Interesting albums from the folk and roots music history, by Marius Roeting.
In this Disc-Cover, an album from Iceland. In 2004, Bara Grimsdottir and Chris Foster released the album Funi with traditional Icelandic songs. Their approach isn’t traditional but contemporary, with the British/Anglo-Saxan background of guitar player and singer Foster as one of its main components. With the characteristic finger-picking accompaniment, known as the English style, the old texts are arranged for guest player John Kirkpatrick on the accordion, the Kantele, and the only two old Icelandic folk instruments, the Fidla and the Langspil. These last two instruments were rebuilt from illustrations, but are no longer used in Iceland. But the forms of unaccompanied vocals, the ‘rimur’ and ‘kvæðalög’ still get plenty of attention. The lyrics are often hymns or have a religious or profane inclination. The closed-off and often isolated living families would sing them at home in front of the fireplace as one of the few ways of passing the time during the long and cold winter nights.
with this CD, Funi starts off a revival of Icelandic folk music. A proces of which current neo-folk groups and musicians like Arstidir and even the bard Svavar Knutur, who seem to take Europe by storm, reap the harvest. So truly, an album of value….
Chris Foster and Bara Grimsdottir
Bara Grimsdottir – Funi – Green Man Productions GMCD 002
1. Morgun bæn (tekst: Hallgimur Peterson) 3.25
2. Bar svo til í byggðum (lyrics: Guđbrandur Einarsson) 3.31
3. Veronikukvæði (lyrics: Þorvaldur Magnusson) 5.37
4. Konan blessuð (lyrics: trad) 1.06
5. Mitt var starfið (lyrics: Theodora Thoroddsen) 1.49
6. Úti í nátturunni (lyrics: Margret Einarsdottir) 0.58
7. Lilja (lyrics: Eysteinn Asgrimsson) 3.39
8. Hættu að gráta hringaná (lyrics: Jonas Hallgrimsson) 1.40
9. Göngur (lyrics: Grimur H. Larusson) 0.53
10. Funi (lyrics: Pjeturina B. Johannsdottir) 3.00
11. Gefi þið mér í staupi strax (lyrics: trad) 2.06
12. Harðar glímur (lyrics: Grimur H. Larusson) 1.57
13. Að minni sálu amar (lyrics: trad) 4.07
14. Sólin (lyrics: Magnea Halldorsdottir) 1.18
15. Íslenskt vögguljóð (lyrics: Halldor K. Laxness) 4.12
16. Mína þá mundi ég þenja vængi út (lyrics: trad) 1.17
17. Heimi er farið að halla (lyrics: Sæmundur Magnusson) 2.18
18. Nýárssálmur (lyrics: Hallgrimur Petursson) 4.57
From Funi – Flur – Green Man productions GMCD 007
19. Aldrei sjal eg gleyma per (lyrics: Magnus Guđmundsson/Rosa Guđmundsdottir, muziek: trad/Grimsdottir) 4.21
20. Stöker förukommnar (lyrics: Hjalmar Þorsteinsson) 3.38
Tracks 4,5,6,9,12,14,16: trad.arr. Grimsdottir
Tracks 1,3,7,8,11,13, 18: trad.arr, Grimsdottir-Foster
Tracks 2,10, 15, 17: trad.arr. Grimsdottir-Foster-Kirkpatrick
