Swiss seek recognition from UN cultural agency as tradition turns modern • FRANCE 24 English

The hills are alive with yodelling. For centuries, these famed calls have echoed through the Alps, and they well could be on their way to becoming part of the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. At least that’s the hope of the Swiss government. But what exactly is yodelling? Well, this professor at Lucern University for Applied Sciences and Arts explains it’s a lot more complex than simply bolting out. We change between head voice. This is we do it most time with the vowel oo in combination and we do also the chest voice. We do it with the vowel o. Very typic is when we change between these two. Oh, this is very fast explanation of yodelling. With 68 total nominees this year, UNESCO representatives will make a final selection this coming December in New Delhi. Switzerland’s been lobbying that the chancellor deeply tied not only to their cultural history but to their contemporary music as well. Yodeling is associated with celebrations, rituals, images of mountains and alpine pastures. So it is very much a representation of Switzerland. Not to be confused with the UNESCO heritage list which protects physical sites. The intangible one helps promote and safeguard cultural skills and knowledge such as the Norwoo’s festival, Japanese sake, the skills of zinc roofers in Paris, the culture of the baguette, and perhaps soon the yodel. [Music]

Switzerland’s government is looking for a shout-out from U.N. cultural agency UNESCO, to include the tradition of yodeling on its list of intangible cultural heritage. Modern-day promoters emphasise that the yodel is far more than the mountain cries of yesteryear, but a popular, modern form of singing. A decision is expected by the end of 2025.
#Switzerland #SwissCulture #Unesco

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