Trauffer: "There's a new song behind every tree!"

Trauffer, actually Marc A. Trauffer from Brienz, is doubly successful: as an alpine entertainer with platinum albums and sold-out concert tours and at the same time the owner of a factory that manufactures wooden toys.

Hello Trauffer! As an Alpentainer, you combine modern dance beats with yodeling and traditional Swiss sounds. Do you see yourself as an innovator of Swiss folk music?

No. I just do what I like. Nobody could have imagined that people would enjoy it so much now. Folk music has been changing for 2000 years. And that's a good thing...

How do you explain the immense success of the new "alpine rock" trend?

I think a lot of people are simply asking themselves: does every European city have to look the same? Do I always have to see McDonald's, Starbucks, H&M in Barcelona and London and Lisbon and Vienna or Rome? Everything is the same today. People are longing for authenticity. For their roots. People are now enjoying fondue and raclette again, buying carrots from "Miini Region", and the number one sport in Switzerland at the moment is wrestling. Nobody would have thought that ten years ago. It's all connected somehow.

How involved are you with your German and Austrian colleagues, for example the popular German band Voxxclub and the chart-topping Andreas Gabalier?

I've often been on stage with Andreas. We often do double concerts in Switzerland. I think that's great! He's an easy guy. And Voxxclub have also opened for us a few times. In "Das Zelt". They're cool too. One of the members is from Hasliberg. That's not far from where I live.

What do you think of the music of Voxxclub and Andreas Gabalier? Which band do you like better?

There's no such thing as better or not. They both make great music. But I can say that I feel more connected to Andreas, because he plays with a live band. Like me.

You say in interviews that you primarily want to entertain and make the audience feel good. Do you have any other messages besides that?

No. My main job is to put a smile on people's faces. That's a tough job.

Andreas Gabalier recorded two MTV unplugged concerts in Vienna a week ago and will now become internationally known. He also recorded a Rolling Stones song. Are you planning something similar, do you want to conquer the international market with your music?

No. Absolutely not. I don't have time for that. My company is more important to me than short-term success somewhere abroad. The current wave of success in Switzerland is already pushing me to my time limits.

You call yourself an Alpentainer. Are the Alps, i.e. the return to your homeland, more important to you, or the entertainer part?

Both. Both equally important! As I said, people should be entertained when the show is over. And I achieve that with stories from my everyday life. From my home. And that's the Bernese Oberland Alps and Alpine valleys.

As an alpine rocker, you are also predestined to draw attention to the environment - to what extent do you stand up for nature?

I make toys out of wood. My company is an official CO2 reducer. We only buy freshly sawn wood. We let it air dry instead of drying it with diesel in ovens. I drive a Golf GTE and help clear the dirt from under the ski lifts in the mountains in summer! As you can see: I do what I can...

You immediately stormed the Swiss charts with your new album "Heiterefahne". What are your next plans?

Take a break. 2017 is a break year with only four concerts.

What music do you like to listen to in private?

Any music in dialect. Rap, rock, jazz. Everything. But everything in dialect. I don't understand anything else.

What were your most important musical influences?

Sina, Polo Hofer and Patent Ochsner.

How do you compose your songs? Where do you get the best ideas for songs and lyrics?

From everyday life. If you go through life with your eyes and ears open, you'll see a new song behind every tree. An open mind! And everything turns out well.

TRAUFFER
20.10.16, Volkshaus Zurich
19.11.16, Westhalle Langenthal
31.07.17, Flumserberg Open Air
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