Artist Details
Artist: FUNI (Bára Grímsdóttir and Chris Foster) Email: Website: www.myspace.com/funireykjavik Description: FUNI (an old Icelandic word meaning fire) are Bára Grímsdóttir and Chris Foster, consummate performers of the traditional songs of Iceland and England. They are both powerful solo singers, but when they sing together, especially in the unique Icelandic tvísöngur harmony style, the resulting blend of voices, enhanced by stunning musicianship and beautiful photographic projections, is a spell binding mix. Bára and Chris have been working together since meeting at a festival in 2000. They have pioneered the blending of English finger style guitar, with kantele to accompany the modal melodies of Icelandic traditional song. They also both play and are actively promoting the revival of Iceland’s two traditional instruments the Íslensk fiðla and the langspil. Since 2001 Bára and Chris have performed and taught at festivals, concerts, summer schools and on radio and TV in Belgium, China, Eire, Hungary, Netherlands and the USA as well as throughout Iceland and Britain. In 2009 they started the first degree level course on Icelandic traditional music at the Icelandic Academy of the Arts. They released the acclaimed CD ‘FUNI’in 2004. Their new CD will be released in early 2010 Here are some comments about FUNI’s work: It’s not every day that an unfamiliar, yet readily accessible new tradition comes along, so check this out. Nick Beale reviewing the FUNI CD in fROOTS magazine FUNI LIVE Bára Grímsdóttir and Chris Foster, quite frankly were something else! Their work is an authoritative mixture of Icelandic and English traditional singing and music... and it's as good as it gets! “They are just wonderful!” Keith Kendrick, reviewing Funi in concert, England. September 2008 “I would be happy to speak with any venue or promoter in support of hiring Funi” Chris Foster and Bára Grímsdóttir were stellar members of our teaching and performing faculty in the summer of 2004, 2005 and 2008. The duo's performances both on festival stages and in workshops were top-notch and well-received. I would be happy to speak with any venue or promoter in support of hiring Chris and Bára. Walt Michael, Executive Director Common Ground on the Hill, Maryland, USA Singly, each singer is a great presenter of the music of a native island, but as a duo with great skill and musicality, they transform the music of their islands into universals. Concert review for the Folk Society of Greater Washington, USA FUNI CD “Funi puts the Icelandic folk music culture on the map of world music.” Funi is a magnificent album, not only because of the music that is offered, but also because of the excellent background information, the lyrics and introductions to the songs in a folding digipak and 36 page booklet filled abundantly with old photographs. Funi is not only a feast for the eye, but also for the ears…. the CD remains fascinating from beginning to end. Marius Roeting, New Folk Sounds magazine, Netherlands Bára Grímsdóttir is simply one of Iceland’s best traditional singers. She is also widely respected in her native country as a composer, especially of vocal music. She grew up surrounded by the folk songs of her parents and grandparents in the family farm Grímstunga in Vatnsdalur in the north of Iceland. Bára has a special interest in the old rimur and kvæðalög styles of song, but she also sings in other traditional styles, both secular and religious. She has performed with Steindór Andersen, toured widely in Europe and North America with Sigurður Rúnar Jónssonn and Njáll Sigurðsson and as a member of the group ‘Embla’, of which she was a founder member. In her role as composer and arranger, Bára continues to draw on the well of traditional Icelandic music, while as a performer she invests the traditional songs that she performs with a natural authority born out of her having been surrounded by them from birth. Chris Foster grew up in the south west of England, where he first heard and started singing folk songs. He is a master of his trade, described recently as “one of the finest singers and most thoughtful inventive guitar accompanists of English folk songs.” In an article in fROOTS magazine (August 2008) Colin Irwin wrote “Chris Foster merits legend status, one of the very best in the second wave of the Brit folk revival, as important as Martin Carthy, Dick Gaughan and Nic Jones in the way he modernised and invested traditional songs with inventive guitar arrangements and potent vocal delivery.” Over the past 40 years he has performed and recorded throughout the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA. On stage his fine musicianship and powerful singing is underpinned by an urbane wit and engaging enthusiasm, which draws his audiences into the ancient world of storytelling through song. Chris’ solo CD ‘OUTSIDERS’ was a runner up in the fROOTS magazine poll of 300 critics and broadcasters for the best Folk / World Music CD of 2008 .

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