Emilíana Torrini (born 16 May 1977) is an Icelandic singer, best known for her 2009 single "Jungle Drum" of the 2009 record 'Me and Armini', 1999 album Love in the Time of Science and for performing "Gollum's Song" for Peter Jackson's film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Early life[edit]
Torrini grew up in Kópavogur, where, at the age of 7, she joined a choir as a soprano, until she went to opera school at the age of 15. Her father is Italian and her mother is Icelandic. Because of name regulations in Iceland at the time, her father Salvatore Torrini had to change his name to "Davíð Eiríksson", which also implied that Emilíana Torrini had to use the surname after her father in the traditional way; "Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir". A few years later, the name regulations were changed,[1] and she was again allowed to use her original surname.[2][3]
Torrini grew up with her parents in Iceland. Her father owned and operated a well-known Italian restaurant in Iceland (Italia, located at Laugavegur 11 in Reykjavík)[citation needed]. After being discovered singing in a restaurant in Iceland by Derek Birkett, the owner of One Little Indian Records, he subsequently asked her over to London to write a record. Torrini decided to stay and live there. She has a son, who was born on 6 September 2010.
Collaborations[edit]
She has been a member of Icelandic artist group GusGus, and contributed vocals to several songs on their debut Polydistortion (1997), most notably "Why" She co-wrote Kylie Minogue’s "Slow" and "Someday" from her Body Language album in 2003. She also produced "Slow" along with Dan Carey; the two were nominated for a Best Dance Recording Grammy Award in 2005 for their work on the track. Prior to these, she contributed vocals to songs on Thievery Corporation's 2002 record The Richest Man in Babylon and was credited with composing the songs "Resolution", "Until The Morning", and "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes" from that album. Also in 2002, Torrini sang vocals on Paul Oakenfold's song "Hold Your Hand" taken from his Bunkka album.[4]
Tookah album (2013)[edit]
On June 3, 2013[5] Emiliana revealed to fans that she is expected to release her new album on September 9, 2013 in the UK. The album will be released in Ireland, Iceland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland on September 6, 2013. The new LP is titled Tookah. Torrini will play a number of music festivals in the lead up to the albums release in Russia and Budapest. The first single is to be released late summer 2013 and the music video is expected to be directed by Brazilian director Guilherme Macondes[6]. The album will be released by Rough Trade and produced by Dan Carey. The album will feature songs "Elísabet" and "History of Horses".
Discography[edit]
Torrini at the Orange Music Experience Festival, Fisherman's Woman tour,
Haifa,
Israel, 2005-06-28
Singles[edit]
| Year |
Song |
Peak chart positions |
Album |
| ICL |
AUS |
AUT |
BE (FL) |
BE (WA) |
FIN |
GER |
NLD |
SWI |
UK[10] |
| 1999 |
"Dead Things" |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Love in the Time of Science |
| "Baby Blue" |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| "To Be Free" |
1 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2001 |
"Easy" |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
63 |
| "Unemployed in Summertime" |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
63 |
| "To Be Free" (reissue) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
44 |
| 2004 |
"Lifesaver" |
46 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Fisherman's Woman |
| 2005 |
"Sunnyroad" |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| "Heartstopper" |
40 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2008 |
"Me and Armini" |
5 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Me and Armini |
| "Big Jumps" |
8 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2009 |
"Jungle Drum" |
1 |
84 |
1 |
1 |
45 |
5 |
1 |
57 |
11 |
— |
| "—" denotes a title that did not chart or was not released in given territory. |
Other charting tracks[edit]
Collaborations[edit]
- 1995 – "Vanishing" (vocals) (LHOOQ, Volume Fifteen)
- 1996 – "7-Up Days" (vocals) (Slowblow, Fousque)
- 1996? – "Flirt" (vocals) (Slowblow)
- 1997 – "Asking for Love" (vocals) (Jóhann G. Jóhannsson, Asking for Love)
- 1997 – "Is Jesus Your Pal?" (vocals) (GusGus, Polydistortion)
- 1997 – "Why?" (vocals) (GusGus, Polydistortion)
- 1999 – "Come Out" (vocals) (Dip, Hi-Camp Meets Lo-Fi)
- 2000 – "Heaven Knows" (vocals) (Luxus, Have a Nice Trip)
- 2001 – "101 Reykjavík Theme" (remixed by Emilíana Torrini, no vocals) (101 Reykjavík Soundtrack)
- 2002 – "Absolutely No Point In Anything Anymore" (vocals) (Cheapglue, Sexy Horses)
- 2002 – "Hold Your Hand" (vocals) (Paul Oakenfold, Bunkka)
- 2002 – "Weebles Fall" (vocals) (Slovo, Nommo)
- 2002 – "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes" (vocals) (Thievery Corporation, The Richest Man in Babylon)
- 2002 – "Until the Morning" (vocals) (Thievery Corporation, The Richest Man in Babylon)
- 2002 – "Gollum's Song" (vocals) (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Soundtrack)
- 2003 – "Slow" (co-writing) (Kylie Minogue, Body Language)
- 2003 – "Someday" (co-writing) (Kylie Minogue, Body Language)
- 2003 – "Soul On Fire" (co-writing) (Kylie Minogue, Slow)
- 2005 – "Thinking Out Loud" (with Sneaker Pimps as Line of Flight, online re-release of Loretta Young Silks (single))
- 2013 – "Moi moi" (vocal) (Albin de la Simone, Un homme)
Songs on compilations[edit]
- 1994 – "Frank Mills" (Hárið)
- 1996 – "Candy Man" (Sprelllifandi)
- 1996 – "Lay Down" (Stone Free, cover of Melanie Safka's song "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)")
- 1996 – "Ruby Tuesday" (Stone Free, The Rolling Stones cover)
- 1996 – "White Rabbit" (Stone Free, Jefferson Airplane cover)
- 1996 – "Sound of Silence" (Stone Free, cover of "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel)
- 1997 – "Heaven Knows" (Veðmálið, with Björn Jörundur)
- 1997 – "Io e te" (Veðmálið)
- 1997 – "Leigubíll" (Veðmálið, with Kanada)
- 1997 – "Perlur og svín" (Veðmálið)
- 1997 – "Tvær stjörnur" (Megasarlög)
- 2002 – "If You Go Away" (Pumpkin soundtrack)
- 2002 – "Summerbreeze" ( Mark Abis cover ) Musique de Nuit Vol 5 – Compilation, Virgin/Labels France (2000) Meter Sessies Vol 10 – Compilation, Universal Holland (2001) Chilled – Compilation, Hot Tickets/Associated Newspapers Ltd (2002) The Late Lounge – Compilation, Jazz FM Records (2002) Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale (2003 Original Soundtrack release)
- "To Be Free" Crazy/Beautiful soundtrack
- 2005 – "Sunnyroad" (Live) (Other Voices CD3)
- 2011 – "White Rabbit" Sucker Punch soundtrack
References[edit]
External links[edit]
| Persondata |
| Name |
Torrini, Emiliana |
| Alternative names |
|
| Short description |
Icelandic singer |
| Date of birth |
1977-05-16 |
| Place of birth |
|
| Date of death |
|
| Place of death |
|
