Yodel mania

From the Yodel King to the internet’s Yodeling Kid: just how did this “unarticulated singing” travel from Alpine regions to America and the rest of the world? And what about yodelling today? Christoph Wagner sets off in search of its traces and new directions.
Primarily associated with Alpine regions, yodelling is also found in the rainforests of Cameroon, in the Balkans, the Arctic Circle, Georgia and the USA. Around the world, its origins are the same: since it resonates more loudly than a normal call, yodelling was traditionally used for communication over large distances in remote areas. As an art form, it lives on.
Following intensive archive-based research, and armed with a wealth of photos and illustrations, Christoph Wagner follows the paths taken by yodelling as it spread across the globe. He examines the growth of its popularity and describes the oddball shows performed by folklore groups travelling America, targeting homesick emigrants and laying the foundation of the yodelling boom of the 1930s.
For some years now, yodelling has enjoyed a surprising revival in jazz, avantgarde and new folk music. Christophe Wagner also traces this development, presenting the work of experimental vocal artists like Erika Stucky and Christian Zehnder, who see yodelling as a vehicle for networking different cultures.