Push Admin

Laufey kicks off Asian tour in Manila, hopes to turn youth to jazz

Article (news)

Rick Olivares

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs5CMCLxgYf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"> </div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"> </div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs5CMCLxgYf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:550;line-height:18px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs5CMCLxgYf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><div style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs5CMCLxgYf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by laufey (@laufey)</a></div></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>MANILA -- It seems every generation has this female jazz singer who takes the world by storm while she tips her hat to the bygone greats.</p><p>When Diana Krall debuted in 1992, her song “Jimmie” paid tribute to jazz pianist Jimmie Rowles. Norah Jones burst onto the scene in 2002 with her excellent &quot;Come Away With Me&quot; album and single. Part of that album is a staple of her live show in “Nightingale” that honors Swedish jazz pianist Jenny Lind who is affectionately nicknamed, “Nightingale.”</p><p>And now, here is Laufey, out of Iceland, singing a paean to Chet Baker, in her surprise smash debut album, &quot;Everything I Know About Love.&quot;</p><p>“Wow! I never looped us three together and those ladies have done so much for jazz music. I feel honored to be in that line-up. I never realized that about Diana and Norah and it is good to acknowledge one’s roots,” enthused Laufey in an interview at the Crimson Hotel in Muntinlupa. </p><p>“Our influences do come out but we also find our own style. I listen to Chet Baker so much and he has inspired my writing. His improvisational style is simple but does so much. I definitely take in a lot from his singing and performances as well. It was only appropriate to write a tribute (in the song ‘Just Like Chet’).”</p><p>The 24-year old singer-songwriter from Iceland, who has both Chinese and Icelandic roots, was in Manila for a sold-out concert at the Filinvest Tent. The Manila show kicked off her Asian tour -- her first.</p><p>“When I began putting out my music online during the global lockdown due to the pandemic, I had no idea that people would listen to my music. I just put it out there. Then all of a sudden, I am getting messages, tags, and then reviews. I am so grateful for all this,” she said.</p><p>“To have a sold-out tour and a sold-out show in Manila is amazing.”</p><p>Laufey’s music is a refreshing take on jazz. She has her classical music roots growing up in Reykjavik and then her pop sound when she was at Berklee School of Music in Massachusetts.</p><p>But the roots of her music lie in her father’s jazz records in Iceland and her classical upbringing. </p><p>“Growing up in Iceland and you get a sense of wanderlust when you are in this weird island with this moonlit landscape that creates a sense of elsewhere,” she gleefully related. “We have a small community. You have the jazz community helping the classical community. You have the rock community helping the pop community which is why the music cross pollinates. That is why I have been mixing various genres that help create this cinematic sound.” </p><p>“Plus, I am a hopeless romantic and have watched all these movies growing up and that influences how I think and write music.”</p><p>And her music has received widespread acclaim with fellow artists such as Billie Eilish and Willow Smith counting themselves as fans of Laufey’s music.</p><p>Watching her from a close distance, Laufey, the person, there is a lot to like. She’s personable and well, honest. She smiled at everyone and even offered tickets to watch her sold out show. After nearly an hour of doing interviews (that lasted another 45 minutes), she took a quick break to eat some Caesar’s salad from a nearby takeout. </p><p>“That looks so good,” she said to her twin sister Junia who accompanied her on this tour. In between bites, someone asked for a picture that she readily accepted. </p><p>“Be sure you have nothing between your teeth so you don’t embarrass yourself when you smile,” her sister teased. </p><p>Even before she flew into Manila, she asked her fans on Twitter what snacks and candy she should eat. </p><p>“I am 24 years old and I am still on this voyage of discovery,” she said in her defense with disarming laughter. </p><p>And yet the interview ends as it began -- with music.</p><p>“I am an old soul. I love music from the 1930s to the 1950s when jazz was considered pop music. I love old films and old books. If I can use my music to get young people into jazz, then that would be great. After all, it did change my life and is taking me on this incredible journey that I never thought would be possible,” she said.</p><p>The crowd at the Filinvest Tent reinforced that with the love they showered this young female artist whose honesty, simplicity, and old soul have charmed many around the globe.</p><p>Then with a look at her unfinished salad, Laufey turned to her sister. “That salad is just calling out to me.”</p>

Laufey, a 24-year old singer-songwriter from Iceland, who has both Chinese and Icelandic roots, was in Manila for a sold-out concert at the Filinvest Tent. 