Ragga Gröndal - a radiant musical northern light
Thanks to the eruptions of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull in 2010, I met the wonderful Icelandic singer Ragga Gröndal. Ragga was programmed at the world music festival in Kassel in Germany with her band. Her drummer couldn’t fly in from Iceland because of the disruptions in air travel which were caused by the volcanic eruptions. Ragga asked the festival director if he knew someone who could substitute for her drummer. So I got the call two days before the show. Ragga sent me 16 songs to prepare. There was no time for a rehearsal.
We met in Kassel on the day of the show and after a quick soundcheck and a short talk backstage, we went on stage. This was the beginning of a great friendship and I’m working with Ragga and her musicians Guðmundur Pétursson and Haukur Gröndal for ten years now.
During one of my trips to this beautiful and wild island in the North Atlantic, we recorded the album „Svefnljóð“ in Reykjavik. Svefnljóð could be translated as „sleep poem“.
Ragga´s music The sound of Ragga Gröndal’s music is warm, adventurous and modern, yet accessible for curious music-lovers. At the heart of it is Ragga’s unique vocal expression who has been described as one of Iceland’s most remarkable vocalists. Ragga Gröndal has worked with the same musicians for a decade and together they have toured all over Europe and created many beautiful and unforgettable moments. The band consists of musicians who are all independent artists in their own right. Their live shows portray each individual’s personality and strengths and the interplay between the voice, clarinet, percussion and guitar create a colourful landscape of sonic experience. Each and every concert becomes a unique journey between the musicians, the audience and the performance space. The longing to share music with the world is a part of a bigger collective dream that music can have the power to unite people who come from a different background. Music holds the key to understanding and compassion and is the strongest available medicine for the soul.
“Ragga Gröndal is one of those remarkable voices of Iceland.” Eelco Schilder, Folk World
During one of my trips to this beautiful and wild island in the North Atlantic, we recorded the album „Svefnljóð“ in Reykjavik. Svefnljóð could be translated as „sleep poem“.
Below you can watch the video. It is the title song of the album. Can you fall asleep while listening to it?
