Swiss Music – Global & Folk Playlist

Switzerland isn’t just the four cultures that go with the official national languages, German, French, Italian and Romansh. It is countless others, too, brought in by migrants from all over the world and often woven in with what they find upon their arrival. The “Global & Folk” playlist presented and published by Swiss Music, FONDATION SUISA and the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia provide a comprehensive overview of just how diverse and fascinating the musical melting pot of Switzerland has become.

The playlist was commissioned from Swiss music ethnologist and percussionist Roberto Haçaturyan who also works for artlink, an organisation dedicated to facilitate access to the Swiss cultural arts market for artists from Africa, Asia, Latin American and Eastern Europe. It comprises no fewer than 93 tracks, covering pretty much all angles of multi-cultural music making in Switzerland (including Swiss Swiss culture!).

For those with a shorter attention span or an already crowded diary there is also a highly recommended concise version of this playlist, compiled by Simon Broughton, editor-in-chief of the much-loved and highly respected British world music magazine “Songlines”. In the December issue of “Songlines” he explains his choices. They range from the Bernese Oberland quartet Silberen to the sax-heavy highlife of the Nkonsonkonson Star Band, a ten-piece also from Berne, via ECM-signed Albanian expat Elena Duni, romansh singer/songwriter Pascal Gamboni and accordion-led Egyptian/Swiss band Ala Fekra.

Global & Folk playlist
Swiss Music
FONDATION SUISA
Pro Helvetia
Roberto Haçaturyan
artlink
“Songlines” Magazine