Svala facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Svala
Svala at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 opening ceremony
Background information
Birth name	Svala Björgvinsdóttir
Also known as	Svala Björgvins Kali
Born	(1977-02-08) 8 February 1977 (age 48) Reykjavík, Iceland
Genres	Pop electronic
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	1984–present
Labels	Priority Records
Associated acts	Steed Lord, BLISSFUL

Svala Björgvinsdóttir (born February 8, 1977) is an Icelandic singer and songwriter. She is known by her stage names Svala, Svala Björgvins, or Kali. Svala became famous with her song "The Real Me," which came out in 2001. Later, she joined a house music band called Steed Lord and used the name Kali. In 2017, Svala represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest held in Kyiv.

Svala's Music Journey

Early Years and First Hits (1984–1998)

Svala is the daughter of a famous Icelandic singer, Björgvin Halldórsson. She started singing when she was very young. At age seven, she sang backup for one of her father's albums.

Svala had her first number one song in Iceland when she was nine. It was a Christmas duet with her father called "Fyrir Jól." Her second number one hit, "Ég hlakka svo til," came out when she was 11. She became known for many popular Christmas songs in Iceland.

Svala also studied ballet for seven years. While studying ballet, she wrote music with her high school band.

When Svala was 16, she started a band called Scope. They played music influenced by UK house music and disco. Scope released a cover song called "Was That All It Was," which became a dance hit in Iceland. Svala then signed with a big record label in Iceland. After a few songs with Scope, Svala joined another band called Bubbleflies. She wrote songs and toured Iceland, performing original music and soul and funk cover songs.

Signing with Priority Records (1999–2002)

At 18, Svala began writing and recording with Scottish producer Ian Morrow. She traveled between Iceland and London to work on her first solo album. In 1999, Svala signed a big record deal with EMI and Priority Records. This was one of the largest deals for an Icelandic artist.

In 2000, she moved to Los Angeles to work with top music producers. Her first album, The Real Me, was released in 2001. The main song, "The Real Me," appeared on the Billboard top 40 singles chart. After some changes in the music industry, Priority Records was bought by Capitol Records. Svala's album The Real Me became a platinum-selling album in Iceland. It was also popular in Germany, Spain, and Japan.

New Projects and Steed Lord (2005–2009)

Svala returned to Iceland and started working on her next solo album, The Bird Of Freedom, which came out in 2005. She produced this album with her father. The album became a Gold-selling record in Iceland.

On February 8, 2006, Svala formed the electronic band Steed Lord with her husband Einar "Mega" Egilsson and his brother Edvard "Eddie" Egilsson. Steed Lord quickly became popular online and started touring in Europe and North America. They were known for their dance music and stylish look. In 2006, they became "WeSC Activists" for a Swedish clothing brand. In 2007, H&M asked them to design a clothing line, which was sold in many stores worldwide.

On April 9, 2008, the band had a serious car accident in Iceland. Svala suffered broken bones and internal injuries. After she recovered, Steed Lord toured with the band Chromeo.

Svala moved to Los Angeles in 2009. Steed Lord's music has been used in TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Keeping Up With The Kardashians. They also directed music videos for brands like The Standard Hotel.

Recent Music and Eurovision (2015–Present)

Svala at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 opening ceremony

Svala took a break from music and moved back to Iceland with her husband. In 2015, Svala became one of the four judges on "The Voice" in Iceland. This show is very popular worldwide. About 30% of Iceland's population watched the first season.

In early 2016, Svala formed a duo called BLISSFUL with her husband. They released their first song, "Elevate," which has been played over 230,000 times on Spotify. In August 2017, they released their second song, "Make It Better."

On March 11, 2017, Svala won the Icelandic competition to represent her country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. Her song was called "Paper." She performed in the first semi-final on May 9 but did not make it to the final round.

In July 2018, Svala was featured on a song called "Ekkert Drama" with Reykjavíkurdætur. She then released "For the Night" and "Karma" with Sony Denmark. In January 2019, it was announced that Svala would return to Söngvakeppnin (the Icelandic Eurovision selection show) as a songwriter.

Other Projects

In 2012, Svala launched her own clothing line called Kali. She designed four collections for her clothing line, which were sold online.

Svala's Albums and Songs

Studio Albums

Singles (Songs)

See also

In Spanish: Svala para niños