The job of the Swiss Music partners involved in this project is to promote to a wider community the music of Switzerland-based musicians. They’ve come up with a stimulating new playlist of global and folk artists and Songlines thought it would be interesting to ask three festival programmers – from Switzerland, Norway and the UK – for four artists or bands they would be interested in presenting at their festival and why. Here are their selections:

Carine Zuber

(Alpentöne, Switzerland)

Since 1999, Alpentöne Festival has taken place every other year in August in Altdorf, the village of William Tell. It’s a rendezvous of Alpine music. For the diverse range of musicians who play the festival, the Alps offers a unique backdrop for experimentation and pushing boundaries, providing inspiration with the echo of the mountains and the artistic possibilities of the Alpine setting. For some this means delving into traditional folk music, for others it means obliterating genre boundaries altogether. Not concerned with old or new, traditional or innovative, most of the creativity is fuelled by the heady romanticism of the region.

Switzerland itself is a blend of different cultures, and bridging different musical traditions is part of the identity of Alpentöne, so my selection includes artists who have indeed performed at the festival in the past few years and are taking the tradition in new directions. First, is singer Christian Zehnder, who combines overtone singing with other vocal techniques and yodelling for what he calls ‘new space mountain.’ The band Ambäck are expanding traditional Swiss repertoire with refreshing improvisations on accordion, violin and double bass. Töbi Tobler reinvents the playing of the hackbrett (hammer dulcimer), while Mario Batkovic makes his accordion resonate in a uniquely entrancing space between classical and contemporary music.

Christian Zehnder ‘Das Mjandrio’

Ambäck ‘Verändler’

Töbi Tobler & Patrick Sommer ‘Kamel Trip’

Mario Batkovic ‘Restrictus’

Sølvi Lien

(Førde Festival, Norway)

Like the playlist itself, Førde Festival is also a musical melting pot. We focus on traditional music from all over the world, with an emphasis on acoustic music. Norwegian and Nordic folk music is also an important part of the festival programme. With a variety of 30 different venues and an audience capacity of anywhere from 20 to several thousand, it takes a big variety of artists to fit the different environments and settings.

The trio Ambäck are excellent musicians that are confident enough in their musical roots to develop the tradition into improvisations and more contemporary styles without losing track of their base. They would fit well at both our traditional dance events and the outdoor museum where we have several late-night concerts taking place in the small houses where you get really close to the musicians. Hermanos Perdidos present an interesting musical mix of Gypsy, Balkan and cumbia beats and would be perfect for one of the nights at our club venue. The Authentic Light Orchestra’s Armenian sounds are mixed with classical and jazz influences. Armenia is a mountainous country, and it would be exciting to put this band in its right element, at our spectacular mountain concert 706m above the fjord with a view over the city. For our main stage at Scandic Sunnfjord Hotel we need big bands and Professor Wouassa is just that. The 11-piece’s funky Afrobeat would suit a late Saturday night, and if it was late enough, they would even be able get the locals pulling some African dance moves.

Ambäck ‘Verändler’

Hermanos Perdidos ‘Keni Outos ir Stadt’

Authentic Light Orchestra ‘Mountain Dance’

Professor Wouassa ‘Yobale Ma’

Paula Henderson

(WOMAD Charlton Park, UK)

WOMAD originated in 1982 and brings together artists from all over the globe. The central aim of the festival is to celebrate the many forms of music,  arts and dance. The events have succeeded in introducing international audiences to many talented artists who deserve to be better known. In choosing artists to perform at WOMAD it is all about them doing something that feels unique to the festival and is of a high quality.

From this playlist I chose Yilian Cañizares & Michael League because the whole production is beautiful. You can hear the Cuban influence and I love the collaboration with Michael League, potentially one for a Siam Tent show, either in the afternoon or late night when our sound restrictions mean we actually finish with quieter artists. Flèche Love is definitely more on the pop side, but it’s the vocals and percussion that drew me in with the Arabic undertones. This could work on the d&b Soundscape stage during the early evening, or later on the more intimate Ecotricity stage. The track by Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp has festival written all over it. It’s a musical experience that makes you stop what you are doing. They are outstanding. Frankly, this group could play any stage, but, the Main Stage during the day would be great. I love artists that completely split opinion, which is why I like Mario Batkovic. The accordion playing is exquisite, intense and has movement. This would be brilliant on the Ecotricity stage and one for the late night. I would want to be sitting down to let the music wash over me.

Yilian Cañizares & Michael League ‘Conjuro’

Flèche Love ‘See Me Through’

Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp ‘So Many Things (To Feel Guilty About)’

Mario Batkovic ‘Restrictus’

+ See which Swiss artists Songlines editor-in-chief, Simon Broughton, selected in 2021 here

+ Who would you choose? Listen to the entire playlist here