Moddi is a Norwegian artist, well-known for his political views and his beautiful music. A singer/songwriter who also happily interprets other people’s songs – Kate Bush’s Army Dreamers comes to mind. But he doesn’t just cover other artists, well-known for their exquisite beauty. It’s the message of Army Dreamers that brought him to the song and in turn the message in Pussy Riot’s Punk Prayer that brought him to them.

In his version, Moddi has attempted to add his beauty to their rawness, preserving the message and acknowledging their struggle against a homophobic authoritarian regime that also relegates women to second class citizens. Adding a melody by Sergei Rachmaninoff, the Russian virtuoso pianist and composer is a thoughtful touch, perhaps a comment on the archaic values prevalent in the Russia of today. The song appears on his Unsongs album released in 2016 that features 12 banned songs from 12 different countries.

The live concert below will surely warm you to his wonderful atmospheric Scandinavian Folk/Pop sound with an expressive harmonious voice and rich captivating lyrics, his stories sung in an intriguing accent that has him sounding Northern English/Irish/Icelandic and Norwegian all at the same time – melt away into this simply beautiful music, performed by this evocative, emotional, intelligent and serious young man. Accompanying himself on guitar or piano accordion with cellist and occasional piano, don’t miss this opportunity to discover an amazing artist that you have probably never heard of and because of his geographical position and his social and political views you probably never will.

PUNK PRAYER

Prayers crawl towards the cross,
golden marks upon their frocks.
Freedom’s ghost has left these lands.
Help us if you can!

KGB have turned to saints.
Gay parades sent off in chains.
Blessed limousines congest the streets
to hail their saint-in-chief.

Holy Mary, drive Putin away.
Drive away this darkness from your halls.
Drive away the ungodly souls.
Our Lady tear the eagle off your walls.

Father Gundyayev pays back
from his bag of holy crap:
‘Woman, keep quiet and love your man
your fate and fatherland!’

Holy Mary, be a feminist.
Pray not for the mighty but the meek.
Drive away the lies that they speak.
Our lady, hear our prayer unto thee.

Gundy never cared for God.
All that dickhead wants is power.
Mary, your belt should bring us hope
now it’s used as rope.

Damn their lies, deliver us!
Pry the copper from the cross!
Mary, our hands are tied in prayer.
Help us if you’re there!

Holy Mary, drive Putin away.
Drive away this darkness from your halls.

—

VIDEO
Filmed and edited by Jørgen Nordby.
Idea and concept by Maren Skolem.
Additional filming by Lars Øymo for Fenomen Film.

Takk: Thor Morten, Oddvar, Audun, Halvor, Masood, Laila, Tuva, Varvara, Kulturkirken Jakob, and all those others who helped along the way!

MUSIC
Written by Pussy Riot.
Translated by Pål Moddi Knutsen and Maren Skolem.
Melody by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
New arrangement by Pål Moddi Knutsen.

Produced by Hasse Rosbach.
Performed by Pål Moddi Knutsen (organ, voice), Katrine Schiøtt (cello) and [ … ] (piano).
Released by Propeller Recordings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moddi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pussy_Riot