Not your typical reggae band by far, Hjálmar is from Iceland and mixes old-school reggae with folk music and by so doing has managed to become one of the most popular and active bands in Iceland. The band has, since its creation in 2004, become something of a cultural phenomenon in its home country. It started out as a reggae experiment but managed, despite the disbelief of established record labels, to touch the island’s souls with its capturing mixture of sunny reggae and Icelandic musical roots. The band’s authentic sound, sincerity and respect for the music and audience as well have made Hjálmar one of Iceland’s most cherished bands with an appeal to a wide group of audience.
Hjálmar’s fifth and most recent studio album, ‘Orar’, was released in November 2011. It shows the band digging deep into the roots of dub, experimenting with synthesizers and electronic sound. Definitely more upbeat and aggressive then previous albums, Hjálmar claims that ‘Orar’ is supposed to be a bit hard to digest. The album has been nominated as Album Of The Year at the Icelandic Music Awards and lead vocalist Thorsteinn Einarsson is nominated forText Writer of the Year for the lyrics on the album.
After many shows throughout the years in their home country and in Scandinavia, Hjálmar made its first introduction to the European mainland with an impressive showcase at EUROSONIC 2012 last January. Continuing on this path, Hjálmar is now available for bookings in the BENELUX from July 2012 onwards. For booking requests contact stefan@groovmill.com.