The Norwegian singer-songwriter MODDI unveils another single off his recent album Unsongs, and it is more than just another folk tune.

Spending the past years uncovering banned songs from around the world, Moddi (real name Pål Moddi Knutsen) united them on his new release Unsongs, a concept album based on freedom of speech and the suppression of the right to expression in many cultures and regimes.

To me, making this album was a doorway to the world, in a time when walls are being rebuilt and new doors are closed every day.

Unveiling new single Oh My Father, I Am Joseph, the significance of each song and their back-story sands clear. The track is based upon a poem which is a Darwish’s rendition of the Quranic verse about Joseph, son of Jacob, the youngest of 12 brothers. This bible story might be known to some, and in 1995 Lebanese composer and Oud player Marcel Khalife set music to the poem about Joseph and released it as part of his album, The Arabic Coffeepot. Growing up in a village outside Beirut, Khalife took inspirations from both Muslim and Christian styles. For this Khalife faced criminal charges, with accusations of blasphemy and of insulting Islam. It was the quote from the Quran which had upset Muslim clerics, who argued that singing verses from the Quran was “absolutely banned and not accepted”. After three trials, in 1996, 1999 and 2003, Khalife was finally found innocent by the court.

Now, after 17 years, Moddi releases his gorgeously reinvention of the song. With his idiosyncratic voice and folky guitar-based tunes, Pål Moddi Kuntsen uncovers these ‘unsongs’ in a time where they are more topical and relevant than ever. Seeing these songs in the context of Moddi’s well-crafted storytelling and intruding melodic approach, Unsongs are truly special in every matter.

Including banned songs from all over the world, Moddi has got a fair share of controversy surrounding the release and following live performances.  For example having to ditch Punk Prayer when performing with a Russian orchestra as the song had recently been included on a federal register of “extremist articles”, meaning that performing it, even outside of Russia, could potentially result in a six-year prison term for the Russian musicians.

Moddi also had to cancel two concerts in Lebanon because of unsung A Matter of Habit which was banned from airplay in Israel. Due to the Israel origin of the song the General Security Directorate would not allow the concert.

Speaking on the Lebanon show cancellations, the show promoter had this to say: “We’re in a situation where context doesn’t come into play. It’s not the first time this happens to us in Lebanon and it surely won’t be the last. The song, which is clearly an anti-war song struck a chord with our General Security, but not in the right way and they informed us that we couldn’t go ahead with this show because they wouldn’t issue a visa to the artist. We’re lucky that Moddi was very understanding towards this and I hope, and believe, that one day we’ll have him in Beirut.”

Obviously fearless in standing up for what he believes in, Moddi will take his unique show around Europe this spring, including a special London headline date at Bush Hall on April 6th.

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