Eivør Pálsdóttir

Eivør Pálsdóttir (born July 21 1983 in Syðrugøta, Faroe Islands) is a Faroese singer/songwriter with a distinct voice and a wide range of interests in many kinds of music from jazz, folk, country, pop to classical and Christian music. Her roots are in the Faroese ballads.

Career

At the age of 12, Eivør traveled as the soloist of a Faroese men's choir to Italy. With 13 she had her first performance in Faroese television and won a national songcontest in the same year. In 1999, when she was 15, Eivør joined the rock band Clickhaze.

Related Topics:
Italy - Faroese television - 1999 - Rock - Clickhaze

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One year later in 2000 was her first album issued: Eivør Pálsdóttir. It is a mixture of classical Faroese ballads, accompanied by only guitar and bass, great influence of jazz, texts by famous Faroese writers, and two clerical songs at the end. The latter are sung in Danish, but all the others in Faroese. Many of the songs were written by Eivør. At this time she was already a professional musician.

Related Topics:
2000 - Faroese writers - Danish

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In 2001 she won together with her band Clickhaze the national Faroese band contest Prix Føroyar. In 2002, Eivør went to Reykjavík to study music (classic and jazz). The mentor of the Faroese music scene, Kristian Blak invited her as lead singer of the jazz group Yggdrasil, which came out with its first album that year.

Related Topics:
2001 - Prix Føroyar - 2002 - Reykjavík - Kristian Blak - Yggdrasil

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So well-introduced as jazz performer, she also issued a rock album with Clickhaze the same summer, thus proving her wide range again. Touring with Clickhaze in the Faroes, to Sweden, Denmark (Roskilde Festival), Iceland and Greenland was a great success.

Related Topics:
Sweden - Roskilde Festival - Greenland

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After her second solo album Krákan, the perhaps most important event in her young career was the nomination for the Icelandic Music Awards in not less than three categories for 2003. She became best singer and best performer - in an award, normally only given to Icelandic artists.

Related Topics:
Icelandic Music Award - 2003

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Educated as a classical vocalist, Eivør sings also with the symphony orchestra of the Faroes. In 2004 Kristian Blak's opera Firra was issued - with Eivør as soloist.

Related Topics:
Symphony orchestra - 2004 - Opera

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Her latest album eivør from November 2004 together with the Canadian Bill Bourne seems to become the best sold Faroese album in the USA and Canada ever. Bill's companionship with accustic guitar gave the entire project a great touch of good old American country music, but let Eivør sing several songs in Faroese though. In Iceland it was again in the charts, and nominated for the Icelandic Music Award - together with an album by Björk. At the Awards ceremony on February 2 2005 in Reykjavík, neither Eivør nor Björk had success. However, they are playing in the same league.

Related Topics:
Bill Bourne - USA - Canada - Country music - February 2 - 2005

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In February 9 Eivør was elected for the Faroese of the year 2004 (ársins føroyingur 2004) for "setting the Faroes in a positive way on the world map with her songs". Actually, Eivør is the first person in her country, bearing the title Faroese of the year.

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In March 7 2005, the big band of the Danish radio issued its 40th anniversary album. All titles on that CD are written and sung by Eivør. Once again she was honoured in Iceland on June 16 with the national theatre award Grímur for her composings and performance in the piece Úlfhamssaga, which is based in Norse saga's tradition.

Related Topics:
March 7 - Danish radio - June 16 - Norse saga

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