Mani Matter
Encyclopedia
Mani Matter was a popular Swiss
singer-songwriter
. He grew up in Bern, and performed his own chansons in contemporary Bernese German
at local venues and on the radio; he accompanied himself on the guitar.
Mani Matter was an active Boy Scout in the Pfadicorps Patria in Bern and he performed his first own songs during Boy Scout evenings.
Mani Matter also performed together with the Berner Troubadours (Bernese troubadour
s). He was killed in a car accident on his way to a concert and is buried in the Bremgartenfriedhof in Bern.
His Bernese German songs remain very popular in the German speaking part of Switzerland, and Matter is a great influence on the dialect
music scene in Bern, and his songs are frequently covered
. A collection of cover-versions was published in 1992 on the album Matter Rock. Mani Matter's chanson
s are often taught at school (including classes for adults wanting to learn Bernese German
) and are famous for their soft irony.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. He grew up in Bern, and performed his own chansons in contemporary Bernese German
Bernese German
Bernese German is the dialect of High Alemannic German spoken in the Swiss plateau part of the canton of Bern and in some neighbouring regions.- Varieties :There is a lot of regional variation within Bernese German dialects...
at local venues and on the radio; he accompanied himself on the guitar.
Mani Matter was an active Boy Scout in the Pfadicorps Patria in Bern and he performed his first own songs during Boy Scout evenings.
Mani Matter also performed together with the Berner Troubadours (Bernese troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
s). He was killed in a car accident on his way to a concert and is buried in the Bremgartenfriedhof in Bern.
His Bernese German songs remain very popular in the German speaking part of Switzerland, and Matter is a great influence on the dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
music scene in Bern, and his songs are frequently covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
. A collection of cover-versions was published in 1992 on the album Matter Rock. Mani Matter's chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
s are often taught at school (including classes for adults wanting to learn Bernese German
Bernese German
Bernese German is the dialect of High Alemannic German spoken in the Swiss plateau part of the canton of Bern and in some neighbouring regions.- Varieties :There is a lot of regional variation within Bernese German dialects...
) and are famous for their soft irony.
Discography
- 1966 I han en Uhr erfunde (EP)
- 1967 Alls wo mir id Finger chunnt (EP)
- 1970 Hemmige (EP)
- 1972 Betrachtige über nes Sändwitsch (EP)
- 1973 Ir Ysebahn (LP)
- 1973 I han es Zündhölzli azündt (double-LP)
External links
- Official website of his family
- Mani Matter (information about the film)