Sölvi Blöndal
| Quarashi | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Genres | Hip hop, alternative hip hop, dance, nu metal |
| Years active | 1996–2005, 2016-present |
| Labels | Sony/Lax/Pop Músík/ Japis/Sproti/Columbia/Time Bomb/Skífan/Dennis |
| Website | https://web.archive.org/web/20081014152358/http://www.quarashi.net:80/ |
Quarashi is a rap group from Reykjavík, Iceland. The group consists of rappers Hössi Ólafsson (later replaced by Egill Olafur Thorarensen), Ómar Örn Hauksson, Steinar Orri Fjeldsted, and Sölvi Blöndal (who also acted as producer, keyboardist, percussionist, drummer and songwriter). For live shows, Quarashi was joined by guitarist Smári "Tarfur" Jósepsson (later replaced by Vidar Hákon Gislason), bassist Gaukur Úlfarsson, and DJ Dice (later replaced by DJ Magic). The group came back together in 2016 and is planning on releasing a new album.
The group released five studio albums from 1996 to 2005.
Sölvi and Ómar met when they were children during a protest against a U.S. military base in Iceland. They both played in several different rock, punk, and heavy metal bands, while Steini was a famous skater who had won numerous championships. He was also a well-known graffiti artist around Reykjavík. During his time as the drummer for the punk rock band, 2001, Sölvi began to develop a preference for studio production over band rehearsal-style song writing. He also wanted to produce different types of music besides industrial rock and punk, so he quit 2001, and began making rap music.
At around the same time, Sölvi met Steini at a skate park while he was doing community service for public drunkenness. The two hit it off, and Stoney joined Sölvi in making rap music. Soon, Sölvi invited fellow former 2001 band member Hössi Ólafsson (the two had met when they both went to the University of Iceland) to join his group.
Originally, Hössi would sing, while Steini would rap, but when Sölvi heard Hössi rap, he decided that his musical group would have two rappers. The three men had wanted to create MC names for themselves, but had trouble coming up with anything decent according to Sölvi except for the name Quarashi, which means "supernatural" in Arabic, which was suggested by Steini. Quarashi was Steini's nickname as a skater, and was spray-painted all over the walls and streets in Reykjavík. The three decided that Quarashi was a better name for their group than their original name, and so, in 1996, in a garage in a house in Reykjavík, Iceland, Quarashi was formed.
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