Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.03.2009, Blaðsíða 7

Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.03.2009, Blaðsíða 7
Visit us on the web at http://www.lh-inc.ca Lögberg-Heimskringla • 1. mars 2009 • 7 Just tíu dropar, please! Nelson Gerrard Icelanders on both sides of the ocean are famous for their love of coffee, and even today the word coffee is virtually synonymous with Icelandic hospitality – a deep- ly-rooted tradition brought to North America by our immi- grant ancestors more than a century ago. Another inseparable aspect of Icelandic culture is a sense of history, and a new blend of custom-roasted coffee, ‘Icelan- dic River Roast: Tíu Dropar’, celebrates both our history and our tradition of hospitality. Roasted fresh every month, this delicious blend of organic, fair trade coffee is packaged by the pound with a unique la- bel featuring a vintage, apron- clad, pioneer amma with cof- fee pot in one hand and cup and saucer in the other. The back label includes an explana- tion of the phrase “tíu dropar”, which translates as “ten drops” and is a standard Icelandic re- quest for “just a little more…” Icelandic River Roast can be made as strong or weak as you like, but this carefully crafted blend emphasizes the deli- cious nutty coffee flavour of a medium roast - a refreshing change from dark roasts which tend to overpower the unique bean flavours from around the world. Icelandic River Roast’s his- torical connections go beyond the label. Created as a celebra- tion of our Icelandic pioneer heritage and as a fundraiser for Icelandic River Heritage Sites, this coffee not only offers a taste-trip back to the kitchen tables of yesteryear, it supports ongoing work to preserve his- tory and bring our heritage to life for present and future gen- erations. Included in the cost of each pound is a small dona- tion – a win-win initiative, as you enjoy delicious high-qual- ity coffee while supporting important heritage projects. A simple way to pitch in and lend a hand, this initiative also pres- ents an opportunity to bypass the corporations who increas- ingly control world markets. There are obviously cheaper (and less tasty) brands, but none of them locally roasted, organic, fair trade coffee that supports not only producers, but our Icelandic heritage at a grassroots level. To inquire about Icelandic River Roast: Tíu Dropar, visit the Icelandic River Heritage Sites website: www.icelandi- criver.com or phone Nelson at 204-378-2758, Wanda at 204- 378-2482, or Harley at 204- 254-2691. PHoto courtesy nelson gerrard You will ask for more than ten drops of the coffee. New Jóhannsson album remarkable, cinematic Icelandic composer Johann Jóhannsson’s latest release Fordlândia could easily be the soundtrack to a film. The film’s genre? Definitely drama… but with several seemingly unre- lated storylines. Fordlândia is the second en- try in a purported trilogy by the Icelandic sound wizard, a trio of records inspired by Ameri- can technology and iconic brand names. The first, entitled IBM 1401: a User’s Manual and released in 2006, was a conceptual album based on a recording Jóhanns- son’s father made on the titular computer 30 years ago. This time around Jóhanns- son’s creative stimuli were stirred by the story of Henry Ford’s failed (and kinda shock- ing!) attempt at establishing a civilized town in the heart of the Amazon. This hamlet, built in the 1920s, produced rubber and featured a hamburger joint, white picket fences, and, oh yeah, no alcohol or cigarettes. Slowly, the native workers re- jected this town and its strange food/housing/rules, often refus- ing to work until eventually their extreme dislike escalated into ri- oting. Ford’s rubber farming ex- periment came to a tumultuous end. To this day, remnants of the idealized town can be seen in Brazil; but nature, clearly ap- palled, is tirelessly working to erase man’s mark. The thematic focus of the al- bum though isn’t entirely on na- ture’s slow recovery from man’s quick devastation. For further inspiration, Jóhannsson also draws upon mythology (chime- ras, the death of the god Pan) and physics (a research paper on quantum theory, and the sci- entific exploits of rocket builder John Whiteside Parsons). What mythology, physics, and Henry Ford/nature have in common isn’t immediately clear; in the end, it’s the music brought out by these sundry muses that mat- ters most. Album opener “Fordlândia,” clocks in at 15 minutes plus, and is pretty much what you’d ex- pect from the talented Icelander: it is orchestral in its instrumen- tal grandness, unhurried and just plain gorgeous. This flows nice- ly into “Melodia (i),” a short, emotion-stirring number built around a lovely clarinet melody. For track three “The Rocket Builder (Lo Pan!),” Jóhanns- son reverts back to the crawl- ing expansiveness of the album opener before shifting again to a short, melodic piece “Melo- dia (ii).” This cycle of dreamy and epic / pithy and melodic re- peats five times, until the finale “How We Left Fordlândia,” a 15 minutes composition that builds and builds into a stunning cre- scendo. In the end, Fordlândia is an- other remarkable achievement for the Icelandic composer. It’s beautiful, thought-provoking and unabashedly cinematic. And after archaic computers and Henry Ford’s failed vision, I can’t begin to imagine what Jóhannsson will turn to next for inspiration. * * * ITEM! Iceland will be well represented at this year’s South by Southwest festival in Texas, one of the United States larg- est music celebrations. The sounds of Núna festival alumni Sprengjuhöllin as well as Steed Lord, Benny Crespo’s Gang, and Bloodgroup will all be showcased. Mykael Sopher is a fifth gen- eration Canadian of Icelandic descent on his father’s side. If there is anything related to Ice- landic music you wish to bring to his attention, feel free to email him at: soundingicelandic@ gmail.com. by Lillian Vilborg Harðfiskur & Skyr Direct and intelligent, Lillian Vilborg’s editorials for the Lögberg-Heimskringla illustrate her passion for her Icelandic heritage. Her writing reflects her broad range of interests, her compassion and her commitment to family, friends and Icelanders around the world. Specially priced at $15 Mail this form and Cheque or Money Order to: Lögberg-Heimskringla Inc. 100-283 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2B5 Canada Tel: (204) 284-5686 Fax: (204) 284-7099 Toll-free: 1-866-564-2374 Web: www.lh-inc.ca Please send my order to: Name Address City/Town Prov/State Phone Post/ZIP Code Cheque Money Order MC VISA AMEX Card Number Expiration Date Phone Cardholder (payable to Lögberg-Heimskringla, Inc.) I’d like to order (qty of books) x $15 = $ + Shipping (add $5 in Canada, $6.50 in U.S.) = $ TOTAL $ SOUNDING ICELANDIC Mykael Sopher winnipeg, mB

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