Björk, Sigur Rós named Friends of United Nations
Björk, Sigur Rós and Náttúra organisers Einar Örn and Margrét Vilhjálmsdóttir have been officially named Friends of the United Nations in recognition of their achievements in spreading a positive environmental message following last Saturday's Náttúra concert - Iceland's largest ever live music event.
Commenting on the award, United Nations spokesperson Arni Snaevarr said: "They are now F.U.N. - Friends of the United Nations. UNRIC (UN Regional Information Center for Western Europe) is starting an awareness campaign on climate change, culminating in a UN Summit in Copenhagen at the end of 2009, and the Náttúra concert is a contribution to raise awareness on the plight of the environment. We believe that we have to act locally and think globally and that is exactly what our Icelandic friends are doing."
As well as attracting 10% of the country's total population to the open air event, the entire concert was broadcast live to a global audience of 2.6 million people on National Geographic's World Music website.
During her headline performance, performed under blazing sunshine in Laugardalur park, Reykjavik, Björk protested against the hugely destructive industrial developments (mainly aluminium smelting plants and their associated infrastructure, which have caused the total annihilation of many unique and ecologically important areas such as Kárahnjúkar, see notes below) that have been already built, with many more planned, in Europe's largest unspoilt wilderness, Iceland.
Throughout the encore, referring to the controversial aluminium smelting plants, she chanted: "náttúra, náttúra, náttúra, náttúra," ending with "náttúra - don't sell it" to huge cheers from a crowd of over 30,000 people that ranged from young children to grandparents. After the event, she said: "The world is standing at a cross roads with the future of energy right now. This concert was held to make sure we go in the right direction."
Sigur Rós, who recently released the album 'Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust' performed several songs from the record including the single 'Gobbledigook', which received an especially warm reception as Björk and Ólöf Arnalds joined them on drums for a unique collaboration. The concert also featured Ghostigital and a separate set by Ólöf Arnalds.
It is hoped that the Náttúra concert will inspire and inform a different way of approaching the issue as many believe that Iceland, ranked #1 in the world in a recent UN quality of life survey, can maintain a strong and progressive economy without the intrusion of polluting industrial processes and the sale of ecologically rich land (at reduced prices) to multinational companies. Environmentalists such as Andri Snær Magnason, author of Dreamland, a best-selling book about the destruction of Icelandic nature, believe that what happens in Iceland will soon follow in the rest of the world.
www.nattura.info
