The Icelandic pop star makes “efforts” to limit the impact of her tours, she who navigates between two shows: a philharmonic, “Björk orchestral”, and a more avant-garde with more substantial means, “Cornucopia”.
Björk, always committed to the environment, hoped “that Elon Musk and his tech friends would make electric tour buses”. “Could you pass the message on to Elon Musk?” she slips to AFP.
The Icelandic pop star claims to make “efforts” to limit the impact of her concerts, she who navigates between two shows: a philharmonic, Orchestral Björkand a more avant-garde with more substantial means, Cornucopia.
The proof, the author of the tube Army of Me waived the three dates of Cornucopia planned for the beginning of June in Iceland because his ambitious scenic device would have required additional facilities on his small native island. “It’s the first time I couldn’t bring one of my shows to Iceland and it made me very sad, but I tried everything,” she confides by email to AFP, in a diary jostled by this hitch and by her involvement in a day of protest at home against whale hunting.
When we talk to him about tours and ecology, the ideas fuse: “It would be better to have more ‘green’ options. I was hoping that Elon Musk and his tech friends would make electric tour buses or boats with motors powered by the winds and the sun for musicians in tour”. She also imagines “a kind of Coachella [festival tenu traditionnellement en Californie] with a festival boat crossing the oceans with no aircraft involved”.
Asked about this post-health crisis world that should have been more environmentally conscious, Björk replies: “I think the turn is very slow, it would be better if it was faster, but I keep hope, I tell myself that it’s a generational thing”.
“At least during Covid we had birds singing louder, cleaner air, fewer planes. We know it’s possible, that if we want, we can.”
While waiting for better days, his news is the preparation of the resumption of the European tour of Cornucopia (from September 1 in Portugal, September 8 in Paris, at Bercy/Accor Arena, last date in Floirac, near Bordeaux, December 5). A show that ends, before the encore, with a video message from climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Cornucopiadesigned around the album Utopia (2017), then swept through the artist’s entire repertoire. “I’m gradually integrating more and more ‘Fossora’ (latest record, 2022, editor’s note)”, said Bjork.
More than 860 drones
The Icelandic also took her Philharmonic show to Coachella in April. In a festival widely relayed on social networks, a simple orchestral version seemed amazing.
She graced the performance with more than 860 drones above the stage. “I didn’t want to add musicians or instruments so as not to disturb the stripping of a show with a naked voice and a symphony orchestra. I was thinking of something epic in the sky”. “I wanted the drones to follow the arrangements for sound visualizations. It seems to have worked well in the desert” of Indio, the venue of the festival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whtd1wGfUoQ
In a more modest scenography, without the drones, his orchestral performance at La Seine Musicale in Paris in 2022 had overwhelmed the public, the strings proving to be an ideal setting for his still bewitching voice. “Being a singer is a lot of work, taking care of yourself, following a discipline”, only loose Björk, questioned about the secret of her vocal cords at 57 years old.
This year, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of his first solo album, the aptly named Beginning. Is a special event planned? “Not really”. Does the former Sugarcubes singer have any plans for 2024? “I like surprises, it must be spontaneous for me”.
The news of Björk on her Twitter account