(via Shutterstock)
One of the great gifts of the Eurovision Song Contest is discovering the incredibly talented and richly imaginative music artists that each country possesses.
But while we meet a new artist from each country each year, the truth is that beyond that one person or group are a multitude of other brilliant musical discoveries to be made.
In the case of Switzerland, the array of music artists is impressive; while we have picked just five for this post, it’s worth diving in and exploring just who else is around in this wonderful country in the centre of Western Europe.
Have fun!
“My Heart is Bumping Out” by Lady Bazaar
(courtesy official Insta account)
A Franco-Swiss band based in Lausanne, Lady Bazaar have more than a decade, been, in their own words, “infusing their groove with electrifying funk energy, exploring a range of styles (soul, funk, afro, trip-hop, indie rock) and shattering musical barriers.”
With lead vocalists courtesy of Tyssa, whose voice is mesmerizingly soulful, the five members of Lady Bazaar kicked off in 2012 with its members eager to define music on their own terms.
After releases in 2014 and 2016, the band really garnered attention with their 2018 album Brave which not only gained them a slew of new fans but which also got them a foot in the door at an expansive array of clubs and festivals, not only in Switzerland but right across Europe.
They followed this groundbreaking release up with an EP, The Journey, in 2022, full of not only “the funk energy that has characterized [sic] them” from the start, but a generous infusion of African “grooves and sounds, which echo the African-American musical influences of their sound worlds.”
With a new album, Call Me Lady, out this year, and entirely at ease on the stage, Lady Bazaar are opening for big international acts, fronting prestigious festivals and make the world dance to their infectiously unique beat.
“U-Ser-Name” by Benjamin Amaru
(courtesy Benjamin Amaru)
It’s true that many a musical artist starts on their dream of making and performing music very early on in life.
Singer-songwriter Benjamin Amaru is no different, explaining in an interview on COLORSxSTUDIOS:
I dream a lot. I always tell people what I’ve dreamt because I believe once you voice them, it brings them to life. Since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to be a musician. It was a dream-like goal. Now, with every piece of music I make, I feel like I’m fulfilling a piece of that childhood dream.
He calls each of the pieces of his body of work, which now includes 5 x EPs and a debut album (released 2024), i always remember all of my dreams, “an actualized [sic] dream”, a lovely and evocative idea that takes making music beyond the physical to something impossibly romantic too.
He says that though he loves to dream, “… when it comes to my career, I can also be rational. I think that’s important, after all, I have a team full of people who support me every day.”
Whatever he’s doing, it’s working with the artist crowned Radio SRF3’s “Best New Talent” in 2019, extending his fandom well into Europe where he will no doubt continue to find receptive audiences.
“Mirror” by Moo Malika & JOEF
(courtesy YouTube)
One of the greatest joys of listening to music is when two artists, even if you haven’t heard of them before, join forces to record some highly listenable music.
Case in point is the song “Mirror” by Bernese singer Moo Malika, who shot to fame on The Voice and is refreshingly honest about the rough path that led her to find a new start in music (“In music, I can live out a side that is vulnerable.”) and songmaker-music producer JOEF, signed to Sony Music Austria.
These two talented and passionate musicians have created a gem of a track in “Mirror” that is all richly emotive vocals, vulnerable lyrics and upbeat music that has you dancing even as darkly ruminative words spin around you.
It’s a perfect mix of escapist melody and lyrical introspection which proves the power of two artists working together on a song that demands endless repeat listens.
“Desire” by EDX
(courtesy official Insta account)
With just over thirty years in the fickle business that is music, Swiss DJ and Grammy-nominated music producer EDX aka Maurizio Colella, who hails from Zürich born to Italian parents, has proven he has what it takes to stay relevant and popular.
According to Wikipedia, he is the #1 Swiss artist on Spotify, a tribute to his ability to craft hugely catchy songs like the recently-released “Desire” which transport you away from the everyday to somewhere altogether more carefree and vivaciously alive.
Kicking things off in 1994 with cassette tape mixes curated for the Tarot Techno series at Zürich’s Club Oxa, EDX has gone from strength-to-strength, releasing a dizzying number of singles, two studio albums, On the Edge (2012) and Two Decades (2017) and two other albums, 2011’s No Xcuses – The Violet Edition and 2014’s On the Edge – Remixed.
Watching live audiences react to his hedonistically gorgeous tracks, you know that what you’re feeling when you listen to his music is universal, a tapping into the primal part of us that needs music to go deep and awaken something within us that never usually sees the light of day.
“Fading Fire” by Amaya Gloor
(courtesy official Insta account)
From a much-loved veteran of the industry to someone on the rise, here’s Amaya Gloor who has, according to her official bio, “a fascinating mix of talent, passion and cultural diversity”.
Born and raised in Switzerland but always proudly mindful of her a fascinating mix of talent, passion and cultural diversity, Gloor started on her musical journey nice and early, learning the piano at the age of five before beginning to write songs and grow into her unique vocal stylings in her teenage years.
In a fortunate turn of events, an aspirational Gloor met renowned producer Ben Mühlethaler (Prince, Craig David) who helped the artist realise her dream of recording her songs while at the same time, Gloor was using covers of other artists’ songs to gain viral traction on social media.
That was a smart move because it brought her to the attention of record company Universal Music who recognized an artist who could add some real unique artistry to her music.
The rest as they say is history and you can get a great feel for how captivatingly good Gloor is on “Fading Fire” which has such a warm emotional resonance to it which folds you in a musical embrace and doesn’t, rather happily, let you go.
To finish, the winner of 2024’s Eurovision Song Contest has just released a new single and it’s GOOOOOD. Enjoy it and remember that for many artists, Eurovision is just the start of a dream …