7 Swiss Musicians You Should Know

With alphorns and yodeling, Switzerland isn’t exactly known for its chart-topping hits. But if you look beyond this folksy veneer, you’ll see a vibrant music culture that’s just waiting to be explored, enjoyed or questioned.

Gotthard

Gotthard are probably Switzerland’s best known rock band, with eleven of their albums topping Swiss music charts over the years. Coming out of Lugano in the canton of Ticino, their style is heavily based on good old American rock n roll with plenty of layered guitar riffs, pounding drums and grungy vocals, amid the occasional rock ballad.

Charlie Roe & The Washing Machines

Hecht

Don’t worry if you can’t understand their guttural Swiss-German, Zurich’s rock-pop band Hecht will have you bouncing around with their upbeat and catchy guitar riffs regardless. Their tune “Fiji” is bound to have you humming along in no time.

Mike Candys

Rocking a giant yellow smiley emoticon on his head, Zurich’s Mike Candys is a common feature in the world’s top 100 DJs list with his electro-house dance tracks. His pumping tune La Serenissima set him off in 2009 and he’s not looked back since, with his tracks now a mainstay of dance floors across Europe.

JoJo Mayer & NERVE

Named as one of the 50 greatest drummers of all time, JoJo Mayer started NERVE, an experimental group that thrives on musical improvisation. Their music is kind of jazzy, with a bit of rock and electro thrown into the mix, a pretty unique blend that’ll keep you intrigued.

DJ Bobo

If you want to know Switzerland you have to know DJ Bobo – otherwise known as René Baumann – as anyone who is anyone in Switzerland has heard of the singing and dancing Bobo. Like a family friendly version of Scooter with his gentlemanly rapping, he’s given us hits like Chihuahua, Everybody, There is a Party and Love is All Around. He’s sold over 14 million records during his 25 year career and shows no sign of stopping any time soon.

Tina Turner

You probably already know her, but you might not have known that Turner actually turned Swiss in 2013, renouncing her American citizenship. The star lives in Kusnacht, a swanky district in Zurich, and explained she has “always acted pretty Swiss” after switching her nationality. Let’s just hope her next album doesn’t include yodelling.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.