Iceland review - 2013, Page 18

16 ICELAND REVIEW
est music and KÍTÓN, the Association of
Female Musicians in Iceland, founded in
December 2012. This is the final concert
of the first leg of their journey around the
country, set to continue in the autumn. As
board members of KÍTÓN, the four women
made it their obligation to urge female musi-
cians to step into the spotlight.
“There are 42 women but 292 men in
FTT [the Icelandic Society of Authors and
Composers]. Women aren’t visible but they’re
writing music. Only nine percent of royalties
paid out go to women,” states Védís. “In clas-
sical music the ratio is equal, there are even
more women than men. But when it comes
to leading, like being a conductor, they’re
mostly men,” adds Ragga. “Three percent of
nominations at the Icelandic Music Awards
this year went to women,” interjects Lára.
“People ask: ‘Didn’t the men just write better
songs?’ We don’t believe that to be the case,”
concludes Ragga.
The skewed position of women in the
Icelandic music scene is in fact the subject
of Lára’s master’s thesis in gender studies at
the University of Iceland, for which she has
obtained grants. “The project’s objective is to
map the situation,” explains Lára. “In music
reviews, for example, is a different language
used to describe albums by women? Are they
better? Worse?” The initiative has been well
received by everyone. “We want culture to be
created by both men and women.”
The audience at the small venue in
Húsavík obviously appreciates the concert—
the women take turns in singing the lead—
and personal approach. “We try to make the
atmosphere homey, like in a living room
concert,” explains Védís. The simple stage
decoration, including a red vintage “travel-
ing lamp” as they call it, adds to the intimate
atmosphere. Not to mention the presence of
Hafdís’ mother and toddler daughter, who
demands attention every now and then.
The room fills with Védís’ lyrical ballads
and Ragga’s jazzy tunes, beautifully harmo-
nized by the other soloists. Hafdís jokingly
dismisses the latter as a “wedding singer”
(Ragga’s love songs have enjoyed widespread
popularity in Iceland), while branding her-
self a “chicken farmer” (she lives on a farm
outside Reykjavík), declaring: “I don’t write
love songs,” before performing a quirky pop
number about a superhero. She then urges
Lára to “rock things up” and she does not
disappoint. “This is a song I wrote about the
devil,” Lára announces. “See,” Hafdís grins.
The concert comes to an end and with
roaring applause the quartet is called back to
the stage for the second time. “Really?” Védís
asks humbly—they haven’t prepared another
extra number. Hafdís has a solution: “I’m
going to breastfeed my baby, Lára will have a
beer and you two can sing about fixing the
world.” And so Védís and Ragga conclude the
concert with a song they wrote for charities
about just that. It goes nicely with how Védís
describes KÍTÓN’s approach: “We fight with
the heart but not the fist.” 
MUsIC
the pedal of Ragga’s keyboard is coming loose and Lára rushes over
to fasten it to the floor with tape.
“We want culture to be created by both men and women.”
the musicians made an effort to create a homey atmosphere at their
Húsavík venue gamli Baukur.