Anna Mjöll Ólafsdóttir is an
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
ic jazz singer and songwriter.
Early years
Anna was born in
Reykjavík
Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...
, Iceland, the daughter of Svanhildur Jakobsdóttir, singer and TV and Radio Personality, and Ólafur Gaukur, Jazz guitarist, Film Composer, songwriter, arranger and Producer. Anna's only sibling, Andri, is a General Surgeon in
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. Anna's parents played six nights a week in her early years. They toured every summer bringing in dancers, fire eaters and magicians from
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Anna began studying guitar herself at the age of six, followed by piano and cello. She wrote and performed her first song when she was eight. In high school she performed jazz numbers on her cello and at 18 she started singing professionally in local restaurants. Anna obtained a college degree from
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík (MR; official name in English: Reykjavik Junior College) is a junior college in Iceland. It is located in Reykjavík.
The school traces its origin to 1056, when a school was established in Skálholt, and it remains o ...
and studied at
Sorbonne
Sorbonne may refer to:
* Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities.
*the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970)
*one of its components or linked institution, ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
before going to Los Angeles to play jazz.
Personal life
Anna and American musician, songwriter, producer
Patrick Leonard
Patrick Ray Leonard (born March 14, 1956) is an American songwriter, keyboardist, film composer, and music producer, best known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna. His work with Madonna includes her albums '' True Blue'' (1986), ''Who's ...
were married on 19 November 2018, in Patrick's home town,
Crystal Falls, Michigan
Crystal Falls is a city and the county seat of Iron County, Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,469. The city is located within Crystal Falls Township, but is a separate municipal entity. The area first developed as a maj ...
, United States.
Mjoll is a licensed Private Pilot with an Instrument rating.
Career
Anna performed extensively on Icelandic television early on. She represented Iceland at
Eurovision Song Contest 1996
The Eurovision Song Contest 1996 was the 41st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 18 May 1996 at the in Oslo, Norway. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster (NRK) and presented by Norwegian journalis ...
with the song "
Sjúbídú", which she co-wrote with her father.
In the lyrics she sings about some of her idols including
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
,
Frank Sinatra,
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
,
Sammy Davis Jr.
Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director.
At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...
and
Dizzy Gillespie. She toured worldwide with the singer
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (; born 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer, songwriter and former professional footballer. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top record ...
for three years. In 2006, she co-wrote and performed three songs with
C.J. Vanston for the film ''
For Your Consideration''.
In 2009, Anna released her first album, ''The Shadow Of Your Smile'', containing a mix of Icelandic songs and jazz standards. The CD included a number of notable musicians including
Vinnie Colaiuta
Vincent Peter Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician in many genres. He was inducted into the '' Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and the ''Classic Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2014. Cola ...
,
Dave Carpenter,
Don Grusin
Don Grusin (born April 22, 1941) is an American jazz keyboardist, composer, and record producer. He is the younger brother of Dave Grusin.
Career
Don Grusin grew up in Littleton, Colorado. His father, a native of Latvia, was a classical violinis ...
,
Neil Stubenhaus, and
Luis Conte
Luis Conte (born 16 November 1954) is a Cuban percussionist best-known for his performances in the bands of artists including James Taylor, Madonna, Pat Metheny Group, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and Shakira. He began ...
, and was voted one of the top 5 female vocal jazz CDs of 2009 at Arnaldo DeSouteiro's Jazz Station. In 2009, Anna was voted one of the top 5 jazz singers of the year by DeSouteiro's Jazz Station.
Sample audio for Anna Mjöll
, icelandicmusic.com; accessed 26 October 2014.
In 2010 Anna released her second album, ''Christmas Jazzma
'
See also
* List of Icelandic writers
* Culture of Iceland
References
External links
Arnaldo DeSouteiro's Jazz Station on Anna Mjöll
1970 births
Living people
Anna Mjoll
Anna Mjoll
Anna Mjoll
Anna Mjoll
21st-century Icelandic women singers
Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1996
Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Iceland
{{Iceland-bio-stub