Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.04.2015, Side 43

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I had just met the Bedouin men earlier in
the day and quickly connected with them.
But we were alone in the middle of a des-
ert and I was nervous.
I didn’t feel this way because I didn’t
trust them. I was nervous because they
had asked me to freestyle rap.
Freestyle rap is something I do for
friends on road trips or when I have a
few beers in me. I wasn’t some kind of
wordsmith wunderkind who grew up
battling on street corners in the Bronx.
Still, I brought it up in conversation and
they were intrigued and wanted to hear
my flow.
I got up and started to freestyle. I
stumbled in the beginning but finally
picked up momentum and got into a flow.
When I finished, one of the Bedouin men
stood up and started to freestyle in Ara-
bic. Sudden surprise quickly transformed
into awe and excitement.
Here we were, gathered around a fire
we had made from tinder we’d collected
earlier in the day, rapping in Arabic and
English. Doing it in the middle of the
Jordanian desert, next to a cave. Though
we spoke different languages, we were
creating together. We were sharing, and
ultimately, we were connecting. It was
a beautiful moment, and after the man
finished his flow, we all hollered and ap-
plauded. He laughed.
Enter the rabbit hole
That night at the cave will remain one of
the most magical nights of my life. Once
I got back to Wadi Musa, I wanted to
learn more about the culture of gathering
around fires to share stories and music. I
did a Google search with a string of key-
words: “winter fire,” “sharing stories,”
“music,” “gathering” and “nature.”
One of the first Google results to pop
up: The Sagas of the Icelanders.
I clicked on the page not knowing that
I was jumping down a rabbit hole, com-
ing out on the other side weeks later with
an obsession for Iceland and its culture.
Eventually I started to send unsolicited
requests to Icelandic storytellers and art-
ists, asking them about the scene and
what inspired them. In the beginning—
like many others—I naively thought it was
the country’s nature that inspired most
artists. My new hypothesis is that a small
population allows people to collaborate
with different people and experiment
with new ideas.
These conversations with artists and
storytellers catalysed my idea of launch-
ing a music and arts festival that incorpo-
rated storytelling. After weeks of rumi-
nating about the festival idea, I decided to
quit my jobs and move to Iceland to pur-
sue it. Some people thought I was crazy
to walk away from my life in Washington,
DC. But I wasn’t walking away. I was run-
ning toward realising a vision that I intui-
tively felt needed to happen.
The festival idea would eventually
grow into Saga Fest, a multi-day experi-
ence focused on sustainability, commu-
nity-building and transformation. The
festival will take place on a farm called
Stokkseyrarsel, located near Selfoss,
thanks to the support of an inspiring fam-
ily of farmers and environmentalists.
The goal of the festival is simple: to
connect people to each other, and to na-
ture.
Heartbeats
Nearly 750 people will gather for the in-
augural Saga Fest, which takes place on
May 23 and 24. There will be live music
performed by seventeen local and inter-
national acts, including For a Minor Re-
flection, Fufanu, Sisý Ey, Ylja, Soffía Björg
and Robot Koch (Germany). We’ll also
have jam sessions, drum circles and free-
style rapping, since creating music is just
as important as listening to it.
Twenty-seven artists will join us from
more than eight countries—including
artists from all over Iceland—to build in-
stallations and create immersive art expe-
riences. These experiences involve festi-
valgoers (making them “participatory”
in nature) and relate to storytelling. For
example, a group of Dutch artists com-
ing to Saga Fest will use special devices
to record festivalgoers’ heartbeats as they
ask them questions about their lives. All
of the collected heartbeats will be mixed
into a soundtrack by a producer on-site.
Musicians will have the chance to layer
improvised instrumentals over the track,
and the final piece will be performed near
the end of the festival.
Many of Saga Fest’s artists work close-
ly with the local community. Twelve of
the festival’s artists are participating in
our week-long residency, where they will
mentor and collaborate on projects with
local Selfoss youth.
There will also be workshops cover-
ing a range of interests: skateboard de-
sign with found materials, meditation
and yoga, shamanism, oral storytelling,
free-form dance and life-sized puppet-
making.
While music, art and workshops
are important components to Saga Fest,
the core of the festival will be focused
on creating a space where people can
share, learn and create with others. We
want people to be vulnerable, and depart
the festival with new perspectives and
friendships.
In a lot of ways, this journey has been
rooted in gratitude. Saga Fest would not
be the magical experience it is destined to
be if it weren’t for a supportive commu-
nity and a passionate group of core organ-
isers (I have lots of love to extend to the
Saga Fest founding team: Katrin, Siggi,
Josh, Þórólfur, Bylgja, Anna, Sandra, Ja-
net, Melina and Lucy).
Ultimately, Saga Fest is about planting
seeds of change. Our goal is to ensure all
participants leave with a burning desire
to live more sustainably and to effect posi-
tive change in their communities.
I hope you’ll join us to be a part of this
transformation in May.
“We Want People To Be Vulnerable”
Saga Fest Mainstay Spills The Beans
ART
FESTIVAL
May 23-24 Stokkseyrarsel farm
near Selfoss Price: 9,500 ISK
Saga Fest
Last January, I was sitting near a cave with three Bedouin men in the Jordanian desert.
There were no other signs of human activity; the barren yet beautiful landscape rivaled the
highlands of Iceland. The ancient city of Petra was an hour away—by mule—and the sur-
rounding red-rock mountains were illuminated by a winter sky full of stars.
Words Scott Shigeoka
Photo Saga Fest