Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.12.2013, Side 2

TRACK OF THE ISSUE
The title track from Adda’s soon-to-be released
EP is anything but a real “Brain Drain,” it’s more
like food for thought. The opening lyrics are a
lobotomy in which Adda literally disassociates
herself from her tired brain and personifies the
organ. She sings beautifully and with a charm
that channels Joanna Newsome and lyricism as
freaky-folky as Devendra Banhart. Her one-wom-
an-and-a-guitar shtick is simultaneously plucky
and smooth; she’s both playful and dead serious.
Adda’s brain would have reason to be tired right
about now. After she raised funds for the produc-
tion of the album via Karolina Fund this fall, she
set out to hitchhike around Iceland playing shows
and sharing the new music. Give this track a spin.
You’ll likely want more of Adda – and her brain.
Adda: “My Brain Drain ”
Download NOW at www.grapevine.is
2The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 18 — 2013
Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík
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Editorial | Anna Andersen
MERRY CHRISTMAS, GLEÐILEG JÓL, BUON NATALE
Anna’s 34th Editorial
Love it or hate it, Christmas music is an insepa-
rable part of the holiday season. It serenades lis-
teners far and wide over the airwaves and, more
cynically, spurs shoppers in the consumer-driv-
en Christmas creep.
In Iceland, one man in particular is re-
sponsible for a great deal of the cheery holiday
pop. That man is Iceland’s most prolific pop
star Björgvin Halldórsson. Gracing the cover of
our annual Christmas issue this year, Björgvin
sits at a restaurant in Reykjavík with a plate
of pasta in front of him. Pasta, it turns out—
or more generally, Italy—has played a role in
shaping Iceland’s Christmas.
As the story goes, Björgvin went to Italy
on holiday in the ‘80s and fell in love with its
culture, its food and… its music. “It was when I
was listening to those Italian pop songs on our
holidays and watching Sanremo [an Italian song
competition] that I started to notice a certain
dramatic character in them that reminded me of
Christmas music,” he says in our feature inter-
view. “My daughter Svala and I talked about this
and felt that all these songs needed were some
Christmas bells and new lyrics and they’d suit
perfectly as Christmas songs.”
Inspired by his trips, Björgvin commenced
transforming a slew of Italian love songs into
soon-to-be classic Icelandic Christmas songs.
Marcella Bella’s “Dopo La Tempesta” became
“Ég hlakka svo til” (“I Can’t Wait”). Ricchi E
Poveri’s “Voluez Vous Danser” became “Fyrir
Jól” (“Before Christmas”). “Gente di mare,”
“Komdu um jólin” (“Come For Christmas”), “Chi
Voglio sei tu,” “Þú komst með Jólin til mín” (“You
Brought Me Christmas”). “Quanto Di Amo,”
“Svona eru Jólin” (“This Is Christmas”). “Ci
sara,” “Þú og ég (Jólagjöfin mín í ár)” (“You And
Me (My Christmas Present This Year)”). “Gente
come noi,” “Þú og ég og jól” (“You And Me And
Christmas”). The list goes on.
Now, if your love for Christmas music
is being tested with too much “Silent Night”
and “"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," go enjoy
these Icelandic varieties and their Italian coun-
terparts on YouTube.
Then turn to page 16 to read “’Tis The
Season of Björgvin Halldórsson,” Árni Hjörvar
Árnason’s feature interview with the man, who
is actually responsible for giving us a lot more
than a handful of popular Christmas songs. As
Árni writes, “Björgvin is the perpetual patriarch
of pop music. Björgvin is our Elvis. He’s our
Sinatra. He is our Legend.”
Photographer: Baldur Kristjáns
www.baldurkristjans.is
On The Cover: Björgvin Halldórsson
Make-Up: Harpa Káradóttir
Thanks to: Caruso and JÖR
Contributing Writers
Kári Tulinius
Árni Árnason
Burke Jam
Björn Teitsson
Davíð Roach
Helgi Hrafn Guðmundsson
Nathan Hall
Ólafur Margeirsson
Óli Dóri
Óskar Bragi Stefánsson
Páll Hilmarsson
Patricia Þormar
Paul Fontaine
Ragnar Egilsson
Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir
Vera Illugadóttir
Journalist
Larissa Kyzer / larissa@grapevine.is
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Tómas Gabríel Benjamin / gabriel@grapevine.is
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Design:
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YOUR FREE COPY THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND
× 2013
December 6 - January 9
Issue 18
+ Complete Reykjavík Listings Lots of cool events Download the FREE Grapevine Appy Hour app!Every happy hour in town in your pocket. Available on the App store and on Android Market.
LITERATURENEWS TRAVEL FILM DESIGN
Debt relief:
beyond belief?
A veritable flood
of...
Trading Reykjavík
For Reindeer
"Either Way" both
ways
Are 'swants' the
new 'jorts'?
YEARS
2003-2013
The
Godfather
of Icelandic
Xmas Pop
BJÖRGVIN
HALLDÓRSSON
IS
Founders:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson,
Hörður Kristbjörnsson,
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson,
Oddur Óskar Kjartansson,
Valur Gunnarsson
The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times a year by Fröken ltd.
Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly from May
til October. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole
or in part without the written permission of the publishers. The
Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed around Reykjavík, Akureyri,
Egilsstaðir, Seyðisfjörður, Borgarnes, Keflavík, Ísafjörður and at key
locations along road #1, and all major tourist attractions and tourist
information centres in the country.
You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored (no articles
in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions
expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’).
As all of you surely know by now, we’re running a pretty
amazing contest to find the TOURIST OF THE YEAR
where one lucky person will win a trip to Iceland cour-
tesy of Icelandair, Inspired by Iceland and yours truly!
Now that the year is almost out, we’ve gotten some really
cool submissions in from readers who may be our contest
winners.
Mike Millar from Toronto, Canada
"You sometimes hear people talk about how visiting a
certain country can change your life forever, and now I
finally understand what they were talking about all this
time. So thank you, Iceland, for being you. For your views
on gender and LGBT rights (I want to try to marry Jon
Gnarr. Partially for citizenship, but mostly because he's
awe inspiring, and is probably a great dancer. Don't let my
girlfriend know I said that), for the fact that you have the
world's only penis museum (a very humbling experience,
I must say), for your Big Lebowski themed bar (One of my
biggest regrets is not finding out they had a weekly trivia
contest until three hours after it ended, due to seeing so
many bands. So, hopefully you can help me remedy this
horrible injustice) for the elves, the hotdogs and every-
thing in between. But most of all, thank you, Iceland for
getting it right."
It is the eleventh hour and if you think you should be
our lucky winner, then head over to www.touristofthe-
year.is and submit your travel tale! Good Luck!
TOURIST OF THE YEAR