Jónsi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jónsi
Jónsi at the Citadel Festival, Victoria Park, London, in 2016
Background information
Birth name	Jón Þór Birgisson
Born	(1975-04-23) 23 April 1975 (age 50)
Origin	Reykjavík, Iceland
Genres	Experimental rock ambient worldbeat contemporary classical
Instruments	Guitar bass guitar vocals keyboards banjo ukulele harmonica sampler
Years active	1992–present
Associated acts	Sigur Rós Jónsi & Alex Dark Morph Alex Somers Carl Michael von Hausswolff Klive A. G. Cook

Jón Þór Birgisson, better known as Jónsi, is a musician from Iceland. He was born on April 23, 1975. He is the lead singer and guitar player for the famous Icelandic band Sigur Rós.

Jónsi is known for his very high singing voice, which is called a falsetto or countertenor. He also has a special way of playing his guitar by using a cello bow, which creates a unique, dreamy sound.

Besides his work with Sigur Rós, Jónsi has released his own solo albums, like Go and Shiver. He has also written music for popular movies, including the How to Train Your Dragon series and We Bought a Zoo.

Musical Journey

When Jónsi was 13, the first song he learned on guitar was "Wrathchild" by the band Iron Maiden. He is still a big fan of them today. Before he became famous with Sigur Rós, Jónsi was in a few other bands. In 1995, his band Bee Spiders won an award for being the "most interesting band" in a music contest in Iceland.

Since 1994, Jónsi has been the heart of Sigur Rós. The band is known for its beautiful and atmospheric music. They have released eight studio albums together.

Jónsi also works on projects outside of his band. He teamed up with his close friend and fellow musician Alex Somers to form a duo called Jónsi & Alex. They released an album called Riceboy Sleeps in 2009. In 2010, Jónsi released his first solo album, Go, and toured around the world to perform his new songs.

Music in Movies and Games

Jónsi's music has been featured in many movies, TV shows, and even video games.

• His song "Around Us" was used in a trailer for the Studio Ghibli movie The Secret World of Arriety.
• The same song was also on the soundtrack for the video game FIFA 11.
• He wrote the entire score for the 2012 movie We Bought a Zoo, starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.
• His song "Grow Till Tall" was featured in the trailer for the movie Allegiant.

The How to Train Your Dragon Movies

Jónsi has a special connection to the How to Train Your Dragon movies.

• For the first movie in 2010, he wrote and sang the song "Sticks and Stones."
• For the second movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2, he co-wrote the main song, "Where No One Goes."
• For the final movie, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, he wrote and performed the song "Together from Afar."

Solo Albums and Projects

Even while being in a successful band, Jónsi has created a lot of music on his own and with other artists.

Go (2010)

Jónsi performing live in Ferrara, Italy, in 2010

In 2010, Jónsi released his first solo album, Go. For this album, he worked with the classical composer Nico Muhly, who helped with the string arrangements. Unlike his music with Sigur Rós, most of the songs on Go are in English. The album was a success and was praised by critics and fans. He toured across North America and Europe to support the album.

Shiver (2020)

Ten years after his first solo album, Jónsi released Shiver in 2020. For this album, he worked with the producer A. G. Cook, who is known for his electronic and pop music. This collaboration gave Shiver a more electronic and experimental sound compared to his earlier work.

Special Talents and Interests

Jónsi at UCLA, playing to promote the concert film Heima

Singing in a Special Language

Jónsi's first language is Icelandic. In his band Sigur Rós, he often sings in a made-up language called Vonlenska, which means "Hopelandic" in English.

Hopelandic doesn't have any real words or grammar. It's a form of non-sense singing that Jónsi uses to create melodies that fit the music. It allows his voice to act like another instrument in the band. The name "Hopelandic" came from the song "Von," which means "Hope" in Icelandic.

Instruments

Jónsi is a talented musician who can play many instruments. He is most famous for playing his Les Paul guitar with a cello bow. This creates a long, flowing sound that has become a signature part of his music.

Besides the guitar, he also plays piano, bass guitar, banjo, ukulele, and harmonica.

Activism and Personal Life

Jónsi cares deeply about nature and the environment. In 2003, he protested against the building of a large dam in Iceland that he felt would harm the natural landscape.

He is also a vegetarian because of his love for animals. He has said, "I just love animals and I do not want to kill them, cook them or eat them."

Jónsi is blind in his right eye. This is something he has had since he was born.

Discography

Here are some of Jónsi's most important albums as a solo artist and with his collaborators.

Studio Albums

• Go (2010)
• Shiver (2020)
• Obsidian (2021)
• First Light (2024)

Collaborative Albums

• Riceboy Sleeps (2009) - with Alex Somers as Jónsi & Alex
• Lost & Found (2019) - with Alex Somers as Jónsi & Alex
• Dark Morph (2019) - with Carl Michael von Hausswolff as Dark Morph
• Dark Morph II (2020) - with Carl Michael von Hausswolff as Dark Morph

Soundtrack Albums

• We Bought a Zoo (2011)
• Tom Clancy's Without Remorse (2021)

See also

In Spanish: Jón Þór Birgisson para niños