Copenhagen, Denmark
Kári Jacobsen is a composer, songwriter, and producer born and raised in the Faroe Islands and based in Copenhagen. He has been writing music since his early childhood in a broad range of musical styles. From popmusic to dramaturgical works for television and theater, and in the latter years also classical music. He is educated at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen.
He debuted as a composer at the age of 13, when he composed the music to a play called ‘Tey bæði í húsinum’ which was performed many times at the theater Sjónleikarhúsið in Tórshavn and was a success with the audience.
Later, at the age of 16, he wrote the music and lyrics for the vinyl single ‘Hetjur á Vegnum’, released by the popband Teinar where Kári played keys and performed as a rapper. The postdisco/new wave song was the first Faroese song to feature rap.
Kári got known broadly as a musician in 1988 when he as a part of the duo Nalja with Elin Brimheim Heinesen released an album that became a mainstream hit. Kári wrote half of the songs on the album where the track Á, tann deiliga Havn became and still is today a well known evergreen.
In 1993 he released the album Strok in collaboration with musician/producer Eyðfinn Jensen, where the song Stórasytir and lítlibeiggi became a hit and is still being played on Faroese radio.
When he moved to Copenhagen to study at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, he soon became one of the most used and prolific composers for music for Danish television in collaboration with Danish tv-producer and musician Jacob Duus. Some spin offs with various Danish artists where released on various major Danish music labels. In this period Kári co-wrote and co-produced the song The Perfect Crime for the famous singer Grace Jones.
In 1997 Kári and singer Linda MacDonald signed a record deal with major label Virgin Records as the pop duo Singing Linda. The group released the single Cash and Love which topped at number 5 on the Danish single charts.
In 2000 Kári wrote music, lyrics and coproduced an album for Faroese singer Malan Eyðunsdóttir where songs like Á berum and Minnist tú hitt summarið resonated with a large audience, as well as writing the hit song Stjørnurnar blinka for singer Malan Thomsen the same year.
In 2005 he wrote and co-produced almost every song on the girl group album Poppkorn which became one of the best selling cd releases of all time in the Faroe Islands. The album produced several hits where Droymi mitt um dagin has become a staying anthem. In 2009 he wrote and co-produced an album for another girl group called Faroe5 with hits like Bara eitt spæl and Tú fert altíð at vera har. Both Poppkorn and Faroe5 each won awards at the Faroese Planet Awards in the best new group category. In this period Kári wrote a string of popular music for various projects.
In 2012 he released the album Tungl with his sister singer Eyð Steinbjórsdóttir and with poems by his late father Steinbjørn B. Jacobsen. It was a more experimental release with influences from electronic genres, jazz, pop and classical.
In 2022 Kári composed the music for the classical chamber music release Rangvørg with lyrics by Urd Johannesen and vocals by soprano Birita Poulsen. The critically acclaimed work won the Faroese Music Award 2022 in the Composition of the Year category.
In 2023 Kári wrote some of the songs for the electro-rock release Afsporet fronted by Danish singer Johan Olsen known from one of the biggest rock bands in Denmark Magtens Korridorer. The album got fine reviews in Scandinavias biggest music paper, Gaffa.
Kári Jacobsen Worklist
| Title | Artist | Year | Publisher | Recording |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balancerer På Virkelige Hændelser | Afsporet | 2023 | DuusFilm | |
| Rangvørg | Birita, Urd og Kári | 2022 | Tutl Records | tutl/rangvorg/ |
| Tungl | Steinbjørn B. Jacobsen | 2012 | Tutl Records | tutl/tungl/ |
| Nalja | Elin & Kári | 1988 | Tutl Records | tutl/nalja/ |
