Emilíana Torrini

Emilíana Torrini

Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir is an Icelandic singer-songwriter from Kópavogur, Iceland. She is born in 1977 and writes many of her own songs. Her background is mixed: her father is Italian and her mother is Icelandic.

Early life and beginnings

Torrini grows up in Kópavogur, where she joins a choir as a soprano at the age of seven. She stays with the choir until she goes to opera school at 15. She later works as a waitress at her father’s restaurant. In 1994 she becomes known in Iceland after winning a song competition for junior college students with a version of “I Will Survive”.

Career

Before her international breakthrough, Torrini releases three albums in Iceland: Spoon in 1994, Crouçie D'où Là in 1995, and Merman in 1996. She works with the trip-hop group GusGus on its debut album Polydistortion in 1997, contributing to the tracks “Is Jesus Your Pal?” and “Why?”.

Her international debut album, Love In The Time Of Science, appears in 1999 and is produced by Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears. The album is a trip-hop release and includes the singles “Dead Things”, “Baby Blue”, “To Be Free”, and “Unemployed in Summertime”.

In 2002 she sings on Paul Oakenfold’s “Hold Your Hand” from the album Bunkka. In 2003 she works with Dan Carey on “Slow”, which becomes an international number one for Kylie Minogue. She also provides the voice for “Gollum’s Song”, the closing theme for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. In the same period she collaborates with Thievery Corporation on “Heaven’s Gonna Burn Your Eyes” and “Until the Morning”, and also contributes to Slovo’s debut album Nommo.

Her second major album, Fisherman’s Woman, is released in 2005. It marks a move away from her earlier electronic style towards a more acoustic folk sound, with singles including “Lifesaver”, “Sunnyroad”, and “Heartstopper”. Her third album, Me and Armini, follows in 2008 and is promoted by the singles “Me and Armini”, “Big Jumps”, and “Jungle Drum”. “Jungle Drum” becomes her most successful song, reaching number one in Iceland, Austria, Belgium, and Germany, number five in Finland, and number 11 in Switzerland.

Torrini’s fourth international studio album, Tookah, is released in 2013. She later works with Canadian artist Kid Koala on the ambient album Music To Draw To: Satellite, contributing vocals to tracks including “Collapser” and “Adrift”.

Style and associated acts

Her work is associated with alternative rock, downtempo, dream pop, electronica, indie pop, rock, trip-hop, and chillout. She is also linked with the acts GusGus and Spoon.