KK (musician)

Kristján Kristjánsson also known as KK (Icelandic: [kʰauː kʰauː]) is an Icelandic blues and folk musician.

For other musicians called KK, see KK (disambiguation).
This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Kristján.
KK
Birth nameKristján Kristjánsson
Born (1956-03-26) 26 March 1956
Minnesota, United States
GenresBlues, folk
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
Associated actsKK Band, KK og Ellen, KK og Magnús Eiríksson

KK was born on March 26, 1956 in Minnesota, United States, but later moved to Iceland with his family. He attended music school in Malmö, Sweden for four years and then played his way across Europe from 1985 until 1990, when he returned to Iceland. He has been nominated for the Gríma Prize twice and has been awarded the Icelandic Music Prize twice.[1]

In 2007 he toured to Shanghai with Magnús Eiríksson ("Maggi") and Óttar Felix Hauksson in advance of the release of their next recording there and in Iceland.[2] In 2010 he played with his band at the World Expo in Shanghai, representing Iceland.

KK appeared as supporting character "Gunnar", an Icelandic musician that is the father of Tuppence Middleton's character, Riley Blue/Gunnarsdóttir, on the Netflix series Sense8.[3]

Personal life

The singer Ellen Kristjánsdóttir is KK's sister. He composed "When I Think of Angels" and he and Ellen perform it in memory of another sister who died in a car crash in 1992. A video of them performing the song produced by the Icelandic Red Cross is used for Red Cross fundraising.[4]

Traditionally, KK and Ellen perform Christmas music every year in Reykjavík.[5]

Discography

Singles
Solo
  • 2012: "Frelsið" (ICE #1)
as KK & Magnús Eiríksson
  • 2013: "Á sjó" (ICE #9)

Solo
  • 1991: "Lucky One" (KK)
  • 1995: "Gleðifólkið" (KK)
  • 1997: "Heimaland" (KK)
  • 2001: "Galfjaðrir" (KK)
  • 2002: "Paradís" (KK)
  • 2004: "Upphafið" (KK)
  • 2006: "Blús" (12 Tonar)
  • 2008: "Svona eru menn" (JPV)

KK Band
  • 1992: "Bein leið"
  • 1993: "Hotel Föroyar"

KK and Magnus

(at times, credited as KK og Magnus Eiríksson)

  • 1996: "Ómissandi fólk"
  • 1999: "Kóngur einn dag" (Japis)
  • 2000: "Lifað og leikið" (Zonet)
  • 2003: "22 Ferðalög" (Zonet)
  • 2005: "Fleiri ferðalög" (Zonet)
  • 2007: "Langferðalög" (Zonet)
  • 2011: "Þrefaldur" (Zonet 044) (three-disc set including Ómissandi fólk, Kóngur einn dag, and Lifað og leikið.)
  • 2013: "Úti á sjó"

KK and Ellen
  • 2005: "Jólin eru að koma"
  • 2011: "Jólin"

References
  1. "KK á Gljúfrasteini", Mál og Menning 13 June 2009 (in Icelandic)
  2. Jóhann Bjarna Kolbeinsson, KK og Maggi til Kína: Kristján Kristjánsson og Magnús Eiríksson gefa út plötu á framandi slóðum", Morgunblaðið 16 February 2007 (in Icelandic)
  3. "Vísir - Mágarnir KK og Eyþór með hlutverk í Sense8-þáttunum". visir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  4. Resources, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, 2002.
  5. KK and Ellen Archived 2010-12-22 at the Wayback Machine, Things to Do, VisitReykjavik.is, 2 December 2010.

Sources
  • Einar Kárason. KK: þangað sem vindurinn blæs. Reykjavík: Almenna bókafélagið, 2002. ISBN 9979-2-1656-5 (biography)
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