As a “cosmopolitan chansonnier”, Swiss musician Stephan Eicher “lets his words and melodies travel around the world”, the office said in a statementExternal link on Thursday.
Eicher, 60, became known in German-speaking countries as early as 1981 with the song Eisbär (polar bear) recorded with the band Grauzone. His success in France began a year later with the album Les Chansons Bleues (blue songs).
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His “unmistakable voice” and songs in French, English, German, Italian and Bernese dialect have reached a wide audience in Switzerland and abroad, the culture office said.
The award will be presented on September 17 at the LAC Lugano. Fourteen other musicians will each receive CHF25,000 honouring their contributions to the Swiss music scene.
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The anniversary is being marked by a series of concerts and other events, including the cinema release of a documentary about Matter’s life. Music shops are reporting a surge in sales of his recordings to people born after his death. And in Bern, the city of his birth, one of the trams has been decorated…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.