Peu de temps après la parution de Lhasa, son troisième album, Lhasa de Sela et ses musiciens s’envolaient vers l’Islande pour participer au Reykjavik Arts Festival et y offrir deux concerts, les 23 et 24 mai 2009. Le disque Live in Reykjavik réunit 14 chansons interprétées à cette occasion.

Accompagnée sur scène par Joe Grass aux guitares et à la pedal steel, Miles Perkin à la contrebasse, Andrew Barr à la batterie et Sarah Pagé à la harpe, l’artiste y interprète plusieurs titres de Lhasa, des versions revisitées de chansons tirées de La Llorona et The Living Road ainsi qu’une envoûtante reprise de Sam Cooke, A Change Is Gonna Come.

Devant un public attentif et conquis, la chanteuse et ses musiciens offrent une performance tout en nuances. Miles Perkin se rappelle des sentiments qui animaient alors les membres du groupe, qui étaient loin de se douter qu’il s’agissait de l’une des dernières prestations publiques de Lhasa : « Lhasa used to say that we were all singing, but she was the one with the mouth. On this occasion, I remember the breathing more than anything. It felt like the five of us were breathing together, and it felt like we were floating on something out of our control. Like a rolling tide. Each breath in that moment felt like it was precious. These were our first steps as a band, and I didn’t think for a moment that those breaths would be our last. »


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Shortly after the release of Lhasa, her third album, Lhasa de Sela and her musicians flew to Iceland to participate in the Reykjavik Arts Festival and give two concerts, on May 23rd and 24th, 2009. The Live in Reykjavik disc presents 14 songs performed for this occasion.

Accompanied on stage by Joe Grass on guitars and pedal steel, Miles Perkin on bass, Andrew Barr on drums and Sarah Pagé on harp, the artist played several titles from Lhasa, revisited versions of songs from La Llorona and The Living Road, as well as a haunting revival of Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come.

Before an attentive and enraptured public, the singer and her musicians gave a nuanced performance. Miles Perkin recalls the feelings that inhabited the members of the group then, who were far from suspecting that this was one of Lhasa’s last public performances: "Lhasa used to say that we were all singing, but she was the one with the mouth. On this occasion, I remember the breathing more than anything. It felt like the five of us were breathing together, and it felt like we were floating on something out of our control. Like a rolling tide. Each breath in that moment felt like it was precious. These were our first steps as a band, and I didn’t think for a moment that those breaths would be our last."