Grenzenlos lüpfig – Zur Geschichte der Volksmusik

Folk music knows no boundaries. It has continually changed through various influences. In the 19th century, the farmers' bands from the Grisons played a colorful mix of alpine dance melodies. The "Ländler music" emerged in the early 20th century with the arrival of the accordion in dance bands. The new music style first became popular in Zurich and Bern, and then spread from there to Graubünden. At the national exhibition in 1939, Ländler music was declared the Swiss National Music. In Schanfigg, the clarinet player Luzi Brüesch (1866–1946) from Passugg/Araschgen and Josias Jenny (1920–1989) from Arosa with his Schwyzerörgeli shaped the "Grisons style" of Swiss folk music. From the 1960s, the Schwyzerörgeliplayer Peter Zinsli (1934−2011) became a national media star. Christian "Hitsch" Jenny (1927–2022) was also well-known with his "Schanfigger Ländler Quintet". Untouched by modern entertainment music, Ländler music remained unchanged in style and instrumentation until the 1970s. Since then, the folk music scene has gradually opened up to diverse playing styles. Today, it presents itself in both traditional and innovative and experimental ways. Silvia Conzett