Jagúar (band)
Encyclopedia
Jagúar is a funk
band formed in 1998 in Reykjavík
, Iceland
. They went international in 2000, when they performed at the "1000 years since the Vikings found America" celebration in New York
. The band gained critical acclaim for their second album, Get the Funk Out, which won the Icelandic Music Awards' 2001 "Album of the Year". The band and its many current and former members continue to be active in the Icelandic jazz
scene.
), Ingi S. Skúlason (bass
), Jón Indriðason (drums
), Börkur H. Birgisson (guitar
), Hrafn Ásgeirsson (tenor sax
) and Birkir Mattíasson (trumpet
), who were interested in playing funk
, soul
and jazz
.
In the early days, Jagúar performed in Reykjavík, often playing covers
of funk artists such as James Brown
, Kool and the Gang, Herbie Hancock
and others. The band was soon joined by Samúel Jón Samúelsson on trombone
, along with drummer Sigfús Óttarsson (replacing Jón Indriðason). At this time, the band started working on their first album, titled Jagúar.
, where the band played an open air concert at Pier 17.
band "The Real Ones". In September 2001, Jagúar went to Sweden
to open for the Swedish metal
band Sator
.
and the Netherlands
.
debut at The Jazz Café in London
. In April, the band played a late night show after their longtime hero Maceo Parker in Brussels
, Belgium. Then Óskar was replaced by Australia
n saxophonist Daniel Rorke. That May, the band went on a three week tour through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany
, Switzerland
, Austria
and UK. In September, the band returned to The Jazz Café to promote their first UK release, That's Your Problem Baby on Freestyle Records. In October 2003, the band participated in a Tribute to Motown Show at Broadway theater, performing many of their favorite Motown songs, such as Marvin Gay's "What's Going on" and The Temptations
' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone".
producer Al Stone and Mr. Dynamite came to Iceland in August to work with the band on their third album. Jagúar then opened for James Brown in Reykjavík in August. The third album, Hello Somebody, was released in November 2004. Jagúar then performed with Harry Belafonte
on Icelandic National Television
in December. At the Icelandic Music Awards in February 2005, Jagúar received four awards including "Best performer" and "Jazz Album of the year". Sigfús left again in May and was replaced temporarily by Hjörleifur Jónsson for a tour to Sweden and UK to promote the UK release of the One Of Us single. In June, Daði and Börkur also left the band, and in August, Ómar Guðjónsson joined Jagúar on guitar and Jóhann Hjörleifsson joined on drums. Meanwhile, with the addition of Samúelsson's vocals, Hello Somebody was critically received as "easily Jagúar’s most accessible effort to date."
Jagúar started working on new material for their next album and preparing their live show for festivals and clubs. In February 2007, Jagúar travelled to Denmark to make their fourth album, Shake It Good. Recordings were made at Lundgård Studios in Denmark. Recordings and mix were completed at Hljóðriti, Iceland March–June, and the album was released in August 2007.
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
band formed in 1998 in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. They went international in 2000, when they performed at the "1000 years since the Vikings found America" celebration in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The band gained critical acclaim for their second album, Get the Funk Out, which won the Icelandic Music Awards' 2001 "Album of the Year". The band and its many current and former members continue to be active in the Icelandic jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
scene.
History
The original lineup consisted of Daði Birgisson (keyboardsElectronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
), Ingi S. Skúlason (bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
), Jón Indriðason (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
), Börkur H. Birgisson (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Hrafn Ásgeirsson (tenor sax
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
) and Birkir Mattíasson (trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
), who were interested in playing funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.
In the early days, Jagúar performed in Reykjavík, often playing covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of funk artists such as James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, Kool and the Gang, Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
and others. The band was soon joined by Samúel Jón Samúelsson on trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, along with drummer Sigfús Óttarsson (replacing Jón Indriðason). At this time, the band started working on their first album, titled Jagúar.
1999-2000 Jagúar album
Jagúar released their debut album, Jagúar, consisting of original instrumental material, in November 1999. In January 2000, Birkir and Hrafn left the band. Soon afterward, Kjartan Hákonarsson joined the band on trumpet, and the band toured Iceland in the Summer of 2000. That same Autumn, Jagúar was a part of the "1000 years since the Vikings found America" celebration in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where the band played an open air concert at Pier 17.
2001 Get the Funk Out
The band's second album, Get The Funk Out, was released in June 2001, along with the film Jagúar, the Movie, a B-movie spin off. Eyjólfur Þorleifsson then joined the band on tenor saxophone, and Jagúar toured Iceland again in the Summer of 2001, when they met NorwegianNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
band "The Real Ones". In September 2001, Jagúar went to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
to open for the Swedish metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Sator
Sator (band)
Sator is a Swedish rock band. The band was founded in Borlänge and have released 7 albums. They notably released a song about a disgruntled Baby Doc Duvalier complaining about his fortunes, called "Baby Doc Holiday"...
.
2002 Album of the Year
In February 2002, Get the Funk Out received the "Icelandic Music Award" for 2001 Album of the Year. Drummer Sigfús left the band in February 2002, was briefly replaced by Erik Qvik, and then returned in July. That March, the band went to Norway and toured alongside The Real Ones. Trombone player Samúel started adding more vocals to Jagúar's music, and the band toured BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
2003 UK debut
In early 2003, Óskar Guðjónsson replaced Eyjólfur on saxophone, and Jagúar played their UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
debut at The Jazz Café in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In April, the band played a late night show after their longtime hero Maceo Parker in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium. Then Óskar was replaced by Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n saxophonist Daniel Rorke. That May, the band went on a three week tour through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and UK. In September, the band returned to The Jazz Café to promote their first UK release, That's Your Problem Baby on Freestyle Records. In October 2003, the band participated in a Tribute to Motown Show at Broadway theater, performing many of their favorite Motown songs, such as Marvin Gay's "What's Going on" and The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone".
2004 Dance You Idiot!
Jagúar appeared as a 14-piece big band at the Reykjavík Art Festival in May 2004, performing the music of Icelandic jazz composer Tómas R. Einarsson. The concert was released on a live album titled Dance You Idiot!2004-2005 Hello Somebody
In July 2004, the band started working on their third album and performed at the Summer Stage festival in New York. Daniel Rorke was then replaced by Óskar again on saxophone. JamiroquaiJamiroquai
Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
producer Al Stone and Mr. Dynamite came to Iceland in August to work with the band on their third album. Jagúar then opened for James Brown in Reykjavík in August. The third album, Hello Somebody, was released in November 2004. Jagúar then performed with Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
on Icelandic National Television
Sjónvarpið
RÚV is the television channel of RÚV, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, launched in 1966. The channel broadcasts primarily news, sports, cultural programs, children's material, American, British & Nordic films and entertainment programming...
in December. At the Icelandic Music Awards in February 2005, Jagúar received four awards including "Best performer" and "Jazz Album of the year". Sigfús left again in May and was replaced temporarily by Hjörleifur Jónsson for a tour to Sweden and UK to promote the UK release of the One Of Us single. In June, Daði and Börkur also left the band, and in August, Ómar Guðjónsson joined Jagúar on guitar and Jóhann Hjörleifsson joined on drums. Meanwhile, with the addition of Samúelsson's vocals, Hello Somebody was critically received as "easily Jagúar’s most accessible effort to date."
2006-2007 Shake It Good
In August 2006, Jóhann was replaced by Einar Scheving on drums, andJagúar started working on new material for their next album and preparing their live show for festivals and clubs. In February 2007, Jagúar travelled to Denmark to make their fourth album, Shake It Good. Recordings were made at Lundgård Studios in Denmark. Recordings and mix were completed at Hljóðriti, Iceland March–June, and the album was released in August 2007.
Awards
To date, Jagúar has received several awards, including five Icelandic Music Awards. In 2002, Get the Funk Out won "Album of the Year", and in 2005, Jagúar received four more Icelandic Music Awards, including "Best Performer" and "Jazz Album of the Year". Additionally, in March 2003, Hello Somebody was selected as "Album of the Month" by Icelandic journal The Grapevine.Members
While many members have come and gone, some staying only a few months, the only remaining founder of the band is bassist Ingi S. Skúlason. While not a founding member, trombonist and vocalist Samúel Jón Samúelsson joined the band before the release of their debut, Jagúar. The two are currently joined by Kjartan Hákonarson (trumpet), who joined soon after the Jagúar release, and by Óskar Guðjónsson (saxophone), Ómar Guðjónsson (guitar) and Einar Scheving (drums). Drummer Jón Indriðason was the first to separate from the band in 1999 and was replaced by Sigfús Óttarsson, who played off and on until 2005. Soon after the release of Jagúar in 2000, fellow founders Hrafn Ásgeirsson (tenor sax) and Birkir Mattíasson (trumpet) were next to leave the band. Remaining founders Daði Birgisson (keyboards) and Börkur H. Birgisson (guitar) remained until 2005.Discography
To date, Jagúar has released four albums and three singles, and has been included in two compilations:Jagúar
- Íslenska Fönksamsteypan ehf. (1999)
- 01 Malibu
- 02 Watermelon Woman
- 03 Theme for Miguel
- 04 Gustav Blomkvist
- 05 Bubba's Song
- 06 Húbba Búbba
- 07 Hr. 7
- 08 35 c
- 09 Birkir Breaks the Law
- 10 Skrímslið
Get the Funk Out
- FD (2001)
- 01 That's Your Problem Baby
- 02 Calling All Cars
- 03 Get the Funk Out
- 04 Dr. Rhythm
- 05 Sumargyðjan
- 06 Evil Empire
- 07 étranger
- 08 Octopussy
- 09 Strut
- 10 Battle of Funk
- 11 Pier 17
- 12 Fast Forward
Hello Somebody
- Smekkleysa/Bad Taste, UK (2004)
- 01 Bodyparty
- 02 It's All Over
- 03 What is Going On?
- 04 Hello Somebody!
- 05 Butterflies
- 06 One of Us
- 07 Funky Junky
- 08 Freedom
- 09 Must Be Good
- 10 Funky Fried Chicken
Shake It Good
- Íslenska Fönksamsteypan ehf. (2007)
- 01 Shake It Good
- 02 You Want Me
- 03 Groove All Night
- 04 Disco Diva
- 05 Somebody Told Me
- 06 Fight to Be Free
- 07 Runki Fag
- 08 Make Out
- 09 Youth Faded
That's Your Problem Baby
- Freestyle Records, UK (2003)
- 01 That's Your Problem Baby
- 02 Sumargyðjan
- 03 Battle of Funk
One of Us
- Smekkleysa/Bad Taste, UK (2005)
- 01 One of Us
- 02 Freedom
- 03 One of Us (radio edit)
External links
- http://www.jaguar.is - Official Jagúar web site (English)
- Jagúar on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Find Jagúar-related videos on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Jagúar's page on Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....
- Jagúar's artist page on Tónlist.is (Icelandic)