parties. Children come in on their own terms, but it’s also imperative for teachers, after-school workers, music teachers and family members to participate in this journey with the child. We’ve had many children from an international background partici-

Music) Awards last year. Subsequently, compositions from four Upbeat participants were chosen to be performed by the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong,” she proudly told me as she opened up the orchestra’s webpage. “This is how the Upbeat projects are able to have a future of their own.”

The Upbeat will be held on April 18 as part of the opening Ceremony of the Children’s Culture Festival of Reykjavík.