The Icelandic connection - 01.12.2020, Side 40

182
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
Vol.71 #4
Siggi Ben and his Harmonika
Translated from an oral interview taped for the New Iceland Heritage Museum
by Oli Narfason
Siggi Ben found great comfort during
his quarantine with his Horner
accordion. When he arrived in Canada he
was put into quarantine due to typhoid
fever. He was an accomplished player of
this wonderful little gift that has now
been bequeathed to the New Iceland
Heritage Museum. It was something to
do with the perfection that he played it
with. I was never aware of him making
a mistake. Knowingly what was suitable
and who he was playing for made it
almost magic. It was wonderful to hear
what he could do with this instrument.
Siggi was a little different from most,
but he was a true Icelander. I am not
sure he ever wanted to learn English. He
had likely picked up some while he was
in quarantine and he could understand
it enough to get by if he had to. He
preferred to get by in Icelandic.
He was a positive man and highly
respected in every
way. Not everyone
agreed with him
but that was fine
with him. He had
an Icelandic trait as
they say, he wasn’t
stubborn but he was
reluctant to change
his mind.
After work, in
the evenings, the
harmonika came
first. There was a
neighbour girl, Siggi
would come out on
the front porch in
the evening and she
would sit and listen
to him. He would
play for whoever was
around and people
would come out and
listen. There wasn’t
much entertainment
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Illustration by Julia Penny