Bárá Grimsdottír

Bára Grímsdóttir is one of the finest interpreters of the traditional folk songs of Iceland. Her crystal clear voice is the perfect vehicle to carry the haunting and evocative melodies of what is perhaps one of the least known song traditions in Europe. With epic stories derived from the Sagas written by the early Viking settlers a thousand years ago and mysterious, ancient modal melodies reflecting the breathtaking, wild beauty of her native land, it is a very rich tradition which deserves to reach a much wider audience beyond Iceland's rocky shores.

Bára (pronounced Bow-rah) was born and spent her early years in the remote northern farming community of the Vatnsdalur Valley, near Blonduos until her family moved to Reykjavik. From her earliest years she grew up hearing her parents and grandparents singing the traditional Icelandic stemmur and rimur songs. Bára has been singing in public since childhood.When she was twenty she made her first radio appearance singing Icelandic folksongs with her mother.Since then she has made many solo appearances on radio and TV.

In 1988 she was invited to join Icelandic singers Sigurdur Runar Jonsson and Njall Sigurdsson for a programme of Icelandic folk songs made in Paris by Radio France. This was the start of a musical partnership which played at festivals in Sweden, Germany, Latvia and Lithuania as well as in Iceland.Subsequently Bára and Sigurdur formed the group Embla with Kristin Olafsdottir and Kristjan Kristjansson. Embla have played in the USA, Canada, Holland, Norway as well as performing all over Iceland.