Interesting people in History: Bjork :: essays research papers

Bjrk first came to prominence as one of the lead vocalists of the avant-pop Icelandic sextet the Sugarcubes, but when she launched a solo career after the groups 1992 demise, she quickly eclipsed her old bands popularity. Instead of following in the Sugarcubes arty guitar rock pretensions, Bjrk immersed herself in saltation and club religious culture, working with many of the biggest names in the genre, including Nellee Hooper, Underworld, and Tricky. Debut, her first solo effort (except for an Icelandic-only smash released when she was just 11 years old), not only naturalised her new artistic direction, but it became an international hit, making her one of the 90s most unlikely stars.Though the title of Debut implied that it was Bjrks first-ever solo project, she had actually been a headmaster vocalist since she was a child. When she was in elementary school in Reykjavik, she studied classical piano and, eventually, her teachers submitted a tape of her singing Tina Charles &quo tI bang to Love" to Icelands Radio One. After "I Love to Love" was aired, a record label called Falkkin offered Bjrk a record contract. At the age of 11, her eponymous first album was released the record contained covers of several pop songs, including the Beatles "Fool on the Hill," and boasted ar twork from her m otherwise and guitar work from her stepfather. Bjrk became a hit within Iceland and was not released in any other country.Bjrks musical tastes were changed by the punk revolution of the late 70s in 1979, she formed a post-punk group called Exodus and, in the following year, she sang in block off 80. In 1981, Bjrk and Exodus bassist Jakob Magnusson formed Tappi Tikarrass, which released an EP, Bitid Fast I Vitid, on Spor later that year it was followed by the full-length Miranda in 1983. Following Tappi Tikarrass, she formed the goth-tinged post-punk group KUKL with Einar Orn Benediktsson. KUKL released two albums, The Eye (1984) and Holidays in Europ e (1986), on Crass Records before the band metamorphosed into the Sugarcubes in the summer of 1986.The Sugarcubes became one of the rare Icelandic bands to break out of their ingrained country when their debut album, Lifes Too Good, became a British and American hit in 1988. For the next four years, the group maintained a successful cult following in the U.K. and the U.S. while they were stars within Iceland. During 1990, Bjrk recorded a set of jazz standards and originals with an Icelandic bebop group called Trio Gudmundar Ingolfssonar.