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Many articles have been written on SONALP, here are a few translated in to english.
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SONALP The revelation of the 2000 edition, the "Child of the Alps" goes from strength to strength, rewarding the public on Sunday with a sensational performance before leaving on mini-tour.
Once upon a time there were 10 guys from Château d’Oex. Several among them were keen yodellers, and even better, official members of the Pays d’Enhaut Yodelling Club. Others rang their cowbells to the rhythm of the Pays-d’Enhaut Cowbell Ringers Club. Others still, snowboarders in their spare time and lovers of long winter evenings to the sound of hand-drums and didgeridoo, or bass guitar player in a local hard rock group. And last but not least, one member, a lover of classical music, who plays the violin with the Lausanne University Orchestra. One day they would all play together, but no one imagined that yet. The idea came from the "big boss" of the World Music Festival, Aldo Federici. In the same spirit as the Festival, there was the desire to create a unique meeting point between these different musical elements normally situated miles apart. A discussion with the different protagonists and the group launched itself with great enthusiasm. In 1999, after several weeks hard practice, Sonalp appeared live on stage at a local village fete in Château d’Oex. After the initial surprise, public's approval left no doubt.
STRANGE HARMONIES
After this fanfare launch, appearances followed at the World Music Festiv’Alpe 2000 and at the Montreux Jazz Fesival "Off" stage 2001. This Sunday, Sonalp returned on home ground for a spectacular performance. Sonalp’s rhythms and melodies tend to lean towards the electrical music side (electron, reggae dub or techno) combined with traditional Sarine chants and aboriginal tunes. This unusual style is accentuated by the almost obsessive ringing of cowbells and underlined by a deep bass….In reality, there is everything to make a more conservative folklore fan swallow his pipe. For Yann Visinand, one of the two cow-bell ringers of Sonalp, "the creation of the group has allowed us to go beyond the different family clans of Château d’Oex, both politically and socially". In fact, there is something a little disturbing about
joining the sound of cowbells with the didgeridoo. How do more traditional music-lovers react? Among cowbell and yodelling fans there are different reactions. Some, coming from the farming community, do not approve. Others tell us it's good, but warn us to be careful...Of what?…"Of degenerating the art of yodelling".
DEVELOPMENT
By the simple fact of combining different traditional elements, do we somehow risk them losing their individual identity?
"On the contrary, I believe that our contribution has taken local traditions to a wider audience. In one sense, we develop them further". To be tested in these coming weeks; Sonalp are playing next Saturday at Mont-Soleil, and in Leysin at the beginning of September.
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THE GUYS OF SONALP AT THE TOP
Inside the marquee, the sun! The Festiv’Alpe not only outdid the weather, but the Damounais guys of Sonalpe succeeded in uniting the initiates of world music and other spectators at an event completely out of the ordinary.
It began almost as a joke. After their first experience at the village fête under the name of "son des Alpes, the Château-d'Oex chums were offered, in the spring, the stage at the coming Festiv’Alpe. Within a few months, the group now called Sonalp had the task of creating their concert, and decide on its definitive formation: three yodlers, a bass guitaar, two percussionists on the tam tams, a violinist and two cow-bel ringers, under the guidance of Jerôme Lugrin. Impossible? But of course not!
The Festival Off of the Montreux Jazz this summer had already offered them a certain experience of the public, but Saturday evening was their first real appearance on stage, in front of more than 1500 spectators. To say that the young group suffered from stage fright is putting it more than mildly.
Guillaume, the violinist, confessed to having woken up with a jump on Friday: he was sure that the concert was that very evening! As the festival progressed, the mounting tension could be felt. However, on Saturday, at 6.45 p.m., our violinist had completely recovered his cool, after a massage under the tipi – a perfect reason to be totally. No time, however, to rest in the dressing room nor to behave capriciously, Sonalp simply had no dressing room (the locals are always the least well treated).
MILKING MACHINE AS A SAMPLER
At 9.30 p.m. the group was welcomed by a crowd (among others) of damounais. The jodel opened, followed by one tam-tam , then the second one, the cowbells introducing the definite rhythm, sustained by the bass guitaar: a curious cross section of world music… as the concert progressed and the musicians' confidence increeased, the unbelievable combination of instruments revealed itself to be a huge success.
After « le son des Alpes » and « les toupines » came « la traite », the musicians having simply taped the sound of a milking machine to serve as a rhythm framework, just like the best samplers from New York. The real machine was enthroned on stage, adding to the unfamiliarity.
A poker move turned into a master move, also thanks to the great stage presence of Pipo (one of the yodellers). When the guys brought out the cow-bells the public could hardly believe their eyes. At the end the group was able to say "45 minutes on stage, that was longer than Oasis", The notorious British band didn't do as well as that at the Paléo Festival in Nyon.
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From Faudel to Sonalp, a mix colour of the sun
Their fan club is certainly not on the decline; they are more than five hundred, a lot of locals (at last!…), feverishly waiting for Sonalp. Unlike last year, the damounais artists have their own dressing room (last occupant - Sally Nyolo…). Their blond mascot, Morgane Maeder, in the wings, the show can begin. It borders on hysteria ! A smoother presentation, not without improvisations, the local group capture their public with a different sort of folklore, its inspiration taken from Switzerland and then adapted to celtic-sounds, and sometimes even arab. Intro didgeridoo, "Ratatouille", "Printivert" and "Congas" figure among the new compositions. Amid the enthusiastic encores from the public, in spite of monstrous stage fright freely admitted, the group act like stars. A highly appreciated local speciality…
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