Victory Rose.

My love of Scandinavia in general, and Danmark specifically, is no secret—synonymous with my name, if you know me at all. And yet I feel for the first time that there is a single expression that embodies those Scandinavian philosophies and beliefs that are so deeply embedded in me.

Sigur Rós.

For all of my love of DK, and for all my searching, I have never found a single Danish band that creates music that is truly "Danish" in my mind. To be honest, it's been a huge disappointment, as if a part of Danmark's identity has somehow become lost over the last decades.

Sigur Rós.

This is not to say there's no great music in DK. But it's old music—folk music that's terribly hard to come by, even if you're in DK—and I've never heard it since. Of the numerous Danish films I own, there's only one where an old folk song is sung. I've found websites with simple melodies—many of which are old children's songs. They're terribly enjoyable, but again, not representative of the Danish culture in the way that music should be.

Sigur Rós.

When I lived in DK, Techno, Electronic, Pop and House music were all the rage. We all know the band AQUA, with their smash hit "Barbie Girl" and the like. But the fact that they are the biggest music to ever come out of DK supports my argument: It is not only tacky, but it is entirely unoriginal in that the musical style didn't originate in DK, has no direct or indirect Danish themes or messages, and it's in English (I know you sell more albums if your music's in English, but your also sell out your nativity at the same time).

Sigur Rós.

And from all my research since, the only thing that's changed is that Hip-Hop, Rap and Death Metal have been added to list of music that Danes love. You wouldn't believe the number of Danish Rap artists, but I suppose with all the oppression from the Man, all the Danish Ghettos, Slums and Gangs, that this kind of anarchical expression is only natural. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I find this laughable beyond words. A bunch of frustrated Danish teens have latched on to an American genré of music that they have never experienced, or will ever understand. Hell, I'm American and I don't understand it. Eminem is the only white man that's ever pulled rap off.

Sigur Rós.

I don't mean to digress too much. This is a positive post, after all, and I will only say one more thing on the matter: If anyone knows of any truly Danish music, please send it my way. If not, then Danmark needs to stop looking outward and start looking inward for inspiration in the creation of their music; they need to focus more on their remarkable, proud heritage than on external cultures they think are cooler than their own. Coolness, after all, is highly psychological—and highly overrated.

Sigur Rós.

Now, the positivity: Fortunately for DK, someone is doing their job for them. And fortunately for the world in general, there is Sigur Rós: a group Icelandic musical geniuses that have embodied in their songs the heart and soul of Iceland. They are the essence and core of what I believe is Nordic, what I feel is Viking, what I know is Danish—even if the Danes don't yet.

It is music that exudes and extracts emotions that can only be described as "Scandinavian" in both its mythological proportion and its singular intimacy—intimacy that borders on palpable loneliness.

Whenever I see nations like China and India—in such a wretched rush for modernity that history and culture become afterthoughts in the jet stream—I think of Iceland. I think of a country that is doing everything in its power to hold on to its culture, its history and its landscape; I think of a place where Nature rules, and Man respects; I think of a place that sings to the most inner-being of me.

Sigur Rós.

I think that Icelanders are the Navajo of the Nordic. I love them for that. There is a small set of Danish islands I feel the same way about: Bornholm first and foremost, and the Faroe Islands just behind. These are places that my heart loves, places I long to be in.

This whole post's purpose is to get you to go to iTunes and download a few Sigur Rós songs. I know there are those in this readership that know of—and even some that love—the band, and I am hopefully representing you well. I have the added benefit of speaking Danish, which enables me to understand some of the lyrics. HOWEVER, you don't need to know Icelandic to love the music, or to feel its message.

I have a number of favorite songs, but here's a short list that I think everyone should have in their heads:

"Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" (my current favorite)
"Gobbledigook"
"Glósóli"
"Saeglópur"
"Vid spilum endalaust"
"Starálfur" and "Hoppípolla" (which are so popular that you probably know them)
"Track 4" from the album "( )"
"Gódan daginn"

And the list goes on. It's really hard to go wrong with Sigur, but there's definitely songs that stand apart.

It is very, VERY far from the music we know here in the States, so you have to let it simmer. If we can let go of the 3-minute mindlessness that the radio hammers in our heads, I think we might really feel something.

Sigur Rós is my Classical. It is my Opera. It is my surrogate Danish music. It is wonderful, and it is more important, I believe, than almost any music I've heard in this life.



wes.