Pål Moddi Knutsen, known as Moddi, is a passionate Norwegian singer/songwriter from the island of Senja.
His collection of songs, Unsongs, have at one stage been banned, censored or silenced. The attempts to suppress them were as mild as an airplay ban or as brutal as a murder.
“Welcome proof of music’s continuing, if underemployed, power to confront authorities,” wrote The Guardian.
“Norwegian sensation Moddi is a perfect example of more artists doing interesting and creative things with the format of the solo artist than there are with the band format,” writes William Howard in Songkick.com.
Related: Norwegian Songwriters Conquer Asia
The young man has become a respected artist in Norway and received a double Norwegian Grammy nomination for his debut album Floriography in 2010. He has talen his music around the world’s festivals and toured with Angus and Julia Stone.
“All credit to the Norwegian singer and activist Pal Moddi Knutsen for unearthing so many songs that have run into trouble with the censors… a folk-pop list that roams from China to Israel,” wrote Thew Sunday Times.
Related: Internationally Acclaumed Norwegian Artist
“He may be an acoustic guitar toting troubadour but even when his music is stripped down to just him playing solo there is still something in the music that’s uniquely his,” says William Howard.
Moddi was also one of four artists and band who received an impressive 1,000,000 NOK grant from a-ha before their final tour in 2010. Their goal was to help up-and-coming artists who wished to pursue an international career in music.
The idea for the album Unsongs came when Moddu learned about officer Eli Geva, who refused to lead his forces into Beirut during the Lebanon war in 1982. The song about Eli Geva, sung by the famous Norwegian songstress Birgitte Grimstad, had never been released due to being too provocative at the time. “I was amazed to discover that one short song could convey so much history – and still be unheard,” says Moddi.
“Music is a huge part of my life, but I am also studying sociology,” he says. “I’ve got a lot left to do, and I use music as a tool to ventilate difficult subjects, so you could say the two things belong together.”
Upcoming concert:
17 – 20 August
Green Man Festival 2017
Brecon Beacons National Park
LD3 8NLBrecon Beacons, UK
Passionate Norwegian Singer/Songwriter, written by Tor Kjolberg