Biography
Does folk music need to be reinvented?
No, it doesn't. But it can be. And if it's done with as much joy and respect as Miss Helvetia does it, it deserves the highest respect. And it sounds really good...
There are two types of folk music fan: purists, who have frozen the Swiss repertoire somewhere in the middle of the last century and refuse to deviate from tradition one iota. And those who believe that modernizing folk music is only possible with percussive rhythms, mostly popular in Austrian ski resorts, or with Bavarian-style brass bands.
MISS HELVETIA
The good news for anyone who doesn't feel comfortable with either of these two poles: Barbara Klossner, aka Miss Helvetia, from the Bernese Oberland, is working to build a bridge between the two camps. Or better still: she bridges the gap between the extremes with great pleasure, good humor, and just as much love and respect for tradition.
With her new album "Volksmusig on the Rocks", Miss Helvetia continues on the path she started in 2018 with "E Guete - Bon appétit". Yet this new album marks a definitive turn away from schlager or mountain party territory. No more artificial beats, but real instruments like drums, double bass, accordion, guitar, trumpet/saxophone and vocals. Yes: authentic folk music dominates here.
On "Volksmusig on the Rocks", for example, we find five tracks - "Ängeli im Schnee", "Heb dr Sorg", "E Guete", "Locker Locker" and "Schnuderwiibli" - that were already on the first album. But, the new versions are such that these pieces have never been heard like this before: fresh, bold, hand-crafted, and rearranged with great joy in playing. These five pieces fit perfectly into the new album as a whole, where the title track "Volksmusig on the Rocks" obviously sets the tone and direction: always lively, marked by Barbara Klossner's unique yodeling from her award-winning throat, with boundless energy and even more emotion.
And while we're on the subject of emotions: with "Wenn die wilde Chirschböim blüeje", Jakob Ummel's magnificent yodel song, Miss Helvetia opens her heart wide on her new album. Barbara Klossner used to sing this song with her mother when she was a teenager, accompanied by Ernst Dubi; the duet won a "Very good" rating at the yodelling festival - it's a song that links mother and daughter for eternity.
With "Dubach Güschtu", Miss Helvetia dedicates another song to a member of her family: Güschtu was her grandfather, who ran the "Bahnhöfli" in Oey in the Diemtigtal. He was an authentic character, the kind you only find in the Bernese Oberland, friendly to everyone - and made the best cheese crusts in the region. GrimmiJutz" is also a tribute to her homeland, the valley where Miss Helvetia lives and loves. She composed and performed this cheerful tune for the region's hiking trail.
And yet: for Miss Helvetia, homeland is not a fixed geographical location. In "I läbe i mir", she sings that she carries this homeland inside her, wherever she may be on the globe. Speaking of journeys: "Volksmusig on the Rocks" ends with a song dedicated to the legendary "Gilberte de Courgenay" - a song that has deeply anchored the Jura in Swiss hearts. It's also a song that shows what would be possible if soldiers sang more and shot less. And it's a typical Miss Helvetia song, which with its wonderful music, seems to easily overcome linguistic and other boundaries. It's not for nothing that the Diemtigtal artist is also a popular actress on the other side of the Röstigraben.
