Safri Duo is a
DanishDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
percussionA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration...
duo composed of Uffe Savery (born April 5, 1966) and Morten Friis (born August 21, 1968). Initially classically oriented, by 1999 they were discovered by a label executive working on classical music. After being signed, a track mixing both
tribalA tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists hold that...
sound and modern
electronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
was set to be released in 2000. The result was the popular "
Played-A-Live (The Bongo Song)After a concert in 2000 with the British techno group Underworld, Safri Duo went back to their recording studio and began to mix electronic beats and synthesizer sounds together with the sound of their acoustic percussion instruments. After many weeks of experimentation they found their own...
", that became one of the most popular songs in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
that year.
Uffe Savery and Morten Friis met in 1977 while attending the Tivoli Garden Boys' Guard, and later, during their time at the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music, formed an experimental duo, called Safri Duo, whose name originated from the first letters of their respective surnames.
Safri Duo is a
DanishDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
percussionA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration...
duo composed of Uffe Savery (born April 5, 1966) and Morten Friis (born August 21, 1968). Initially classically oriented, by 1999 they were discovered by a label executive working on classical music. After being signed, a track mixing both
tribalA tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists hold that...
sound and modern
electronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
was set to be released in 2000. The result was the popular "
Played-A-Live (The Bongo Song)After a concert in 2000 with the British techno group Underworld, Safri Duo went back to their recording studio and began to mix electronic beats and synthesizer sounds together with the sound of their acoustic percussion instruments. After many weeks of experimentation they found their own...
", that became one of the most popular songs in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
that year.
Early years
Uffe Savery and Morten Friis met in 1977 while attending the Tivoli Garden Boys' Guard, and later, during their time at the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music, formed an experimental duo, called Safri Duo, whose name originated from the first letters of their respective surnames. Several albums were recorded and released through
Chandos RecordsChandos Records is an independent classical music label based in the United Kingdom, founded by Brian Couzens. Their catalog contains a range of classical music - for example, much orchestral, choral and chamber music by such relatively lesser-known British composers as Herbert Howells, Gerald...
, on which the duo performed pieces by both famous classical (a.o.
BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and organist whose ecclesiastical and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
,
MendelssohnJakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born, and generally known in English-speaking countries, as Felix Mendelssohn was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period....
,
RavelJoseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer of Impressionist music known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
, whose works were arranged by Savery and Friis for two
marimbaThe marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. Keys or bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones...
s, or for marimba and
vibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the mallet subfamily of the percussion family....
) and contemporary composers (a.o.
ReichStephen Michael Reich is an American composer who pioneered the style of minimalist music. His innovations include using tape loops to create phasing patterns , and the use of simple, audible processes to explore musical concepts...
,
NørgårdPer Nørgård is one of the most important Danish composers of the twentieth century. Julian Anderson considers his Voyage into the Golden Screen for chamber orchestra to be the first "properly instrumental piece of spectral composition."-Biography:Nørgård studied with Vagn Holmboe at the Royal...
, Ter Veldhuis). Their performances of, especially, Ter Veldhuis'
Goldrush, Ravel's
Alborada del gracioso and
Anders KoppelAnders Koppel was a co-founder in 1967 of the rock group Savage Rose. Since 1976, he has been a member of the trio Bazaar. He also plays in the trio Koppel-Andersen-Koppel which includes his son, saxophone player Benjamin Koppel...
's
Toccata for vibraphone and marimba are often labelled as small milestones by fellow percussionists, as well as other musicians or people related to the world of classical music.
Mainstream success
Earlier in 2000, a track named "The Bongo Song" started appearing on club's playlists. Produced by
Michael ParsbergMichael Parsberg-Hansen is a Trance producer and DJ hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark.Parsberg has been the co-producer behind successful Danish acts such as Safri Duo and Barcode Brothers.-Singles:...
, it soon got airtime on
MTV EuropeMTV Europe is an pan-European cable television network launched on August 1, 1987. A 24-hour English-language network aimed at viewers aged around 16-35, it reaches more than 100 million households in 43 territories...
. The mix between tribal drums over trance proved to be a success, and it ended the year as one of the best selling singles in Europe in 2000 as well as featuring prominently in the opening ceremony of the
2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 16 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney. This resulted in Safri Duo guesting along with Danish pop group
AquaAqua is a Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group, best known for their 1997 breakthrough single "Barbie Girl". The group formed in 1994 and achieved huge success across the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The group managed to top the UK Singles Chart with their first three singles...
during the interval of the
Eurovision Song Contest 2001The Eurovision Song Contest 2001 was the 46th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 12 May 2001 in the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark. The presenters were Natasja Crone Back and Søren Pilmark. The contest was won by Tanel Padar, Dave Benton & 2XL who were representing Estonia with the song...
held in
CopenhagenCopenhagen ; ) is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,167,569 and a metropolitan area with a population of 1,875,179...
. "The Bongo Song" was featured prominently during the 2002
Commonwealth GamesThe Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event. Held every four years, it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. Attendance at the Commonwealth Games is typically around 5,000 athletes...
held in
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...
, England. The album, named
Episode IIEpisode II was the first mainstream album by Safri Duo, a percussion duo from Denmark that released six classical albums before its breakthrough with the hit Played-A-Live, the opening track of the album...
, hit the market on 4 June 2001, nine tracks long, all featured the same percussion-electronica combination, except "Adagio" that kept the former classic line of the duo. A reissue added a second remix-only CD and the single "Sweet Freedom" recorded with
Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald is a gold and platinum-selling American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. He is sometimes described as a "blue-eyed soul" singer and sings in a distinctive "husky, soulful" yet baritone range...
was released on 30 September 2002. Two more tracks from
Episode II were released as singles, "Samb-Adagio" and "Baya Baya".
3.0
In 2003 the new album
3.0 was released. It featured Clark Anderson as vocalist on several of the tracks, including "All the People in the World", "Agogo Mosse" and "Laarbasses". The single "Rise" became a huge success and later they released a new version called "Rise (Leave Me Alone)" which featured Clark Anderson on vocals. In 2004 they released a remix album of
3.0 called
3.5 - International Version. It included the new version of "Rise" and several other tracks with Clark Anderson as vocalist and remixes of the already known tracks.
Origins
Safri Duo's latest album
OriginsOrigins is the fourth mainstream album by Danish percussion duo Safri Duo. The album was released on November 17. 2008.-Track List:01: Origins
02: Apollo
03: Twilight [Single]
04: Horizon Part I
05: Athena
06: Lunar
07: Supernova
...
was released on 17 November, 2008.
Discography
| Year |
Album |
| 1990 |
Turn Up Volume -Track listing:#F. Chopin - Etüdes Opus 25, No. 2#J.S.Bach - Prelude No. 10, E-Minor BWV 855#J.S.Bach - Fuge No. 10 E-Minor BWV 855#J.S.Bach - Prelude No. 10 E-Minor, BWV 879#J.S.Bach - Fugue No...
|
| 1995 |
Works For Percussion Album by Safri Duo, a percussion duo from Denmark. It contains their versions of well-known pieces for percussion by a variety of contemporary composers.-Track listing:#A. Koppel - Toccato for Vibraphone and Marimba#P. Farhbach - Fireplay...
|
| 1995 |
Lutoslawski, Bartók, Helweg -Track listing:#Paganini Variations #Assai Lento - Allegro Molto#Lento, Ma Non Troppo#Allegro, Non Troppo#Allegro Molto#Adagio#Scherzo#Finale...
|
| 1995 |
Percussion Transcriptions -Track listing:#Prelude#Allemande#Courante#Sarabande #Menuets I & II#Gigue#Prelude#Allemande#Courante#Saraabande#Bourrées I & II#Gigue#Allemande#Courante#Sarabande#Gavotte#Polonaise#Menuet#Bourrée#Gigue...
|
| 1996 |
Goldrush Album by Safri Duo, a percussion duo from Denmark. It contains a variety of compositions, some of which are arrangements of well-known classical pieces.-Track listing:#J.S. Bach - Prelude and Fugue in C Sharp Major...
|
| 1998 |
Bach To The Future Album by Safri Duo, a percussion duo from Denmark. It contains works by various contemporary composers, among others Steve Reich, Per Nørgård and Jacob ter Veldhuis...
|
| 2002 |
Episode II Episode II was the first mainstream album by Safri Duo, a percussion duo from Denmark that released six classical albums before its breakthrough with the hit Played-A-Live, the opening track of the album...
|
| 2002 |
Episode II - The Remix Edition The aptly named "Remix Edition" of the first mainstream album by Safri Duo's Episode II. This version has an extra CD of remixes and a new single, Sweet Freedom.-CD one:#"Played"-A-Live" #"Snakefood"#"A"-Gusta#"Samb"-Adagio#"Everything"...
|
| 2003 |
Safri Duo 3.0 Safri Duo 3.0 is the second mainstream album by Safri Duo, a percussion duo from Denmark.-Track listing:# Fallin' High # The Moonwalker # Rise # All The People In The World # Marimba Dreams # Amazonas # Agogo Mosse...
|
| 2004 |
Safri Duo 3.5 - International Version -CD one:# Rise - 3:51# Ritmo De La Noche - 3:01# All The People In The World - 3:40# Amazonas - 6:16# Fallin' High - 5:58# Moonwalker - 5:08# Marimba Dreams - 2:26# Agogo Mosse - 4:32# Laarbasses - 5:14# Bombay Vice - 4:52# Prelude - 6:12...
|
| 2008 |
Origins Origins is the fourth mainstream album by Danish percussion duo Safri Duo. The album was released on November 17. 2008.-Track List:01: Origins
02: Apollo
03: Twilight [Single]
04: Horizon Part I
05: Athena
06: Lunar
07: Supernova
...
|
| Singles |
Album |
Year |
| "Played-A-Live After a concert in 2000 with the British techno group Underworld, Safri Duo went back to their recording studio and began to mix electronic beats and synthesizer sounds together with the sound of their acoustic percussion instruments. After many weeks of experimentation they found their own...
" |
Episode II Episode II can refer to any second release of any series. Some examples are almost exclusively known by this denotion:* Episode II, an album by Safri Duo* Episode II, a dance EP by Eiffel 65* Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, a 2002 film...
|
2001 |
| "Samb-Adagio" |
Episode II |
2002 |
| "Baya Baya" |
Episode II |
2002 |
| "Sweet Freedom Sweet Freedom is the sixth studio album released by British rock band Uriah Heep.The original vinyl release was as a gatefold-sleeve, reproducing the lyrics within. There was also a central page with a photograph of each band member....
" (Feat. Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald is a gold and platinum-selling American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. He is sometimes described as a "blue-eyed soul" singer and sings in a distinctive "husky, soulful" yet baritone range...
) |
Episode II - The Remix Edition The aptly named "Remix Edition" of the first mainstream album by Safri Duo's Episode II. This version has an extra CD of remixes and a new single, Sweet Freedom.-CD one:#"Played"-A-Live" #"Snakefood"#"A"-Gusta#"Samb"-Adagio#"Everything"...
|
2002 |
| "Fallin' High" |
Safri Duo 3.0 Safri Duo 3.0 is the second mainstream album by Safri Duo, a percussion duo from Denmark.-Track listing:# Fallin' High # The Moonwalker # Rise # All The People In The World # Marimba Dreams # Amazonas # Agogo Mosse...
|
2004 |
| "All The People In The World" (Feat. Clark Anderson) |
Safri Duo 3.0 |
2004 |
| "Rise (Leave Me Alone)" (Feat. Clark Anderson) |
Safri Duo 3.5 - International Version -CD one:# Rise - 3:51# Ritmo De La Noche - 3:01# All The People In The World - 3:40# Amazonas - 6:16# Fallin' High - 5:58# Moonwalker - 5:08# Marimba Dreams - 2:26# Agogo Mosse - 4:32# Laarbasses - 5:14# Bombay Vice - 4:52# Prelude - 6:12...
|
2004 |
| "Knock On Wood Knock on Wood is a 1954 comedy film starring Danny Kaye and Mai Zetterling. Other actors in the film include Torin Thatcher, David Burns, and Leon Askin...
" (feat. Clark Anderson) |
Safri Duo 3.5 - International Version |
2004 |
| "Twilight" |
Origins Origins is the fourth mainstream album by Danish percussion duo Safri Duo. The album was released on November 17. 2008.-Track List:01: Origins
02: Apollo
03: Twilight [Single]
04: Horizon Part I
05: Athena
06: Lunar
07: Supernova
...
|
2008 |
External links