UNESCO has officially added yodeling to its list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ : NPR

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

We all know about yodeling, right? Alpine men and women sing across the green valleys and snow-capped peaks, sometimes accompanied by a huge horn.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG “DER SOLOTHURNER”)

NADJA RASS: (Vocalization/yodeling).

SIMON: And now, yodeling has been officially recognized by the United Nations as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, according to UNESCO. One of the people who contributed to this project is Nadja Rass. She is a yodeling teacher and head of the folk music department at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Switzerland. Thank you very much for being with us.

RASS: Yes. It’s a pleasure. Thank you for inviting me.

SIMON: What does yodeling mean for Switzerland?

RASS: So yodeling is – I often say it’s the fifth language of our country. We have four spoken languages ​​and one sung language. It’s yodeling.

SIMON: And regional variations.

RASS: There are a few variations. So we know yodeling with text. But we also have – mostly we have yodeling without text, and this yodeling we call naturjodel. And this kind of yodeling works like dialects. So it depends on the region you grow in. So if you grew up in the East, it sounds very melancholic. When you grow up in the center of Switzerland, it’s quite noisy and sometimes also a bit fast.

SIMON: Is it entertainment, communications? What language is it for the Swiss?

RASS: Actually, it could be both. So we do it on stage. Yodeling is fun, of course, but it’s also about showing your feelings. There are seven reasons why yodeling is based, and one is also that we show feelings with yodeling. But it is also that we can show the movements of the mountains. Or you can also use yodeling to call cows, for example.

SIMON: (Laughter) Well, I was going to ask you about that. I mean, that’s how, I’m afraid, a lot of Americans know it, through movies and cow calls.

RASS: (Laughs).

SIMON: I don’t want to embarrass you, but can I hear a sad, melancholy yodeling?

RASS: Yes. I can do it very, very well because my father grew up in this area and I learned it from my childhood. So this is the case, for example.

(Singing in a language other than English).

And keep it up.

SIMON: Oh. It’s very beautiful. THANKS.

RASS: Yeah.

SIMON: Can I hear some kind of happy yodeling?

RASS: Yes. This one I learned from a very old woman, and because of that it’s called “Next To Her”. It’s (non-English language spoken). It could also be instrumental. That’s how it is.

(Yodeling).

And further like that. Yes.

SIMON: Wow. It’s incredible.

RASS: (Laughs).

SIMON: Is yodeling difficult to learn? This must take a long time.

RASS: Actually, I think it’s like sport. You have to practice it, but you can learn it. It is therefore very important that you have a good breathing technique, but you must also be able to choose the register of your voice. We therefore change very quickly between the head voice and the chest voice. This is very typical of Swiss yodeling, and these are things you can practice. There are muscles that need to be trained.

SIMON: So there’s a head voice and a chest voice, right?

RASS: Yes. Do you know what it is?

SIMON: (speaking loudly) Well, I guess, I mean, it’s a head voice (speaking low) and it’s a chest voice?

RASS: Yes.

SIMON: Oh, well.

RASS: Yes. Alright. Alright. When I sing head voice, we use the vowel ooh (ph), for example (vocalizing) yo, doh, doh, doh-doh. Can you repeat?

SIMON: No. But I’ll try. (High-pitched vocalization) Yo, doh, doh, doh-doh.

RASS: Yes.

SIMON: (Laughter).

RASS: Yeah. Yes. It’s difficult for men. Yes. And then chest voice, we use oh. (Vocalizing) Yo, lo, lo, lo, lo-lo.

SIMON: (Vocalizing) Yo, lo, lo, lo, lo-lo.

RASS: Yes. Yes. Alright. When you yodelle, you have to change between them. (Vocalizing) Yo-oh.

SIMON: (Vocalizing) Yo-oh.

RASS: It takes a little time. Yes. Yes.

SIMON: Nadja, I don’t want to alarm you, but I look out our studio window and I see a bunch of cows coming down the street. Is this…

RASS: (Laughs) It’s possible. Yes. In fact, when you’re in the area, they respond. Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “RASSE CHAS”)

RASS: (Yodling).

SIMON: What does it mean for yodeling to be recognized as cultural heritage?

RASS: For me, it is very important for us in Switzerland that we continue, that we pay attention to yodeling and that we then give it to the future, that we give it to the children. And it’s a gift on the one hand, and it also gives us a lot of work, but I love this work.

SIMON: Can I tell you? (Sharp) Thank you.

(LAUGH)

RASS: Great.

SIMON: (high-pitched) Thank you.

RASS: (singing) Thanks too.

SIMON: Oh, I feel so honored. Nadja Rass, teacher and yodeler. Thank you very much for being with us.

RASS: Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “RASSE CHAS”)

RASS: (Vocalize/yodel).

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