ICELAND

The Icelandic Final was held on February 2nd at Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, hosted by Þórhallur Gunnarsson & Guðrún Dís Emilsdóttir. Previous to the final there were 2 semi-finals. The winner was chosen in 2 rounds of voting - the first to select the top 2 (50/50 televote/expert jury ) and a second (televote alone) to select the winner. The winner of the ticket to Malmo is Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson singing "Ég á líf" meaning "I have a life"

The song is a slow, building Celtic style ballad with lots flittle musical touches. It starts of quiet and Eyþór's voice takes centre stage. During verse 2 you can hear the sound of balalaika, or something of that ilk, in the background. During the bridge it becomes more orchestral then during the next chorus the sound is very Celtic with violins and penny whistles. Near the end it has a military feel with strong drums. The ending, although a little predictable, is memorable and in its own little way dramatic - will they be able to copy this in Malmo?  Eyþór's voice is almost flawless, having heard it several times sung live his voice is so strong and professional it is hard to see any weakness.

 

Eyþór sings the song alone on stage and has a lot of vocal strength and stage presence. Eyþór has a striking appearance and I am guessing he was probably Iceland's participant in the 'best Justin Lee Collins Lookalike competition 2008". I really suggest that Eyþór gets a really good stylist before Malmo and get him dressed and presented in a manner which will make him stand out - and not for the Barbara Dex prize.

Like all the songs in the Icelandic final, it was sung in Icelandic. Like too many an Icelandic entry before, this will probably be translated into English - unnecessarily. Although the song does sound gobbledygook-ish the repetition in the chorus means you have the "Ég á líf" hook and tune in your head after no time at all - even if you have no idea what you are saying. The breathy tones of the Icelandic language really suit this song and I fear that an English translation will change the tone and of the song and make it less powerful.

I think this song has a lot to give and could be a strong contender - that is as long as the other countries left to choose don't also choose a Celtic ballad...

Artist - Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson

Song - Ég á líf (I have a life)
Music - Örlygur Smári, Pétur Örn Guðmundsson

Lyrics - Örlygur Smári, Pétur Örn Guðmundsson