We are Bára Grímsdóttir and Chris Foster and we live in Reykjavík, Iceland. FUNI is an old Icelandic word meaning fire. It was also the name of one of Bára's Grandfather's favourite horses. Her Grandma, Pjeturina wrote a poem about it, which we in turn made into a song. We sing and play Icelandic and English folk music. We have both been singing all of our lives and we started working together in 2001, breathing new life into great songs that have been hidden for too long in old recordings and dusty old books.
Iceland has a unique and wonderful folk song heritage, but sadly, it has remained largely hidden from today’s folk, and wider music audiences, both at home and abroad. So we are bringing it into the light for people to enjoy.
We also add new songs to our traditions along the way.
“FUNI are pioneers in bringing Iceland‘s neglected song tradition appealingly into the light of the 21st century, where hopefully some of Iceland‘s many young musicians will pick up on its possibilities as they have so distinctly in pop and rock.“
Andrew Cronshaw - fROOTS - June 2013
In the past, these songs were usually performed unaccompanied. Now, we add accompaniments using the traditional Icelandic langspil and fidla (fiðla), guitar, kantele and hammer dulcimer as well as singing in the unique old two part harmony style called tvísöng - 'two song'.
In concerts, we also often accompany our songs with slide shows of old and new photographs, bringing the people and places connected with our songs to life.
Together, we have performed and taught at festivals, concerts, summer schools and on radio and TV in Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA, as well as throughout Iceland and Britain.
Tracklist:
1. Morgunbæn 3:30
2. Bar svo til í biggðum 3:32
3. Veroníkukvæði 5:39
4. Konan blessuð 1:07
5. Mitt var starfið 1:51
6. Úti í náttúrunni 1:02
7. Lilja 3:41
8. Hættu að gráta hringaná 1:42
9. Göngur 0:55
10. Funi 3:01
11. Gefið Þið mér í staupi strax 2:10
12. Harðar glímur 1:59
13. Að minni sálu amar 4:08
14. Sólin 1:21
15. Íslenskt vögguljóð 4:13
16. Mína Þá mundi'eg Þenja vængi út 1:18
17. Heimi er farið að halla 2:20
18. Nýárssálmur 4:57