On October 19, one of the most recognizable and probably the most beloved Scandinavian artists in our country - singer, instrumentalist and composer from the Faroe Islands, Eivør Pálsdóttir - has performed in Warsaw.
Author: Agnieszka Janik
It was her second visit to Poland this year; in August, the artist performed in Inowrocław as one of the stars of the annual Ino-Rock festival held there. The Warsaw concert was part of a world tour covering Europe, Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, promoting the excellent album "Enn", released in June. Although this is the eleventh album in her long and fruitful solo career, the music contained therein does not bear any traces of derivativeness. Eivør has already accustomed us to the fact that the music she creates cleverly escapes all patterns and genre pigeonholes.
She started as a much more folk singer, collaborated with jazz and rock musicians, and finally moved towards more experimental and darker areas of electronica. At the same time, this musical evolution was accompanied by a metamorphosis of her stage image, from a delicate girl into a mature, self-confident woman, dressed in flowing black witch robes. However, one thing remains unchanged - her characteristic beautiful voice, with which she cast a spell on thousands of enchanted listeners around the world. "Enn" to some extent continues the style chosen by her on her previous albums - "Slør" and "Segl", but its refreshed, spacious, even cosmic sound takes her music to a completely new dimension. It is also worth adding that the lyrics of the songs were written entirely in Faroese this time, in cooperation with the poet Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs.
Eivør invited the Norwegian singer and multi-instrumentalist Kathrine Shepard, who goes by the pseudonym Sylvaine, to participate in the European part of the tour, and she started this extraordinary evening at Progresja at exactly 8 p.m. Sylvaine also released a new EP this year, titled "Eg Er Framand", which saw her move away from her metal sound in favor of returning to her musical roots.
In addition to her own compositions, she reinterpreted traditional Norwegian songs, and recorded the whole thing in the 19th-century Kampen Kirke with minimal instrumentation. Her voice is the leader on the album and that's what her concert sounded like. She appeared on stage alone, singing songs mostly a cappella, sometimes only accompanying herself on the guitar. Sylvaine's delicate, girlish vocals and warm, welcoming nature transported the audience to another dimension and was the perfect introduction to the even more ethereal world of Eivør's .
And finally, after a short pause, from the darkness and misty vapors She emerged. Dressed in a flowing, shiny robe, for the first, but not the last time that evening, she reminded me of Lisa Gerrard. She started with the subtle "Ein Klóta", the song that opens her latest album "Enn". During this tour, she is accompanied on stage by three friendly musicians: Mattias Kapnas playing electric piano and synthesizers, Mikael Blak on synthesizers and electric double bass, and Per Ingvald Højgaard Petersen on drums. Eivør herself supports herself by playing the guitar and a shamanic frame drum.
After this gentle introduction, we heard the next three songs from "Enn" (which was eventually played in its entirety that evening). The pulsating, trance-like "Jardartra", lyrically the cry of the mutilated Mother Earth, probably the most catchy, the dream pop "Hugsi Bert Um Teg" and the ballad "Purpurhjarta", after which the artist returned to the repertoire from her previous albums. "Let it come", "Skyscrapers", "True Love" played. For one of her most famous songs – "Trøllabundin" – Eivør finally picked up the hoop drum and transformed into that wildest, witchy version of herself that I love the most.
The audience went crazy. "Upp Úr Øskuni" and Í Tokuni" from the new album aroused similar madness in the second part of the concert. "Upp Úr Øskuni" is my favorite from "Enn", dedicated to the women who supported Eivør throughout her life, but also in a broader context – female power and sisterhood. At the same time, it is the strongest moment on the album, musically even touching on metal, areas that were previously rather distant to the artist. For "Í Tokuni", a song inspired by the foggy landscapes of the Faroe Islands, the singer invited the audience to sing along. As you can guess, it turned out to be rather funny, but both parties looked delighted.
There were also more atmospheric moments that evening, the title track "Enn", referring to the current, difficult situation of people living in war-torn areas, gave me goosebumps, as did "Gaia" which closes the album - a poetic hymn to the Earth. The more than one and a half hour performance closed with "Gullspunnin" and - played as an encore - "Falling free", one of the most beautiful songs in the artist's achievements.
Eivør's voice and charisma . Her vocal capabilities, various singing techniques - from classical to throat singing, perfection of performance and crystal clear voice are simply breathtaking, proving that the human voice is the most extraordinary of all instruments. Eivør is able to bring out a huge range of emotions that flawlessly reach the hearts of listeners. Sometimes it is cool like the Scandinavian climate, more often it is hot like lava, sometimes it is angelically delicate, other times it is wild and untamed. This proves not only the great talent of the artist, but also the enormous amount of work she put into training it.
I would also attribute a large part of her stage success to her charismatic personality and excellent contact with the audience. She actually radiated positive energy, inner warmth and cordiality, but also healthy self-confidence. As a woman, I can't help but mention the fantastic costumes she wears on this tour. All these elements create the image of one of the most expressive artists of my generation.
It was one of the most beautiful concerts I have ever had the pleasure to attend, and I put it on my personal top, right next to the concerts of Dead Can Dance and Wardruna. By the way, Eivør and Einar Selvik have worked together many times, resulting in, among others: last year's joint concert in Copenhagen, played with the accompaniment of the choir and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. Seeing them together live in such a configuration remains the sphere of my biggest concert dreams.
Setlist: "Ein Klóta", "Jarðartrá", "Hugsi Bert Um Teg", "Purpurhjarta", "Let it come", "Skyscrapers", "Trøllabundin", "True love", "Enn", "Lívsandin", " Upp Úr Øskuni", "Gaia", "Salt", "Í Tokuni", "Gullspunnin", "Falling free".
Follow Eivør:
https://www.facebook.com/eivormusic
About the author: Lover of original sounds and good cinema, co-author of the independent culture magazine Hard Art .
