Unruly and Loud

The accordion, or harmonica in Icelandic, has a long history in Iceland, even longer than many might suspect. For decades an Icelandic party wasn’t a decent party without someone pulling out their harmonika, or simply nikka, to keep the music going. Family reunions often had multiple accordion players, and county feasts did not lack them either. Even though its popularity appears to be dwindling in recent years, it has had quite an impact on Icelandic music and culture.