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Episode details

World Service,06 Nov 2025,40 mins

Folklore, music and me: my chart-topping lullabies

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Available for over a year

Hafdís Huld from Iceland was a born storyteller who always knew she wanted to make music for a living. By the age of 20 Hafdís had signed an international record deal and toured the world with electronic band GusGus. But after she left the band four years later, she thought her music career was over. Then when she was expecting her first child, she and her husband Alisdair created an album of lullabies called Vögguvísur, in their loft in the Icelandic countryside. Little did they know they were making what would become the top-streamed album in Icelandic history. This episode was first broadcast in 2023. Presenter: India Rakusen Producer: Emily Naylor Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707 (Photo: Hafdís Huld sitting in a field of long grass in the Icelandic countryside wearing warm clothes and colourful scarf. She is looking straight at the camera with a determined yet friendly expression. Credit: Alisdair Wright)

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