Chicago Schlager Music Review

Atomik Harmonik: Cutting Edge But Still Schlager

2012-02-25T11:07:00.002-06:00

Schlager purists scoff at Slovenia's Atomik Harmonik as not being schlager much as American Country music purists scoff at Shania Twain and the "New Country" sound.

Mateja "Tejči" Vuk and Špela Grošelj during
one of Atomik Harmonik's earlier incarnations

While both have, to some extent, fused traditional schlager and country with more current pop/dance sounds, the core schlager and country elements are there -- rural themes, lyrical simplicity and musical instrumentation native to the original genres.

Atomik Harmonik were formed in 2004 and have had something of a revolving door in personnel since then (kind of like the carousel boy bands of the 90s.)

The original Spelas, Grošelj and Kleinlercher as well as Kleinlercher's replacement "Tejči" Vuk have all left for other pursuits and have been replaced by new blondes.

Like the Swedish supergroup ABBA, the only really memorable members are the 2 girls at the center of the group who carry most of the vocal load and who have always been hot blondes. Very hot blondes!

They dance and prance and grind and are riveting to watch but Atomik Harmonik are schlager nonetheless.

Here are Špela Grošelj and Mateja "Tejči" Vuk in a very rural setting with Zavriskaj na ves glas (Shout out Loud):

Here they are in Brizgaina Brizga (Water Bucket Brigade) which has the same tune as their later hit The Turbo Polka:

And here is their famous 2005 hit Turbo Polka performed by the two Spelas. It is the only song that Americans, otherwise ignorant of European pop music, have mentioned to us in conversation. It lifted the group from regional to pan-European popularity and even made it onto American music TV:

Alexandra Lexer: From the Farm to Schlager Center Stage

2012-02-20T15:11:00.003-06:00

By David Hillier
CSMR UK Correspondent

London, England -- It’s back to Austria again to look Alexandra Lexer, a talented artiste who, despite having a rich musical heritage, only cut her first album in her mid 20’s.

Alexandra Lexer

Alexandra Lexer was born in the remote Lesachtal valley in Carinthia, in Southern Austria where the snow can lay three feet deep on the ground for weeks, or even months, in winter. She comes from a family of farmers who, in the way of folk from such places, also have a long history of performing traditional music. Her grandfather was an accomplished violin maker.

A free spirit herself, she may have been something of a reluctant performer in the family act and later suffered the anguish seeing her father die whilst performing in 1994. After that tragic event, it was two years before she could bring herself to perform again, resuming her career as part of Band 3L.

After combining professional singing lessons and attendance at business school for a time, Alexandra decided upon a complete change of direction and obtained a nursing qualification with a view to pursuing a career in healthcare.

But she was far too talented a singer to give up performing completely and her delightful voice, with its rare special tremelo sound, soon attracted wider attention. By 2007 she was invited to perform a televised Christmas duet with journeyman schlager performer, Florian Silbereisen (Helene Fischer's longtime boyfriend).

Other appearances on stage and television, a tour and a recording contract followed. Here she is performing the title track of her first (2008) album, Und ich dachte, es is Liebe (And I thought, it is Love):

The success of that album led in 2010 to a second, entitled Endlich bis du da (Finally, you’re here). We feature two tracks from this CD, the first Ein feuerwork der liebe (Firework of Love)

And her vocal virtuosity really shines on this second cut, Nur Getraumt (Only Dreaming)

Tracks from her two albums can be heard in full on her new website: http://www.alexandra-lexer.at/ which also contains more detailed biographical information and details of her forthcoming live performances.

She is described there as “authentic and with her feet placed firmly on the ground” and says herself that she does not feel like “a star”.

While a promising career away from the farm awaits for beautiful, dark-haired, Alexandra Lexer, it seems unlikely that she will anytime soon be letting go of the strong values imparted by her simple country upbringing.

White Stars: Austrian Schlager Supergroup Reuniting

2012-02-17T12:28:00.005-06:00

The White Stars have announced that
they are returning to the studio

By Tom Faber
CSMR Editor

CHICAGO, USA -- The White Stars are back in action!

For the decade beginning in 1970, when the Beatles last left their Abbey Road studios after putting their final Let It Be album in the can, it was the fervent hope of rock fans everywhere that they would some day, somehow reunite.

John Lennon's tragic assassination in 1980 rendered that a sad impossibility. But schlager fans, worldwide are more fortunate as the great, ground breaking Austrian White Stars are reuniting after a more than decade-long hiatus.

To compare the Austrian White Stars to the English Fab 4 is by no means an exaggeration.

The Styrian quintet were every bit the innovative force to schlager as the Liverpudlians were to rock 'n roll. Today rock-configured all-male schlager bands, sporting pristine white suits proliferate, but in 1963 the style and sound was invented by the White Stars -- and rather by accident.

In the early 1960s, three young brothers (one was only 15 at the time) from Graz in the far Southeastern part of Austria, Peter, Walter and Günther Reischl, played for the amusement of friends and family members. Together, they developed a compelling schlager sound, employing guitar, zither and the European small button accordion.

Then one auspicious night, they went to a dance hall where the scheduled band, save their drummer, failed to appear. The boys volunteered to fill in and, knees shaking, performed for the first time on-stage.

The White Stars were as innovative
to schlager as the Beatles were to rock

They met with instant, wild acclaim and, along with the stray drummer, Joschi Scheucher, were booked for regular performances.

For future gigs, they needed something to wear, and since white doctors' scrubs were cheap (about 5 bucks back then) they donned the loosely fitting all-white attire and it became their trademark.

Fans began calling them the "White Stars" and the name stuck.

In less than a year, the White Stars were booked into the largest dance hall in the region, the Hotel Fischerwirt Gratwein, at which they played (later joined by another brother, Michael) to packed houses for the next 11 years.

Ariola records took notice of the regional White Star popularity and signed them to a recording contract. In the ensuing years they churned out 16 albums and a bevy of singles and CDs. Like the Beatles, and somewhat a rarity in the schlager realm, they self-composed virtually all of their songs.

Overall, the White Stars have sold more than half a million records, 11 went gold, 2 went platinum and one crystal.

Additionally they made more than 200 radio broadcasts, appeared on over 50 television shows and regularly played to packed houses throughout Austria on their periodic tours.

More than 100 White Stars fan clubs sprung up, not only in Europe, but in the US and Canada as well.

By 1994, the group members drifted off to other pursuits, mostly still in the world of schlager.

Walter became the music director of the Styrian office of the #1 Austrian broadcaster, ORF. Brothers Michael and Werner continued composing for other performers, scoring hits for the Nockhalm Quintett (a white suited, all male schlager group for whom they had paved the way), Klostertaler and many others.

The White Stars have just released a new Greatest Hits CD (which includes their 1980 #1 "I am not a Casanova"), and they will be returning to the studio to work on a 2013 CD release containing half classics and half entirely new material.

For fans of the White Stars' smooth, sometimes pulsating classic schlager sound this is a happy and long awaited development.

Here the White Stars reprise their 1980 #1 smash hit, Ich war nie ein Casanova (I'm not a Casanova):

Here the White Stars recapture their classicly lively sound in a live performance of Du Bist Mein Superstar, (You're my Superstar), the title cut of their forthcoming CD:

And here, the White Stars sing a lovely ballad, a paean to their home town, Graz, the capitol of Styria. They tell us that this is one of their favorite songs and the video contains some very picturesque shots of the historic city. Here's Graz, Oh Graz:

More information, downloads and White Stars videos can be had at their website: http://www.whitestars.at

Tajci: From Pert Pop Diva to Catholic Musical Minister

2012-02-12T16:47:00.003-06:00

By Tom Faber
CSMR Editor

CHICAGO, USA -- Of the more than 100 profiles of Euro schlager and pop artists that we have written for these pages, no subject has been more unusual and multifaceted than that of the Croatian pop sensation turned American Catholic evangelical, Tajci.

Tajci represented Yugoslavia at the 1990 ESC
and became an overnight pop sensation

Depending on your perspective, Tajci's story is either an ill-starred, fate-driven tragedy of lost opportunity or an uplifting morality play of Paradise Found.

She was born in 1970 as Tatjana Matejaš in Zagreb, the principal city of the Croatian sub-state within communist Yugoslavia. From a very young age she was performing onstage with members of her show business family and eventually, Tajci became something of a Yugoslav child star, appearing in a number of musical productions on stage and on state television.

She later attended the Croatian Music Conservatory, studying classical piano.

In her late teens she turned to pop music and her big break came in 1990 when she won the competition to represent Yugoslavia in the Pan-European Eurovision Song Contest (ESC).

She came in 7th in a field of 22 ESC contestants (she did beat out Austrian schlager star, Simone, who also debuted that year and finished 10th), but performing before a home town crowd in Zagreb, that year's ESC host city, her high-energy entry, Hajde Da Ludujemo (Let's Go Crazy) became an instant fan favorite and immediately began its ascent to the top of the pop charts in the Balkan countries.

Her pert, vivacious on-stage demeanor and hot Marilyn Monroe-styled persona made her the subject of a kind of regional fan mania, not unlike that which accompanied Lena Meyers-Landrut's 1st ever ESC win for Germany in 2010.

Accompanied by slick, Western-styled, avant garde videos, Tajci's next several pop releases were ecstatically received. Her musical style then was a kind of retro, pop/dance, heavily influenced by American teen pop of the late 50s and early 60s.

She recorded a Croatian language cover of 60s American star, Chubby Checker's "Let's Twist Again," and her breakthrough hit, "Hajde Da Ludujemo" evokes images of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello from the early 60s days of "Beach Blanket Bingo."

But in 1991, a mere half year after her victorious Zagreb performance, her world began unraveling.

Yugoslavia was a contrived concoction of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, which had thrown together a hodge-podge of contentiously antithetical, Slavic ethnic and religious groups, many of which had been at each others throats for centuries.

Tito's murderous communists managed to keep the lid on the ethno-religious pressure cooker for 45 years, but by 1991 the cauldron was ready to blow. And blow it did, as a large scale shooting war began in the Spring of that year.

Tatjiana Cameron (Tajci) as Catholic Musical Minister

The resulting Serbo-Croatian, Serbo-Bosnian war eventually took an estimated 130,000 lives. It is largely considered to be the most brutal conflict to have afflicted Europe since WWII, complete with genocidal ethnic cleansing, Red Army-styled systematic rape, and indiscriminate physical destruction.

Tajci might have urged post-communist Yugoslavs to "Go Crazy," and that they did, but not quite in the way she envisioned.

These events had catastrophic consequences on the career of the 20 year old pop star from Zagreb.

With artillery shells crashing and bullets flying in the streets, pop music was a luxury Tajci's natural fan base could no longer pursue. At the very moment of her greatest success, her career was seemingly at an end due to forces entirely beyond her control.

After spending the better part of a year entertaining Croatian front line troops and war-wounded, Tajci applied for an American student visa and fled for the greener pastures of the USA.

By her account she arrived in New York City, knowing practically nobody and speaking little English. There she studied English, subsisted on a number of menial jobs (something ostensibly prohibited by student visa status) and studied musical theater.

Eventually she made her way out to LA to test the waters in the US music industry. Coming up dry in Tinseltown, it was somewhere around this time that she says she experienced a Christian Epiphany.

A matchmaking California Carmelite nun then introduced her to her future husband there, Matthew Cameron, a devout, fellow Roman Catholic who urged her to undertake the role of musical missionary.

Tajci and Cameron with the Pope

The two then set out on a picaresque cross-country trip in a minivan, entertaining and musically preaching at Catholic churches across the USA as they went.

And three children, a decade and a half later, half a continent away from LA in Cincinnati, Ohio, Tajci continues those very musical missionary endeavors.

She forays out on two concert tours a year, designed to correspond to the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar (Lenten Tour and Advent Tour.) The venues are almost exclusively Catholic Churches or places designated by a local church.

Tajci composes and performs her own devotional music dealing with such subjects as Christ's agony on the cross (Eli, Eli), his resurrection from the Dead (Alleluia), the Blessed Virgin Mary (Magnificat), Roman Catholic catechismic beliefs with an almost verbatim musical rendition of the Nicene Creed (I do believe) and the concerns of a mother and wife during Christmastide (How I Love the Christmas Season).

To her great credit, she adheres strictly to religious themes and steers clear of the annoying Catholic tendency to left-wing pop sociological and neo-Marxist Liberation theology themes, which have so contaminated much of the Roman church's post-Vatican II musical fare. (Does anyone still remember that ridiculous Kumbaya which was such a favorite of Novus Ordo nuns in the 60s?)

Tajci's music today defies classification into a particular genre. It is not what Billboard considers "Contemporary Christian" in that it doesn't overtly mimic the mainstream secular style de jour, ala Amy Grant or MercyMe.

But Tajci's compositions do contain elements of the American showtune style, likely a function of her having studied that during her New York days -- and it is there where she is at her best, most notably with her poignant and very moving composition about a harried Christian housewife during Christmastime, How I Love the Christmas Season.

Additionally, Tajci has written, produced and performed in a play, My Perfectly Beautiful Life, about the travails of mothers leading a Christian life, which was performed at a major theatrical venue in the mid-sized Cincinnati, Ohio market.

Her current 2012 Lenten tour will be taking her soon to several church venues in the Chicago area, including St. Joseph's in Downers Grove, St. Cecelia in Mt. Prospect and St. Patrick's in Yorkville as well as to a number of cities from Pennsylvania to the Dakotas.

More information on Tajci, her upcoming tour and downloads of her music can be found at her website: http://idobelieve.com/

Here from her first career incarnation, is Tajci's 1990 Eurovision Song Contest entry, Hajde Da Ludujemo (Let's Go Crazy):

Here is one of her nicest compositions from her devotional era, How I Love the Christmas Season":

Here Tajci displays the power and purity of her vocal ability singing a paean to her adopted home, Irving Berlin's classic, God Bless America:

Thanks to Ralph Bellendir, CSMR reader and Catholic Lay Minister of Communion at St. Margaret Mary's Church in Chicago, for the excellent suggestion that we profile Tajci.

Francine Jordi Leaves Husband Tony Rominger: Hooks Up With Florian Ast

2012-02-10T12:06:00.006-06:00

By Stefan Wrana
CSMR Austrian Correspondent

KLAGENFURT am WORTHERSEE, AUSTRIA-- Swiss schlager star, Francine Jordi and Swiss rocker, Florian Ast have publicly come out and acknowleged their mutual attraction and have moved out of the residences that they shared with their respective spouses.

Francine Jordi (L) is leaving husband Tony Rominger
to hook up with Swiss rocker Florian Ast (R)

Rumors about the Jordi-Ast affair had been swirling around European music circles for some time, but this past summer, the Berner Zeitung came out publicly with a confirmation.

The two reportedly told their spouses back then of their mutual affection. Jordi moved out of the place she shared with her husband, Tony Rominger, taking with her their Labrador retriever, Theo, and moved to a location nearer her parents home in Worb.

Ast is leaving his wife of 9 years, Esther, a makeup artist, and Jordi hasn’t yet reached her third wedding anniversary with the Danish-born, European bicycle racing champ, Rominger, who, at age 51, is 16 years older than Jordi.

The two Swiss music stars first met nine years ago while recording their smash duet ballad, Trane (Teardrop) which reached #1 on the charts and remains one of the best selling records of all time by a Swiss duet.

Jordi and Ast reignited their flame in February of last year while recording a duet album. They have yet another joint musical effort planned for release in 2012.

Jordi and Ast haven’t publicly discussed plans for divorce and/or remarriage.

Popular sentiment over abandonment of their spouses by Jordi and Ast is hard to assess, but judging from the letters to the Berner Zeitung, it would appear that Swiss public sympathies lay on the side of the jilted partners.

Here are Jordi and Ast performing Trane (Teardrop), the ballad they made famous 9 years ago:

Christa Fartek: Consummate Tyrolean Talent

2012-02-07T17:17:00.002-06:00

Christa Fartek

By Tom Faber
CSMR Editor

CHICAGO, USA -- Christa Fartek has labored on the periphery of schlager for years and next month will be releasing her first solo album.

Given the powerfully sweet resonance of her voice and her crisp, catchy schlager/dance compositions the only question should be: why did it take this long?

The woman is a consummate talent. She plays guitar and keyboards, composes compelling lyrics for herself and others and she sings -- boy, does she ever sing!

Fartek began performing on-stage at age 16 as the lead vocalist with her two older brothers, Alois and Ewald in a little group called AMOR, which attained modest success.

Later, while working days in the fashion industry, she studied voice and worked as a vocal coach and songwriter for such schlager acts as Andreas Gabalier, her friend Tina Anders and a number of others.

Three years ago, Christa decided to go for broke and began working full time in the music industry -- as a resource for other performers as well as recording on her own.

In her forthcoming debut solo effort, she exudes a certain sultry, worldly cynicism reminiscent of the great Peggy Lee -- particularly evident in Du Bist Intensiv.

In her new CD offering, the native of the Austrian Tyrol also demonstrates her linguistic versatility by including a couple of songs in English -- a very nice dance tune, "Enjoy our world" and a somewhat forgettable ballad, "Good Time, Good Life." There are unfortunately no videos for these yet, but they can be heard in MP3 on her website

Here is a lively cut from Fartek's upcoming CD which has "hit" written all over it, Sieben Schritte (Seven Steps)

Here is her sultry Du bist so intensiv, (You're so intense):

Here's A very nice schlager/dance offering, which Fartek released as a single last fall,Schöner Mann(Handsome man):

And here is a live performance from several years back of Liebe für die Ewigkeit (Eternal Love) which went to #7 on the Austrian charts in 2009:

You can learn more about Christa Fartek, hear MP3 cuts of her CD and get details on its March 2012 release at her website, http://www.christa-music.com/

Chubby Checker's Influence on Euro-pop and schlager

2012-02-05T13:54:00.003-06:00

Schlager music as a distinctly Germanic genre was, in no small way, a nationalistic reaction to the infiltration of foreign -- particularly American and British -- popular culture.

Still, the ubiquitous American pop music managed to infuse itself into Germania. This most notably happened in the person of 60s American pop icon, Chubby Checker.

Born in the backwash of Spring Gulley, South Carolina and raised in the public housing projects of Philadelphia, Checker took the pop world by storm with his 1960 dance craze megahit, "The Twist."

The tune skyrocketed to #1 on the US charts that year and spawned a worldwide dance craze. It is the only pop song in history to have worked its way to #1 on the Billboard top 100 chart in two distinct years -- 1960 and again in 1962.

Checker had a number of sequel hits, notably "Let's Twist Again" and "Twistin' USA" in 1961, "Slow Twistin'" in 1962 and "Twist it up" in 1963.

He also spawned imitators including "The Peppermint Twist" which hit #1 for Jody Dee and the Starlighters.

But by 1964 America was ready for something new -- it was all twisted out, you might say -- and it embraced the more sophisticated rock sounds of the British invasion, spearheaded by the Beatles.

Checker had been so typecast by his association with the Twist craze that he was unable to readily gain popular credence as he tried to adapt to new sounds and by '64 he was pretty much washed up in the US market.

That same year, Checker married a Dutch woman, the former Miss Universe, Katherina Lodders, and pulled up stakes for Germany. There he jump-started his career with a number of twist-styled hits sung in German, including "Autobahn Baby," "Twist doch 'mal mit mir" (This Time Twist with me),"Der Twist Beginnt," (The Twist Begins - to the tune of Let's Twist Again.)

So profound was Checker's popularity in the German and other European markets that his influence can be found there even today -- and even in the schlager genre.

Here Austrian international ski champ and schlager star, Hansi Hinterseer sings his late 90s hit, "The Ski Twist" with Germans twisting in the background:

Here Croatian pop sensation (and now a US citizen)Tajči sings her 1990 hit- Moj mali je opsana (My little dangerous one) with Croatian words set to Chubby Checkers' "Let's Twist Again":

And here is Chubby Checker, the man who started it all, singing,"Der Twist Beginnt," (The Twist Begins - to the tune of Let's Twist Again), during the German expatriate phase of his career:

Nina Stern: Bavaria's Saucy Multitalent

2012-02-02T19:10:00.004-06:00

Nina Stern: Chart topping singer, TV host,
Movie actress and calendar girl

By Tom Faber
CSMR Editor

CHICAGO, USA -- Bavarian born, ethereally voiced Nina Stern, has combined an alluringly seductive charm with a relaxed, almost nonchalant stage presence and has emerged as a significant force in central European entertainment.

Not only has she turned out an impressive string of hit records over her 14 year singing career, but she doubles as a TV host, has appeared on the big screen in a 2011 film and with her husband, Gerry Seebacher, operates a successful record label and music promotion firm.

Nina Stern is also an ardent animal lover, often photographed with her omnipresent canine companions and she is a frequent contributor to international animal rescue endeavors.

Born Nina Schwemmer in the Bavarian town of Hirschau in 1979, as a girl she studied international trade at the secondary school level, but also took training in voice, drama and dance.

She competed in a number of local talent shows and her strikingly ethereal voice led to a recording contract in 1998. That same year she cut her first CD and made her first radio and TV appearances.

An ardent animal lover, Stern
supports numerous animal rescue projects

Since then she has produced a steady stream of singles striking gold with "Schau nicht weg, wir sind die Zukunft" ("Do not look away, we are the future") in 2005 and again in 2010 with "The Miracle of Lyoness".

In the midst of this, Stern hosted several variety television shows in Austria, where she now resides, has performed in a television dramatic series and has acted on the big screen in a European-made movie, interestingly entitled, "Mafia, Farewell to the Godfather."

But music remains Nina Stern's central focus and with her husband she founded the the music publishing and record label Tibi and she continues to write, produce and record.

Seemingly not content to let grass grow beneath her her feet, Stern, from time to time, strays from schlager to experiment with a variety of pop styles. She has even recorded a bluesy rendition of the American depression-era pop standard, Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone, originally popularized by the African-American blues legend, Billie Holiday.

Our spies in Europe tell us that Stern is considering yet another move in the direction of the chanson genre at the present time, which would make sense, considering her breathy vocal style.

Here is Nina Stern performing her very nice 2007 schlager hit, Ich Will (I Will):

Here is Nina Stern in a 2010 performance of her first solo hit Langzeitlover (Long Time Lover):

Here, accompanied by one of her beloved pups in a bucolic wintry setting, she performs a ballad from 2005, Lieb mich noch einmal (Love me again):

Here she displays her formidable vocal range and linguistic versatility in a recent English language cover of the 1930 American pop standard, Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone:

Nina Stern is definitely one of the nicer and more vibrant acts that we have profiled and you can hear more of her music and learn more about her upcoming endeavors at her website: http://www.ninastern.at/

The Hofmann Sisters: Pillars of the Schlager Realm

2012-01-27T16:31:00.002-06:00

By David Hillier
CSMR UK Correspondent

LONDON, ENGLAND -- The Hofmann Sisters are a mainstay of the schlager music realm who, after two decades of performing, continue to turn out a steady stream of schlager hits, play to packed houses on multi city tours and remain a regular presence on German and Austrian television.

Anita and Alexandra Hofmann

The Geschwister Hofmann (The Hofmann Sisters), blonde Alexandra and dark-haired Anita, were born, in 1974 and 1977 respectively, in Sigmaringen, a small town on the Upper Danube in south Baden-Württemberg.

Both still live in nearby Messkirch and are very proud to represent their “heimat” (hometown) in their own country and on the wider stage.

Alexandra got married in 2001 and now has two children, but the two sisters continue to perform together.

Both women are multi-talented musically. In addition to singing, they play and incorporate into their act a wide variety of musical instruments.

The first major production in which they featured together was a two-hour musical show in May 1988. Next year they started their own music show, a mix of rock and roll, folk, and pop, and they quickly built up a strong following in their home region. Soon afterwards they began to make regular appearances on national television

Their first CD was released in 1990 and they have continued to record and win awards on a regular basis since. In 1993, they won Grand Prix of Folk Music with the delightful song “Alle Farben dieser Erde” (All Colours of the Earth). While there are later, and perhaps more polished, video performances, this clip shows what they were like near the beginning of their careers.

They achieved their first gold record in 2003 going on to win the prestigious Crown of Folk Music in 2004 and 2006, and the Golden Tuning Fork in 2003 and 2005.

In January 2008 they opened their 20th Anniversary Tour in Messkirch which took them to some 70 cities in Germany, Austria, Belgium and France, celebrating their two decades together in show business.

The occasional well performed medley of ABBA hits aside, they do not normally stray far from the traditional genres of schlager and volksmusik.

They do, however, have a great sense of fun. And here we see them performing a lively Germanized pastiche of American country and western music in which they end up displaying some very short hot pants indeed.

Our final clip shows Anita and Alexandra Hofmann performing their 2011 uptempo hit “Wir Singen Bella Musica” (We sing pretty music) from their latest album “Wir Fliegen” (We fly).

They still wear traditional dirndl and more contemporary shapely long dresses, which have throughout their careers served to highlight their undoubted charming femininity.

As a result of their 20+ years of performing together, The Hofmann Sisters (Geschwister Hofmann) exude a seasoned professionalism punctuated with their customary vibrance and joie de vivre and are major stars in the world of Germanic schlager music.

Schlager Stars With Hip Hop Trappings (and a touch of Neil Diamond)

2012-01-23T15:33:00.001-06:00

DJ Otzi (left) affects a ghetto hip-hop look as he sings
Neil Diamond songs with conservative schlager star Helene Fischer (center)

We never cease to be amazed at the colorful and sometimes idiosyncratic things that show up in the wonderful, wacky world of Germanic schlager.

We happened upon a video clip from a German TV dance music show, which aired on Halloween night of 2009.

It featured schlager stars Helene Fischer and D.J. Otzi along with legacy schlager performer Achim Petry (he is best known for being the son of schlager star Wolfgang Petry.)

Appearing in the 5 minute segment, Helene Fischer in conservative casual dress and customary high heels performs several of her big hits to a thumping dance beat.

She is followed by Austrian Otzi, who bedecked in American hip-hop urban ghetto garb, performs several of his big hits including American, Neil Diamond's 1969 easy listening, soft pop hit, "Sweet Caroline."

That is followed by Petry singing some of his father's hits and all this is punctuated by a dance beat and takes place before an audience whose median age seems to be somewhere around 55 or 60.

As I said, you never know what's going to turn up in the wacky and wild world of Euro schlager.

Here is the October 31, 2009 video with Helene Fischer, D.J. Otzi and Achim Petry:

Sasa Lendero: Slovenia's Sexy Siren of Song

2012-01-18T15:39:00.003-06:00

By Stefan Wrana
CSMR Austrian Correspondent

Slovenia's Totally Hot Sasa Lendero

KLAGENFURT am WORTHERSEE, AUSTRIA-- For the better part of the past decade, Sasa Lendero has been one of the leading, if not the leading lady of Slovenian pop/schlager.

Sasa has combined her stunning movie star good looks, a powerfully feminine voice and a relaxed, playful stage presence into a formula that has made her a very big star in her native Slovenia and beyond.

The college sociology grad made her first recordings way back in 2000 and by '04 had produced 3 CDs singing duets with partner Miha Hercog. But she really didn't come into her own until she went solo in 2005.

That year, and again in '06, despite being an overwhelming fan-favorite, she finished only second in the highly politicized national competition to represent Slovenia in the 27 nation, pan-European, Eurovision Song Contest.

Nevertheless, her '06 entry, the folkish Mandoline, shot to the top of the Slovenian music charts and another song Ne Grem Na Kolena (I won't kneel) skyrocketed to #1 that same year, breaking all previous sales records and it stayed on the top-30 chart for more than a year.

Sasa Lendero forged ahead with a steady stream of chart topping Slovenian hits over the next few years most notably the 2007 Levinja (Lioness) offering, which was accompanied by a steamy video shot in North Africa.

This past year, Lendero has parlayed her musical stardom into a TV acting career, starring in a popular American-styled Western series Ljubezen Na Seniku (The Farmer Wants a Wife) on Slovenia's biggest TV network.

Currently, Sasa Lendero is collaborating with Portuguese vocal star, Axel, on a recording project and has started a musical art consulting firm.

Here is a steamy video of her chart smashing 2006 hit, the very Hellenic sounding, Ne grem na kolena, (I won't kneel):

Here she sings her current hit - the theme song to "The Farmer Wants a Wife", her new American-styled Western TV series, Dotakni se me tam (Touch me there):

Here is her 2006 entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in the Slovenian national competition, Mandoline. Containing Balkan and Gypsy elements, it only garnered her a 2nd place finish, but became a big pop hit in Slovenia that year:

The Oberkrainer Polka Madels aka Polka Punce: Slovenia's Melodic Volksmuzik Girls

2012-01-14T17:37:00.004-06:00

Slovenia's Oberkrainer Polka Madel
will make their first USA appearances in 2013

Formed in 2001 the Slovenian girl group, the Oberkrainer Polka Madels (known in Slovenian as Polka Punce) have made quite a name for themselves with their distinctive sound which combines elements of volksmuzik, polka and pop.

The quintet, all aged between 19 and 22, have toured extensively, having performed throughout the German speaking world and as far afield as an international folk festival in Red China.

They have plans to hit several cities in the United States in 2013.

With three reasonably successful CDs under their belt they have two more under production for release in the coming year.

Maybe it's a function of the emphasis that the former communist Yugoslav regime put on classical music training, or perhaps its just a natural function of the musicality of the Slovenian people, but the Polka Madels are among a number of female performers from Slovenia who play their own instruments in conjunction with their formidable vocalizing.

Of the five girls, Eva Šolinc (trumpet, percussion and vocals), Ana Verhovsek (clarinet, saxophone and vocals) and Barbara Leber (baritone, bass guitar and vocals) have been with the group since its 2001 inception. In January 2010 they were joined by Teja Lampret (guitar and vocals) and Monika Osojnik (Styrian, accordion and keyboards).

They all have had formal musical training and are currently studying Music at the University of Maribor.

They have a dynamic sound, firmly grounded in their national traditions, and it will be fun to see them perform when they make their planned visit to the USA.

Here is one of the newer videos from the Oberkrainer Polkamädels - Cujte me cujte (Hear me, Hear):

Here they sing jointly with the boy group, Murtal Express--- and the end result is some of the nicest harmony that you have ever heard in a popular music setting Wo Musik erklingt (Where music is heard), which they performed at the 2010 Grand Prix der Volksmuzik-

Austrian Child Star Sarah-Stephanie Blooming Into Adult Stardom

2012-01-09T00:01:00.006-06:00

By David Hillier
CSMR UK Correspondent

Austria's Sarah-Stephanie Markovits

LONDON, ENGLAND -- Having previously written about only established names, I am continuing with the CSMR propensity to occasionally focus on relative schlager newcomers who exhibit great promise.

With long blonde hair and haunting eyes, she may not yet be the finished article, nor a vigorous performer in the Helene Fischer/Andrea Berg style,

Yet, I think Sarah-Stephanie has enough about her to suggest that she could go all the way to the top. Having Celine Dion and Shania Twain as favourite singers shows that she is certainly aiming high, and her musical ability suggests, it is with no small justification.

Performing as “Stephanie”, Sarah Stephanie Markovits, who was born in May 1990 in Neudorfl in Burgenland, Austria, became a very popular child star in her native land.

Her career took off when, aged eight, she came fourth in a children's show promoted by the Austrian national broadcaster, ORF. She went on to take part in a number of musical competitions at home and abroad, coming in an impressive second in the prestigious "International Contest of Young Singers" in Slovenia.

When she was 10, she performed at the Grand Prix of Folk Music in Zurich, Switzerland for the first time, achieving fourth place with My Beautiful Dream. Her second album, My Name is Stephanie sold nearly 15,000 copies in Austria.

In 2002, now 12, but still a baby-faced brunette, she won the Grand Prix of Folk Music in Merano, Italy, singing Dort auf Wolke Sieben (Here On Cloud Seven) with our friends, the Austrian supergroup, the Nockalm Quintett.

Stephanie continued successfully in the same vein for the next four years, writing some of her material herself, before taking a break to concentrate on completing her education, which included a year’s attendance at a school in the American South in Miami, Florida in 2008.

The transition from child star to adult performer is not always easy. To signify that she was now a beautiful young woman she lengthened her stage name to Sarah-Stephanie when releasing her comeback single Eiskalter Sommer (Cruel Summer) in 2009. The evidence for her now being “all grown up” is clear for all to see.

Sarah-Stephanie has continued to develop her voice and recording style to the extent that I think I can detect echoes of Andrea Berg in the last recording featured here, Bis du der der Einsam est? (Are you the one who is lonely?)

Sarah-Stephanie’s long awaited new album “Herzkommando” (Heart Command) is now scheduled for release on 20 January 2012. One of the tracks “ Nebel in Rom” (Fog in Rome) should already have been issued as a single as of this writing.

More information about Sarah-Stephanie, including examples of her earlier work and details of forthcoming TV and concert appearance dates promoting her new album, can be found at her website.

Helene Fischer Hosts Prime Time TV Special

2012-01-04T11:21:00.002-06:00

This past Christmas Day, viewers in Germany and Austria tuned in to schlager/pop superstar, Helene Fischer, as she hosted her first TV special.

From the snippets we got, Fischer was stunning in appearance, as usual, and the offer of a prime time TV special at 8:15 pm on Christmas, was clearly an indication of Helene Fischer's growing popularity in the German-speaking world.

The event was shot before an audience of 12,000 at the Berlin Velodrom, Germany's second largest concert venue and was broadcast on both MDR and ADR TV networks.

It was a variety show, with plenty of musical acts, including such schlager mainstays as Andrea Berg and Semino Rossi. It also featured an intriguing, if somewhat bizarre, acrobatic act which exhibited Fischer's own acrobatic dexterity.

It also included Ms. Fischer participating in a magic act, video of which, we mercifully were unable to obtain and view.

On the downside, the show included Fischer performing a schmaltzy duet, with the ever-saccharine American has-been, Michael Bolton. (Why is she so insistent on continually performing with this 80s re-tread?)

Here from her 2011 Christmas TV special, Fischer sings the legendary American crooner, Frank Sinatra's 1966 pop hit, "Somethin' Stupid" with Sesame Street's (which was a creation of the US Public Broadcasting System) Bert and Ernie:

Chicago Schlager New Year's Eve With Bernhard Brink: Happy New Year Everybody!!

2011-12-31T00:01:00.004-06:00

New Year's Eve in Chicago

Who better to feature on New Year's Eve than the ultimate, cool, party boy of the schlager realm, Bernhard Brink?

The smooth-voiced Northern German is far more relaxed and animated than most schlager performers.

He has been photographed with almost every major schlager girl on his arm -- and often with a drink in his hand. He dropped out of law school to pursue his real love -- music.

He is the closest that anyone in the schlager realm gets to Frank Sinatra cool.

Here is Bernhard Brink with a medley of his greatest hits as performed at Andy Borg's Musikantenstadl on New Year's Eve 2009:

Andrea Berg At Her Sexy Midlife Best

2011-12-28T20:08:00.003-06:00

If all middle aged women held up as well as Andrea Berg
men would stop chasing around younger chicks

We just unearthed two smashing new videos which really show German schlager superstar, Andrea Berg at her absolute best.

Performing on German TV just a few months ago, the red-haired, best-selling, Bavarian beauty has never looked more animated in performance or stunning in appearance.

Nor has the seasoned, ECHO-award winning former nurse ever sung more beautifully.

If all middle-aged women held up this wonderfully, far fewer men would be chasing around younger girls.

Here, Andrea Berg performs the featured cut from her platinum-selling 2010 Schwerelos (Weightless) release -- Schenk Mir Ein Stern (Give me a star):

Here in another recent televised 2011 appearance she performs Glaub nicht, dass sie dich liebt wie ich (Don't Think She Loves You Like I Do):

Austria's "Stanley" -- A Drummer Who Can Sing -- American Style

2011-12-27T01:14:00.000-06:00

While on tour as a drummer with David Hassellhoff
and Johnny Logan -- Stanley was so good with the vocals
that these major stars told him to start singing on his own

One of the persistent questions in music is, "Are there any drummers who can sing?"

Well the answer is yes!

Of course there was Phil Collins of Genesis and the Beatle, Ringo Starr (well he sort of sung) and Karen Carpenter -- the silky voiced American and probably the only prominent pop girl who played the drums.

And in the Germanic pop/schlager realm the fact that drummers can sing is most prominently proven by the young Austrian musical up-and-comer, Stanley.

Stanley -- whose Christian name is Stefan Wrana -- is something of a musical prodigy from the Southern region of Austria -- Carinthia -- which borders Italy

At age 21, he has a musical resume that would be the envy of many much older musicians -- European and otherwise.

And of special interest to Americans and Brits -- this Austrian is an Americanophile, who has performed extensively in the USA and who speaks and writes excellent English.

Stanley is a drummer who has toured with such schlager and pop superstars as Switzerland's Francine Jordi, the international German-American star, David Hassellhoff, Johnny Logan and a number of lesser schlager luminaries.

He has performed extensively in Las Vegas, Nevada -- the entertainment capitol of the American Southwest as well as throughout Europe.

After being told by Hassellhoff and others that his voice was so good, he really should try to give it a go on his own -- he did -- and recorded his first single just this past fall, "Only You," a reprise of the Platters classic 1955 American hit.

His voice is every bit as resonant as that of Elvis himself and it is amazing to think that this song is being performed by an Austrian-born kid who is not a native English speaker.

Today, he spends much of his time promoting other singers and bands from Austria, Slovenia and the South Tyrol in Italy.

But he's begun to toot his own horn and has begun to move into his own as a formidable solo performer.

Here is Stanley's first single, released just last month "Only You" originally by the Platters-- listen to this with amazement at the fact that it is being sung by a performer who is not a native English language singer:

To give you a sense of how distinctive Stanley is in style from most Northern Germanic types and Austrians (who are generally as lacking in sponteneity as plywood boards) here he is in an amateur video from the Carinthian, South Austrian Familienfest last year:

This wildly talented and eminently flexible kid is going places -- just watch!!

Sandra May Is Hitting the Big Time: We Told You So!

2011-12-26T00:01:00.008-06:00

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Since this article was written, Sandra May's hit song, I Wurd So Gern has shot up to #6 on the charts in Germany - as of 2/24/12)

Believe it or not, the editor of this site was only the 2nd person in the English speaking world to ever write about Germany's Helene Fischer -- second only to the New Yorker magazine. And he wrote glowingly about the stunningly gorgeous and talented Rhinelander who is now taking the schlager world by storm.

Styrian Sandra May

Well it seems our intuitive predictive abilities are now batting 1.000 (for you European readers that is an American baseball term that means perfect performance) because on October 4th we predicted that the soulful Styrian folk/pop singer, Sandra May, was destined for stardom.

Now news comes from Austria that the dark-eyed, raven haired Austrian beauty has not only received widespread airplay in her native Austria but has hit #13 on the top 100 chart in Germany -- a considerably larger market -- with her soulful pop offering, "I wurd so gern" (I would so wish.)

The disturbing part of the development is that her handlers are now packaging her and polishing her up -- new hipper wardrobe and hairstyle -- and she is in danger of losing the bucolic Styrian charm that made her so very attractive as a folk singer (although no one can say that with her new style she doesn't look terrific.)

Sandra May's resonant, deeper octave voice, is hypnotic in quality and her lyrical style and delivery are reminiscent of American folk/rock sensations Carly Simon and Natalie Merchant.

We called it back in October -- this lovely and talented girl is clearly on the way up. Maybe we'll even see her playing to packed houses in the USA or UK someday -- if we're lucky.

Here is the new video of Sandra May's German and Austrian hit, "I wurd so gern":

Merry Christmas From The Chicago Schlager Music Review

2011-12-24T11:15:00.000-06:00

Best wishes for a warm and Merry Christmas on the day which celebrates the birth of the Universal Prince of Peace

From Your Friends at the Chicago Schlager Music Review,

Tom Faber -- Chicago, USA
David Hillier -- London, England
Stefan Wrana -- Carinthia, Austria

(video courtesy of Lynn Becker -- lynnbecker.com)

Shining Alpine Adventurer: Sabine Neumeister

2011-12-22T15:57:00.005-06:00

Sabine Neumeister is one of the rare vocalists
in the schlager realm who writes her own songs

Andrea Berg, the German pop/schlager superstar just put out a new release entitled, "Abenteuer" -- (Adventure.)

It is too bad for the totally cool Alpine Austrian pop/schlager newcomer, Sabine Neumeister -- because she is the real new adventurer -- both musically and personally and she totally should have the exclusive personal copyrights to that term "Abenteuer.".

Americans would naturally love this chick.

She is tall, blond and hot. And she para sails -- for fun -- right over her native Alpine mountains -- how cool is that?

What American or British guy couldn't become instantly enamored of this adventurous Austrian beauty?

But what is more important -- she sings wonderfully -- and adventurously!!

The Styrian Austrian, a masseuse by profession, is not entirely schlager-- her music has touches of American country, Euro-pop -- and even American jazz!! And she actually employs a saxophone in some her tunes -- how cool!!

This girl is really nice -- quite talented -- and eminently beautiful.

Much more than that, she is one of the very few musicians in the schlager firmament to actually write and compose her own songs -- we've seldom seen that in the pop realm since the days of Simon and Garfunkel

She has a new CD just out this year and another coming out next year.

We really hope she becomes a big star -- and if there is any justice in the world, she will be!!

Here is the title cut off her new CD, Sterndl Schaun (Shooting Star)

Here is Sabine's very nice, more traditional piece, Musik auf Oesterreich(Music of Austria) -- you can actually see her parasailing over the Austrian Alps in this clip -- does this girl have charismatic star quality or what?

Hitler Declares War on USA: America Goes To War With Song

2011-12-11T00:01:00.086-06:00

Hitler Told Germans That The American Men
Would Not Fight -- WOW!, Was He Ever Wrong!

70 years ago today, Adolf Hitler, the elected National Socialist leader of the German Reich, unilaterally declared war on the United States of America.

Four days earlier, The USA had been attacked by Hitler's Axis ally, the Empire of Japan, which bombed the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in the American territory (now a State) of Hawaii, killing 2,800 Americans.

Declaring war on the USA was, perhaps Hitler's biggest mistake ever.

The Anglophilic US President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, had been looking for a way of getting the US involved militarily in saving Great Britain from the Nazi onslaught.

But due to formidable pressures from the millions of German-American and Scandinavian-American voters in the Midwestern US (who did not want to send their sons to fight German boys) and the millions of city dwelling Irish-American voters (who had nothing but contempt for their long-time enemy, Great Britain) Roosevelt was unable to convince Congress to enter the European war.

But with his unilateral declaration of war on America on December 11, 1941, Hitler unwittingly solved Roosevelt's political problem.

After Hitler declared war on the American people, its elected representatives in the U.S. Congress reciprocated on December 12, 1941.

By 1944 American Workers Were Turning Out
9,000 Warplanes a Month -- More Than 300 a Day

In so doing, Hitler put the German people at odds with the greatest industrial power on the face of the earth.

Within a few short years, American workers would be turning out 300,000 combat aircraft -- (at one point 9,000 planes a month -- more than 300 a day) -- and 200,000 tanks and almost 1 million heavy artillery pieces.

20 million American men would leave civilian life and take up arms (including this writer's German-American father and uncles) and become one of the most potent fighting forces ever to take the field in world history.

Those civilian-soldiers fought two powers on two widely divergent fronts, ranging from Burma and China in the West all the way to Berlin and Prague in the East.

Hitler scoffed at Americans calling them "a bunch of undisciplined gangsters who would never fight."

But one Wehrmacht Lieutenant in Italy wrote in his memoirs after the war, "They told us the Americans would never fight. But when the Americans kept coming and coming up the hill at us -- wave upon wave -- I was never so scared in my life."

As Usual, The Americans
Went To War With Song

His sentiment was echoed by the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS men who looked out from their bunkers on Hitler's fortified "Atlantic Wall" on the morning of June 6, 1944, only to see the sea filled with thousands of American and British ships of all kinds and the skies filled with US warcraft in what was the greatest amphibious military invasion in world history.

38% of the United States Armed forces consisted of German-Americans, including the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Eastern Theater of Operations, General Dwight D. Eisenhower (later an American President) and a key combat General on MacArthur's Pacific command, General Robert Eichelberger.

In fact, Americans had a wartime joke that went: "The reason we won the war was because our Germans were better than their Germans."

And as usual, Americans went to war with music.

Here is the very famous Big Band hit of 1943, "The American Patrol," by the famed US trombonist and Big Band orchestral leader, Major Glenn Miller.

At age 38, Miller was too old to join the US Army, but he pulled political strings and obtained entry into the US Army Air Corps and was tragically killed when his plane went down over the English Channel when he was on his way to entertain US and British troops in France. "The American Patrol" was among his greatest ever compostions:

Here is the Andrews Sisters big US wartime hit, "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B":

"He was a famous trumpet man from 'round Chicago way.
He had a boogie style that no one else could play.
He was the top man in his craft.
But then his number came up and he was called to the draft.
He's in the Army now.
A blowin' reveille.
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of company B."

Wayne Newton and Heino Giving Thanks: Happy Thanksgiving Day Everybody!

2011-11-22T17:00:00.004-06:00

Wayne Newton as a 17 year old wunderkind -
When the Berlin Wall fell, his hit Danke Schoen
was everywhere on the US airwaves

In the panoply of American National Holidays, Thanksgiving ranks only behind Christmas and the 4th of July (Independence Day) in significance.

It is the day that the very earliest American settlers in Massachusetts, refugees from religious persecution in Europe, set aside to give thanks to God for his protection and blessings during their first year of settlement in the New World.

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of each November.

So on this Thanksgiving day, why not showcase songs that express thanks?

The first to come to mind is the 1963 smash pop hit by American, Wayne Newton, Danke Schoen. Newton was a post war baby boomer, who, unlike his contemporaries, eschewed rock 'n roll in favor of the more traditional, jazzy crooning of his parents' generation.

Discovered as a 17 year old in 1963, he was an instant sensation at night clubs throughout the US. He eventually settled in as a regular featured performer in Las Vegas where he was a mainstay at the big hotels and casinos for four decades.

When the Berlin wall came down in November of 1989, Americans who had lived through the Cold War were overjoyed and radio stations throughout the US (even hard rock stations) began playing Wayne Newton's Danke Schoen (probably because it was the only song with German words that many of them had in their archives.)

Here is the 17 year old Wunderkind, Wayne Newton, performing Danke Schoen (Thank You) on American TV in 1963:

And here is the iconic German schlager star, Heino, performing the lovely waltz, Habt Dank (I Thank You):

The Chicago Schlager Music Review extends its very warmest and best wishes to all for a very happy Thanksgiving Day

Marlene Dietrich: Veterans' Day 2011

2011-11-11T09:06:00.003-06:00

Born in Berlin, Marlene Dietrich
became a U.S. citizen in 1939

On this Veteran's Day, a day set aside by Americans to honor the sacrifices of the men who have fought honorably and often heroically in our nation's armed forces, what better song to highlight than Marlene Dietrich's famous Lili Marlene?

It was written in 1915 during World War I by Hans Leip (1893–1983), a school teacher from Hamburg who had been conscripted into the Imperial German Army.

As a poem it was published under the title "Das Lied eines jungen Soldaten auf der Wacht" ("The Song of a Young Soldier on Watch") in 1937, and was first recorded by Lale Andersen in 1939 under the title "Das Mädchen unter der Laterne" ("The Girl under the Lantern").

During the Second World War, the song was frequently broadcast by Nazi propaganda radio from Belgrade, Yugoslavia where it became extremely popular among both German soldiers and Allied troops who could pick up the Belgrade broadcasts in North Africa and around the Mediterranean.

In 1944, Marlene Dietrich, the Berlin-born movie star who had become an American citizen in 1939, recorded it in English for the United States OSS (precursor to the CIA), which used it for the entertainment of the American forces abroad.

Lili Marlene is a lovely, hauntingly sentimental song about the sad parting of lovers during wartime, and as such, is an indictment of man's unhappy propensity to armed conflict.

Here is Marlene Dietrich performing her classic Lili Marlene in English from a 1963 London performance:

Here Dietrich sings Lili Marlene it in its original German incarnation:

Andrea Berg Doesn't Miss A Beat With New Abenteuer Release

2011-11-07T15:05:00.001-06:00

Andrea Berg: Tough, blue-collar, feminine, sexy --
the coolest thing going on in schlager today

A friend from Germania wrote us and thanked us for putting up a link to the live broadcast of Helene Fischer's preview of her new Fur Einen Tag (Phanomen) CD.

"It was nice enough," he wrote, "but have your heard Andrea Berg's new Abenteuer CD," he asked. "It's fantastic!"

We couldn't agree more. While Fischer experiments with new vocal styles and tries to musically "find herself," Andrea Berg just keeps plugging away in her own exquisite and undeniably winning form.

Berg, the best selling recording artist in German history, seems to hold to the artistic philosophy, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Coming on the heels of last year's platinum selling Schwerelos CD, Abenteuer (Adventure), released on September 30th, is every bit as chock full of Berg's ethereal-voiced, hard-hitting schlager sound.

You can't help but really like Andrea Berg. In a schlager context, to Helene Fischer's Paul McCartney, she is Mick Jagger. To Francine Jordi's Barbie doll, she is Wonder Woman.

Tough, blue-collar, feminine, sexy: Andrea Berg is just about the coolest thing going in schlager today.

Here is the featured track from Andrea Berg's just released Abenteuer CD, Piraten Wie Wir (Pirates We Are)

And here is Andrea Berg in a recent live performance of another cut from the CD, Lebenslänglich (For Life)

Juliane Werding: Multifaceted Folk Star & Earth Mother

2011-10-27T20:25:00.009-05:00

Juliane Werding circa 1982

It seems folk singers are alike around the world -- moody, leftist in their politics and susceptible to offbeat mysticism and food and health oddities.

Germany's premier folk artist, Juliane Werding is no exception. After all, she made her first big splash with a song popularized by Joan Baez.

Over her 37 year career (she says she's temporarily retired as of 2009) the contemplative Essen native has churned out an astonishing 22 albums -- many of them gold -- won a mantle full of German music awards and sold out famed Berlin Friedrichstadt Palace twice, as late as 2000.

She is multifaceted, if ever there was an artist who could lay claim to that term. Werding has written scores of her own songs, published four books on health and religious topics and practiced as a homeopathic medical professional. (Homeopathy is much more accepted as a medical form in Germany than in the US and since 1939, during Adolf Hitler's National Socialist regime,its practice has been sanctioned and licensed by the German Governments.)

Juliane Werding came to attention as a 15 year old performing her folk music on SWF broadcasting and was immediately signed to a record contract.

A mere one year later in 1972, she hit the top of the German charts with Am Tag als Conny Kramer starb, a Germanized cover of the Band's 1968 American hit, later covered by Baez, The Night They Rolled Old Dixie Down. That disc stayed in the top ten in Germany for 14 weeks and sold over a million copies.

Juliane Werding today practicing
homeopathic medicine in Munich

In the ensuing years, despite time off for marriage to a theologian and childbearing, she churned out 22 albums, the last in 2008.

Like the quintessential leftist folkie Baez, she has embraced radical feminism (performing onstage in The Vagina Monologues) and environmental extremism. She told an interviewer in the German Kultur-Base.de that she supports the redistributionist Kyoto treaties and opposes man's "predatory exploitation of nature."

Since her tentative retirement announcement in 2009, Werding has reportedly devoted her full time to her herbal-based homeopathic medical practice in Munich, her home of the past 30 years.

Here Werding performs her 1994 cover of Roy Orbison's You've Got It in its Germanized form as Du schaffst es:

Here is Juliane Werding performing her breakthrough hit, Am Tag als Conny Kramer starb, a Germanized version of the American folk hit about the War Between the States, The Night They Rolled Old Dixie Down:

Antonia aus Tirol: Volksmuzik With Sex Appeal

2011-10-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

Bild Magazine ranked Antonia aus Tirol
among the sexier schlager women

It's hard to know what to make of Antonia aus Tirol aka Sandra aka Sandra Stumptner, the latter being the name she was given in 1980 at the time of her birth in the Upper Austrian town of Linz.

She's been recording for the past 11 years, turned out 5 albums and toured extensively throughout Germany, the Benelux countries and as far afield as Italy and Russia.

She's not really a big star -- her discs have generally hovered in the middle of the charts -- but she fills music venues everywhere she goes and usually with enthusiastic and energetic younger crowds.

Antonia aus Tirol has recorded duets with such prominent schlager stars as the iconic German, Heino and her fellow Austrian, D. J. Otzi.

She has a breathy, resonant voice and a self-confident stage presence and spontaneity that's uncharacteristic of Austrian female performers. She sometimes exudes an almost satiric quality. It's hard to tell if she's laughing at herself, her audience or just life in general.

Her musical output runs the gamut from Tirolean volksmuzik to 90s-era Americanized German language pop -- but whatever it is she's doing, she always seems to be having fun.

Bild magazine recently ranked her among the sexier female schlager singers, putting her in a class with Helene Fischer and Andrea Berg. That you'll have to judge for yourself.

Here is a definitely tongue-in-cheek treatment of a volksmuzik theme, Wenn der Hafer sticht (When The Oats are Ripe) It's not often that you see dirndl that could double as an American cheerleader's outfit:

Here is a cut off her recently released 2011 CD which is a cover of the big 1992 hit by 4 Non-Blondes Hey was geht ab? (What's Going On?)

Here is a 2010 live performance of the very pop Tranen Lugen Nicht (No Tears Welling Up)

Here is a quite eccentric, traditional-sounding schlager offering Er hat ein knallrotes Gummiboot (He has a bright red rubber boot)

Jurgen Marcus: 70s Star on Comeback Trail

2011-10-24T16:49:00.000-05:00

Jurgen Marcus' new Zeitreif CD
has been garnering good reviews

By Anne Ritchie
CSMR Correspondent

HOUSTON -- Hugely popular in the 1970's Jürgen Marcus was a heartthrob with his long blond hair and gorgeous smile.

Born Jürgen Beumer on June 6, 1948 in Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia, he originally trained as a locksmith. He performed in the German version of Hair in 1969, where he was discovered by producer Jack White.

Jürgen first hit the charts in 1970 with a cover of Simon & Garfunkle's El Condor Pasa which was entitled in German, Nur Du.

He had three consecutive top 10 hits in 1972-73. Most notably, Eine neue Liebe ist wie ein neues Leben ("A new love is like a new life") which peaked at #2 in 1972.

He also made his movie debut in the big screen 1972 film, Heut hau'n wir an die Pauke . He appeared in made for TV movies in 1975 and 1979.

Alternatively known as "the voice" or "the whip" because of his singing skills and performing style, up until 1982, he made a total of 36 appearances on the popular ZDF Hitparade. He holds the record as the performer with the most number one songs to have appeared on that show.

Jurgen Marcus during
the peak of his popularity

Jürgen represented Luxembourg in the 1976 Eurovision song contest, but placed 14th out of 18 entries.

He won numerous awards during his career (Golden Lions, Golden Record, Golden Europa, Golden Otto and many others).

After changing managers in 1979 Marcus experienced a significant commercial decline.

He released a comeback album in 2004 Ich glaub an die Welt ("I believe in the world") and a Christmas album in 2006 Tausend Lichter, tausend Kerzen ("A thousand Lights, A Thousand Candles").

In 2008 he released the Für immer (Forever), produced by schlager legend Christian Bruhn. Marcus' new release Zeitreif ("The Time is Ripe") has been garnering good reviews.

Marcus, a native of the Rhineland now lives in Munich, the Bavarian capitol city.

Here, from his new album is Jürgen performing Ich schau in mein Herz ("I Look Into My Heart") :

Here is Marcus' breakthrough hit Nur Du, a cover of El Condor Pasa by the American folk/rock superstars, Simon and Garfunkel (the video contains an interesting melange of footage of Jurgen at various stages in his career):

Here is Jürgen performing his classic Eine neue Liebe ist wie ein neues Leben ("A New Love is Like a New Life") on ZDF Hitparade in 1972:

The Nockalm Quintett: Schlager Superstars

2011-10-20T12:10:00.001-05:00

The Nockalm Quintett embrace interesting and
colorful themes with their full bodied schlager sound

By Stefan Wrana
CSMR Correspondent

KLAGENFURT am WORTHERSEE, AUSTRIA -- The Nockalm Quintett started out in 1982 as a band of five kids playing small venues in the tiny South Austrian town of Millstatt.

They've since expanded to seven members, churned out 30 CDs -- 26 of them gold -- won several national music awards and regularly pack big houses on their annual summer multi-country tours.

Along the way, they've accumulated thousands of, quite enthusiastic, fans who affectionately follow their beloved "Nockis."

Southern Austria, much like the American South, produces a disproportionately large number of successful musical acts. But of them, the Nockalm Quintett have nudged their way into the rank of genuine international superstars.

Part of their appeal, surely, is spawned by the hunky good looks and charisma of lead singer, Gottfried Würcher. He still provokes swoons from female concertgoers.

Lead Singer Gottfried Wurcher
provokes swoons from female concert-goers

But the Nockis have distinguished themselves by producing schlager/pop containing interesting and sometimes unusual themes.

In contrast with the usual schlager diet of heimat and sehnsucht and lost love, they've dealt with subjects like Napoleon, Mozart, Marilyn Monroe and Southern California.

In a nutshell, they produce interesting schlager music, for a change, and the fans and the record buying public have responded enthusiastically over the past two and a half decades.

The title cut from their newest CD, "Zieh dich an und geh" (Get Dressed and Go) even gets a little cutting edge (for schlager) in dealing with a man who's dating a friend's ex-wife.

Their full-bodied pleasant sound and rock band configuration is a bit reminiscent of their pop/schlager predecessors from the region, Die Paldauer, whom they've surpassed in appeal. Call them, Die Paldauer with a creative edge.

Here is the title cut from their new CD, "Zieh dich an und geh" (Get Dressed and Go):

Here they perform one of the most pleasant schlager songs you will ever hear, Mein Wunder der Liebe (My Miracle of Love) in a live performance from 2010:

Here's their hit which reached #2 on the charts in 2005 Amadeus in Love

And Here's their #1 hit from 2006, Einsam wie Napoleon (As Lonely as Napoleon)

Helene Fisher's On-line Phanomen CD Debut: A Phenomenal Phlop

2011-10-17T11:32:00.002-05:00

Helene Fischer at Hamburg's
Kehrweider Theatre last week

Last Wednesday, Helene Fischer gave a sneak preview of her new Phanomen CD, via a live performance before an intimate audience of 300 in Hamburg's Kehrweider Theatre.

The performance was streamed on-line by NUNA-TV and according to SWR-4 broadcasting, around 650,000 people logged on.

The Chicago Schlager Music Review viewed the 90 minute event during which Fischer performed 10 cuts from the new CD and in response to calls for an encore -- a few of her older schlager classics as well.

We were less than bowled over by her selections from the Phanomen effort. If you are a big fan of shrill, syrupy Celene Dion-styled ballads, rush right out and buy or download Phanomen. But if you discovered and came to like Helene Fischer by way of her classic, bouncy schlager tunes, you will want to keep your dollars safely ensconced in your wallet.

Of the 10 songs she previewed, a full 7 were ballads -- soft, slow ballads. After she belted out the third or fourth such annoyingly dreary offering, they all began to sound alike.

It's fun to watch the stunningly beautiful German chanteuse on-stage, but after a while even that didn't compensate for the ennui engendered by the lousy musical selections.

Fischer previewed her Phanomen CD
in a live performance streamed on-line

Had I been seated in the Kehrweider theatre in Hamburg rather than in front of a computer in Chicago, I would have been sneaking out to the lobby for a smoke about 20 minutes into Fischer's sluggish tedium.

She also performed 1 jazzy number, making use of her brass section and 2 songs that could be termed classic schlager although even that's a bit of a stretch in that I'm including the pop title cut single of Phanomen in that.

Fischer has retained one Jean Frankfurter to compose and produce her work. Apparently he is to blame for the sleepy balladizing of this once exciting songstress.

I wouldn't suggest shelling out hard earned dollars on Fischer's long-awaited Phanomen CD, her fifth album, which was released Friday.

The atmospherics of the event were interesting enough, however. Fischer was dressed as casually as she's ever been seen on-stage -- casual in an expensive Rodeo Drive kind of way. She wore a black crew top with sequined arms, teal green stretch pants and her customary black high heels,

Fischer was backed by "Living Presence" an 11 piece band, with electric and acoustic guitars, drums, keyboard and a small brass section.

Despite strenuous ongoing attempts to cultivate a younger audience, Fischer's handlers packed the 300 seat venue with a crowd which appeared to be quite elderly.

Interestingly, the old-timers only really came to life during the encore, when she performed her old schlager hits: 100 Prozent and Morgen früh küss ich dich wach.

You would think Helene Fischer's handlers would get the clue.

Here from the televised performance is Fischer's debut performance of the title cut to her new CD, Phanomen:

If you would like to see for yourself, the event will be re-broadcast tomorrow. Oct. 18th, at 1:15 pm Chicago time via the SWR4 website.

Sweden Does Indeed Have a Queen: Pop Superdiva Carola

2011-10-15T00:01:00.002-05:00

By David Hillier
CSMR Correspondent

Carola Häggkvist

LONDON, UK -- Back in September a prominent London blogger on things Scandinavian noted that the previous week Denmark had elected its first ever female Prime minister. This left Sweden as the only Nordic country which had never had a woman “in charge” but, she concluded, “Sweden has Carola Häggkvist and that beats everything hands down”.

A humorous remark, of course, but most Scandinavians would easily have understood her point.

Carola Häggkvist, generally known simply as Carola, was born in Stockholm in 1966 and has been one of Sweden’s most popular performers since making her television debut in 1977. In addition to recording many top-selling singles and issuing albums ranging from pop and disco to hymns and folk music, she has represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest three times.

On the first occasion, singing “Framling” (“Stranger”) and watched by an estimated 84% of her country's population, she finished in third place.

"Främling" became the title track to her first album which sold over one million copies and became the biggest selling album in Swedish history. Here, demonstrating both her youthful and dynamic performing style and the catchiness of the tune, Carola sings the English version of “Framling” entitled "Love Isn't Love”.

Her success with Framling led to the issue later in 1983 of the first of her many Christmas and devotional albums.

She represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest again in 1991 when her song “Fangad av en Stormwind” (“Captured by a Lovestorm”) was eventually declared the winner after a tense finale involving a count-back. It is not difficult to see from this clip why so many voters were enchanted by the infectious enthusiasm of her performance.

The song went on to become a big hit all over Europe and established Carola as the huge star that she remains today.

In 1995, she made her Swedish debut as a musical actress, playing the lead role of Maria in “The Sound of Music” in 325 performances and winning the prestigious Guldmasken ("Golden Mask") award. She also continued to record her now familiar mixture of pop and devotional music, revealing a particular passion for hymns.

She returned to the European Song Contest in 2006 with the typically Eurovision song "Evighet", (Eternity) (“Invincible”). However, despite being fancied to win and taking an early lead, she was eventually placed only fifth. By way of consolation, this did make her then second highest point scoring artist in the history of Eurovision.

Carola during her winning
'91 Eurovision Song Contest performance

Summer 2010 saw Carola embarked on a very personal project, a tour of Sweden performing the songs of Elvis Presley and Barbra Streisand as a prelude to the issue of a DVD and CD. The influence for this came from her childhood, when her parents played records by both their favourite artists. It received something of a mixed reception from her fans, the general consensus being that the “Barbra” material works by far the best.

Carola’s status as one of the most popular national celebrities in Sweden has inevitably meant that the press takes a close interest in all that she does. She has never made any secret of her Christian faith and much of the coverage has been around her membership of the evangelical church, “Livets Ord” (Life's Word). She was once married to a Norwegian Christian preacher by whom she has a son, Amadeus, which means "Loves God".

This article has included clips from two of the up tempo songs Carola has performed in the Eurovision Song Contest. But she can also perform well in a slower, more intense, mood, as witnessed by clip below of her 2003 song “Nar Loven Faller.”

Still only 45 years old, Carola is likely to continue to entertain her legions of fans in Scandinavia and further afield, and to remain “Queen of Sweden”, for many years to come.

D.J. Otzi: From Pauper to Schlager Prince

2011-10-13T00:01:00.033-05:00

D.J. Otzi overcame big obstacles to
emerge as one of schlager's biggest stars

By Anne Ritchie
CSMR Correspondent

HOUSTON -- With over 15 million in record sales, Austrian, D. J. Otzi is one of the superstars in the schlager constellation. He is also a very colorful character with an extremely interesting life narrative.

Born Gerhard Friedle on January 7 1971 in St. Johann in the Austrian Tyrol, young Gerry was passed to foster parents and finally to his grandmother as a young child. An epileptic, he embraced positive thinking to overcome the limitations of that affliction. He also survived a cancer diagnosis and worked his way out of homelessness in the early 1990s.

And today he has emerged as a really big star.

DJ Ötzi got started in music by trying to impress his girlfriend doing karaoke in clubs. He worked as a chef while trying to support his work as a DJ in clubs.

He was discovered and signed to a recording contract and his debut album, called "Das Album" ("The Album"), was on the Austrian charts for 75 weeks.

His second album was not as successful, but a single off of it, "Hey Baby," was a huge success. As a result,he became the first Austrian artist to earn gold and platinum records in the UK. The single even got airplay in the U.S. on some country stations.

In 2003, he caused a controversy by recording a satiric children's song, "Burger Dance" containing little more than names of fast food outlets, and mixing in a bit of the chorus of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. A boycott of his work ensued and his music was heard very little on the air over the next few years.

Otzi (R) collaborated with Nik P (L)
on the smash hit Ein Stern

In 2006, DJ Ötzi covered the Uwe Busse song "7 Sins" and did an animated children's video called "I am the Music man."

And 2007 marked the beginning of Otzi's big comeback with the release of the album "Sternstunden" ("Magic Moments"), which hit the top 10 on both the Austrian and German charts.

The single "Ein Stern (… der deinen Namen trägt)" ("A Star (... that bears your name)") hit number 1 in both countries. And "Sternstunden" went platinum in both countries as well.

Ever the merry prankster, in November 2007, DJ Ötzi made the Guinness Book of World Records for signing albums by consecutively signing over 4,000 copies of "Sternstunden," without a break.

His 2008 album "Hotel Engel" went to number 1 in Austria, but only 26 in Germany. His 2010 album "Du und ich" was even less successful.

His current album, "Der DJ aus Den Bergen," contains the hit single, "I Sing a Liad Für Dich," a cover of fellow Austrian, Andreas Gabalier's signature ditty.

DJ Ötzi married his manager Sonia Kien in 2001. They have a daughter.

Here's a really good example of DJ Ötzi's solo schlager, his big 2008 hit Noch in 100.000 Jahren (Even in 100,000 years):

Here is DJ Ötzi's first big single hit, a cover of Bruce Channel's 1962 US rock 'n roll classic Hey Baby:

This is another of his big hits, a cover of ECHO award winner Nik P's hit song, in which DJ Ötzi performs with Nik P. on the remake. This version became one of the decade's biggest selling pop singles in Germany, Ein Stern (der deinen Namen trägt) (A Star [with your name on it]):

Italian Schlager Stars Albano Carrisi and Romina Power: Happy Columbus Day Everybody!

2011-10-11T15:44:00.003-05:00

Albano Carrisi and Romina Power:
Schlager with Italian Soul

In honor of today, the traditional celebration of Columbus Day in the US and most of the countries of South and Central America, the Chicago Schlager Music Review will make its first foray into Italian schlager.

Unquestionably the iconic figure in Italian schlager is Albano Carrisi. Over his 45 year career, together with his wife of 29 years, Romina Power (the daughter of American movie star, Tyrone Power) he has sold a staggering 165 million albums worldwide.

Carrisi and Power enjoyed popularity across Europe, but particularly in their native Italy, Germany, Austria, France and Spain.

Together, Albano and Romina represented Italy in the Eurovision Song contest twice in '76 and '85, finishing seventh both times.

They competed in Italy's San Remo Music Festival in '82, finishing second with Felicita (Happiness)and winning in '84 with Ci Sara (It will be).

Their sound could best be described as schlager with soul. The music contains the traditional throbbing schlager backbeat, but their animation and warmth on stage surpass anything that you ever see in performances by their neighbors to the North.

Italians can dance. Germans, Austrians and Swiss -- maybe not so much. And Albano and Romina even occasionally displayed affection right on stage -- imagine that.

The couple divorced in 1999 after a marriage of 29 years, but continued collaborating on some projects. Carrisi continues touring and recording and remains a frequent presence on Italian television.

Here is a performance of their very big hit, Felicita (Happiness):

And here is their winning San Remo Music Festival performance of Ci Sara (It will be): (Please bear with the 18 sec. silent visual intro)

Helene Fischer's New Video: Phänomen

2011-10-09T15:53:00.002-05:00

Superstar Helene Fischer's just released her new video, Phänomen.

She looks tan, rested and as gorgeous as ever. Isn't seeing her again, as the old Irish saying goes, "a welcome sight for sore eyes"?

The veritable schlager music phenomenon, herself, sings to the object of her affections telling him that he is of such significance to her as to rank as a "phenomenon."

Here it is, hot off the presses, Phänomen (Phenomenon):

If Helene Fischer's record label, EMI-Germany has blocked the video in your country, here is Fischer's debut live performance of the song as performed before a Hamburg studio audience in October of 2011:

Germany's Perplexing Love Affair with David Hasselhoff

2011-10-09T14:51:00.000-05:00

To Germans the American B grade
actor is bigger than the Beatles

(Editor's note: This article is from The Chicago Lampoon, from which it is excerpted by permission.)

People say that the Germans have no sense of humor, but I say that is a bum rap.

For instance, Germans think that David Hasselhoff is one of the greatest pop singers of all time.

Now that is funny!

I first learned this several years back when a German friend told me that David Hasselhoff had become a big star in Germany.

My first reaction was: who? But upon reflection I recalled that he was the big, hunky grade B TV actor of 70s soap operas, 80s Knight Rider and 90s Baywatch fame.

And then my German friend apprised me that Hasselhoff was famous in Germany as a pop music singing sensation.

To which I replied: You've got to be kidding!

You see, among sentient Americans, the chisel-featured, barrel-chested, 59 year old German-American is barely considered an actor. And he decidedly is not considered a singer.

There is one basic reason for this and that is that David Hasselhoff cannot sing.

AOL Radio rated Hasselhoff's big German hit
among the top 100 worst pop songs of all time

Oh yes, he can passably carry a tune, just as any Chicago electrician might after downing several pitchers of beer while out with the boys at the local saloon on karaoke night.

And put him in a hi-tech recording studio with knob-turning, audio witch doctors and a large chorus of back up singers and he might turn out something with a vaguely discernible resemblance to music.

And yet for the past two decades, from '89 to the present (he has a 2011 album at #3 in Austria and high on the German charts), David Hasselhoff has been to German audiences and record buyers, bigger than the Beatles -- better than Elvis.

To Americans, this is befuddling and mind-numbing.

It ranks in incomprehensibility with the adulation that the French have accorded to the asinine 50's American comic actor, Jerry Lewis. The surrender monkeys actually think that Lewis is a comedic genius. YIKES!

In Germany, Hasselhoff cashed in with an output of genuinely banal, garage band-quality, soft rock, reminiscent of AM radio fare from his 80s and 90s TV heyday.

Baywatch buddies Hasselhoff and
Pamela Anderson now (l) and then (r)

Compounding the aural atrocity, Hasselhoff churned out some truly hideous covers of iconic American pop classics.

If you ever really want to ruin your day, just listen to Hasselhoff mangle the soft, vibrant Mamas and the Papas '67 classic, California Dreamin'. (You can hear it here, if you really feel you must.)

And if you live in a high-rise, please, stay away from the balcony if you should decide to listen to Hasselhoff butcher the Beachboys' classic ode to summer fun, California Girls -- you just might be tempted to jump off.

Hasselhoff's European anthem is a tediously droning song entitled, Looking For Freedom. AOL Radio ranked it as #98 on the list of the 100 worst pop songs ever recorded. No self respecting American record label would give it a second glance. No American FM pop station would give it the time of day. Yet this audio atrocity reached #1 on the German and Swiss charts in 1989.

There are 310 million Americans and I would hazard to say that about 200 million of them possess greater vocal talent than David Hasselhoff -- yet he is the one we exported to Europe.

Worse than that, the Germans not only bought his shtick, but they actually think that Hasselhoff is the greatest thing to hit Europe since the panzerfaust --- or the Stuka dive bomber.

Here is Hasselhoff's Looking for Freedom, rated among top 100 worst pop songs of all time by AOL radio, it reached #1 in Germany and Switzerland and #3 in Austria in '89:

Here he mangles Johnny Rivers' Secret Agent Man. (Warning, if you have dogs, please put them in the yard as Hasselhoff's off key screeching may induce them to howl in agony.) This is arguably the worst vocal effort you may ever hear in your lifetime:

Ekki Gospelt: Ostschlager Musical Mainstay

2011-10-08T09:55:00.000-05:00

Born in Soviet-occupied communist East Germany
Ekki has delighted audiences in the West

By Anne Ritchie
CSMR Correspondent

HOUSTON -- Ekki Göpelt is one of the leading Ostschlager performers (schlager performers who began their careers in the Soviet-occupied East German socialist state). He's been enchanting audiences in the East and West for a combined total of 40 years.

Born on New Years day 1950 in the war-ravaged Saxon town of Grimsby, young Ekki, became a teacher of music and German. In the early 70s, he performed for the first time publicly as an actor in the cult show "Herzklopfen kostenlos."

His career as a singer began in August 1971, first singing with a group called "Berlin-Sextett," then later going solo.

His first big hit was in the former communist East Germany, a schlager offering, "Begrabt mich in der Kneipe" ("Bury me in the pub").

Since then Ekki has averaged more than one album per year over the length of his entire career.

Lighthearted and personable, he has also spent much time working as a radio host. For 14 years, he hosted a show in the East called "Antenne Brandenburg Sonntagsvergnügen" ("Radio Brandenburg Sunday fun"). He often works jokes and comedic bits into his radio shows as well as his live singing performances.

After the fall of the Berlin wall, Ekki was the impetus for the creation of the schlager station, Radio Paloma. There he hosts Radio Paloma's "More Fun at Work" show on weekdays and also a weekend show.

A cancer survivor, he lives with his partner, singer and actor Michael Niekammer.

His latest hit single is ("You're Too Good to Be True") which unfortunately does not yet have a video, but keep an eye out for it. It includes the amusing line: "mein Herz geht Achterbahn" ("my heart goes roller coaster"). In the meantime, check out some other great videos of Ekki songs:

In "Der Sonne entgegen" ("Towards the Sun"), Ekki enjoys a river cruise while singing a happy tune:

"Frau Doktor" (no translation needed) is classic schlager with a little touch of his characteristic humor:

And here is "Nichts für die Ewigkeit" ("Not for Eternity"), a jazzy, sort of '60s cocktail lounge, little tune with an awesome video:

The Sunny Energy of Laura Wilde

2011-10-06T17:45:00.005-05:00

(Ed Note: With this article we welcome Anne Ritchie, a Houston Attorney and Legal Publications editor and longtime schlager music fan. The Texan will report and comment on schlager from a Southwestern US perspective.)

By Anne Ritchie
CSMR Correspondent

Laura Wilde exudes a vibrant energy
and playfully sunny disposition

HOUSTON-- 22 year old Laura Wilde is a newcomer to the schlager scene whose playfully vibrant energy and sunny disposition stand out in her acts.

She got her first break in October 2010, as a guest performer on the Carmen Nebel talk and entertainment show on German TV.

She gained confidence from this and other early performances and used them to impress schlager producer and singer, Uwe Busse, who helped jump start her career. Busse recalls that he was impressed by Laura's self confident, almost cocky assurance that she was ready to step into the big time.

The Mannheim native was taught to sing as a youngster by her Hungarian grandmother and began studying voice and piano formally at the age of 11

The little blond veers toward the pop side of schlager. Her most popular song "Wo hast du denn küssen gelernt" (Where Did You Learn To Kiss?) is a fun ditty where the girl compliments her boyfriend's kissing skills.

Laura's other breakout single "Ich sehe was,was du nicht siehst" (I spy with my little eye), is another happy little schlager tune about love.

She undertook a minor tour at small venues across Germany and Switzerland during the Summer of 2011.

Here is Wilde's schlager offering Wo hast Du denn Küssen gelernt
(Where did you learn to kiss like that?)

The power of her voice and her unusual ethnic musical orientation become quite evident in this clip of her singing Ungarisches Blut (Hungarian Blood), likely one of the songs she learned on her grandmother's knee:

Sandra May:Shining Austrian Star on Schlager Horizon

2011-10-04T10:32:00.000-05:00

Sandra May: Making a
lovely, soulful folk/pop sound

In astronomical terms a nova is a dim, almost indiscernible star that suddenly flashes up brightly and assumes its proper place in the heavens.

If there is a nova looming in the schlager constellation, poised to burst forth, it is Austria's Sandra May.

She was born and still resides in the little town of Leibnitz in the rural southeastern Styrian corner of Austria. From there Sandra May has emerged from seemingly out of nowhere to make some of the most lovely, soulful folk/pop schlager music that we have heard.

The daughter of a small town cop and a nurse, she was a musical child prodigy. At age 11 she won an Austrian national championship in her age group playing the flute.

But a freak accident (she broke her elbow) laid her up at a critical time in her musical development. So thereafter her music (with flute, piano and voice) became a private matter. But classical music's loss may have become schlager's gain.

A child prodigy with the flute, a freak accident
derailed May's classical music aspirations

This year, while working as an optician at Pearle Vision (the Savannah, Georgia-born company is now a multinational concern owned by a Dutch firm) a friend became aware of her musical talents and got her in contact with Austrian musical producer Arno Ganzer.

Recognizing a diamond in the rough, Ganzer signed her and wrote several songs for her. She has recorded 3 singles so far and the first fully tracked Sandra May CD is in the works.

An unknown at this time last year, she has now begun making sporadic public performances at community fairs and festivals in her native Styria.

Her sound is folkish in character but leans into mainstream ballad/pop. Think Joan Baez or Joni Mitchell with a touch of Linda Ronstadt -- delivered in a hauntingly expressive lower key.

She really seems to have internalized the messages of her contemplative, introspective songs -- it shows.

Our friends in Austria tell us that her delivery in the Styrian dialect of German is delightful. But it remains to be seen if that will be well received in the rest of the German-speaking world.

We really hope it will be.

Here is Sandra May's wonderfully soulful, Gedanken (Mind):

Her folk sound is most evident in this anthem to her bucolic Styrian homeland, Weil i a Steirer bin (Because I'm a Styrian)

Tina Anders' Compelling Austrian Schlager

2011-09-26T01:00:00.010-05:00

Tina Anders has produced some
utterly enjoyable schlager music

You can't help but like an Austrian girl who lists the USA as her favorite country and yearns to visit NYC and California once again. (She says that her favorite drink is pear juice, so she should fit right in with the health nuts on Venice Beach.)

But it's all the easier to like her when she turns out a compelling schlager sound with just the right mixture of soft femininity and Andrea Berg-like assertiveness.(Like Berg she even wears leather on stage sometimes)

Tina Anders is the stage name adopted by Martina Angerer, a thirty-something from Trieben in the Southeastern Styrian part of Austria. She's been immersed in music since her teens when she received professional voice and music instruction for several years.

She works in an office by day, but has still found the time to front for several local schlager bands and to vocally back up some fairly well-known schlager acts like Klostertaler, Andreas Fulterer and Nordwand.

She's decided to go it alone now and collaborating with CM Records' Christian Maier and fellow singer and friend, Christa Fartek has begun to produce some pretty nice and utterly enjoyable schlager music.

Here is a brand new video of what we think is her nicest schlager offering, Irren ist männlich (Men are incomprehensible)

Schlager Star Tony Christie Goes To Rescue of British Church

2011-09-23T15:24:00.001-05:00

By David Hillier
CSMR UK Correspondent

Tony Christie and Mary Duff did a
pro-bono concert to save St. Peter's Church

LONDON - Shortly after I had completed my recent piece about veteran British pop singer, Tony Christie, who is a celebrated star on the Germanic schlager circuit, I chanced upon a short, but nevertheless heartwarming, story that bears recounting. It demonstrates very clearly that, however famous Christie may have become, Tony has never forgotten the small community in which he was raised.

The same with another celebrated UK singer, Mary Duff, of whom more below.

Tony was born in the small South Yorkshire mining town of Conisbrough which is now chiefly known for its ruined medieval castle mentioned in Sir Walter Scott’s novel “Ivanhoe”. It is, however, also the site of what is believed to be the oldest building in South Yorkshire and one of the oldest churches in the whole country, the Church of St. Peter, built around 750 AD.

Twice in recent years, reflecting a situation here in England that is sadly becoming more common, thieves have stolen panels of lead from the church roof, thereby endangering the integrity of the whole ancient structure. And the cost of repairs has been estimated to run around £20,000.

Because thefts of this kind have become increasingly common, English insurance companies are no longer paying out and the church has been left to find this money itself. It has some cash in reserve but has also had to embark on a serious fundraising campaign to ensure that the repairs are completed and the ancient church is once more fully protected from the weather.

After hearing this, Tony Christie, who is still very much the town’s favourite son, readily agreed to play a one-off show at Conisbrough’s Ivanhoe Working Men’s Club in March 2011 to help raise funds for the church.

Schlager star, Tony Christie

And another internationally acclaimed, singing star, Mary Duff, also agreed to come to the aid of the church when she was approached for help.

Two residents of Conisbrough are such great fans of beautiful Irish singer, Mary Duff , that they follow her shows all around the world. Having become personal friends of hers, they have in the last year alone seen her perform in four different countries across two continents.

These two devoted fans in Conisbrough had previously persuaded her to put on a show there two years before to support of the Mothers’ Union charity.

When they turned to her again for help for fundraising for the church, she brought her own show to the neighboring Ivanhoe Centre in early September of this year.

While perhaps better known for performing alongside fellow Irish star, Daniel O’Donnell, Mary Duff is also a consummate solo performer. She has an extensive repertoire which includes mainstream pop and rock, Irish Country Music, American Country and Western music and American Gospel.

In recognition of her Country & Western sound (often called the American schlager) she was invited to perform at the signature American Country and Western Event, ‘The Grand Ole Opry' in Nashville, Tennessee..

So here in the British Isles, country - schlager stars -- like Tony Christie and Mary Duff -- have not only been bringing joy to audiences with their music. But they've exhibited warm hearted kindness in channeling their musical celebrity to civic good.

Here is Mary Duff singing the American Country & Western hit, Deep Water:

Stefanie Hertel and Stefan Mross File For Divorce

2011-09-22T14:08:00.004-05:00

Mross and Hertel:
Rumors had been swirling for months

Breaking news from Germany is that the schlager music couple, Stefanie Hertel, 32 and Stefan Mross, 35 have just formally filed for divorce. The schlager music hitmakers were childhood sweethearts from the ages of 15 and 18 respectively. They were married in 2006 and have a ten year old daughter, Johanna.

Mross, a trumpeter, won the Grand Prix der Volksmuzik in 1989 with the song Heimwehmelodie and Hertel, an East-German born Alpine-styled schlager singer, followed in 1992 with a victory in that event with "So a Stückerl heile Welt". They entered the event as a team in 1995 and finished second.

Rumors as to their marital troubles had apparently been swirling around schlager music circles for some time. Bild magazine reported that Mross had been having an ongoing extramarital affair. So they instructed their attornies to release a terse statement to German news media Wednesday.

It is interesting that in Germany, there seems a far greater tendency on the part of the press not to pry into the private lives of celebrities as energetically as in the US and UK.

Here is the statement that Hertel and Mross released:

Dear Friends and Fans:

This is the message we have just given to the German Press Agency (DPA):

Stefanie Hertel and Stefan Mross agreed to separate some time ago, but remain on friendly terms and will continue to work together.

Neither Stefanie Hertel nor Stefan Mross will comment on rumors of their involvement in new relationships and ask that you respect their privacy.

They would like to thank you for your support and understanding.

Stefanie Hertel and Stefan Mross

P.S. All of their previously scheduled joint appearances will take place as planned.

Apparently they'll have to at least tolerate each other for a while as they are scheduled to embark on an 18 city "Alpine Christmas" tour beginning November 30th.

Here they are performing together in happier times:

Die Randfichten's Dynamic Folk Sound

2011-09-21T13:52:00.000-05:00

Die Randfichten have spawned
a fiercely loyal cult following

Combining lighthearted humor with traditional folk forms, Die Randfichten has emerged as one of the leading lights of the volksmuzik scene.

Their very name "The Spruce Tree" evokes a pastoral image just as the North German trio musically captures the mood and feeling of traditional Germanic folk life.

In 1992 Thomas "Rups" Unger and Michl Rusty began performing together, forming the core of the group that would be rounded out with the addition of Thomas Lauterbach in 1997.

The trio hit the road together as Die Randfichten, maintaining a heavy concert regimen of up to 150 performances a year, mostly near their home turf of Saxony and Thuringia.

Signed to a recording contract in recognition of their growing grassroots popularity, they hit paydirt in 2004 with Lebt denn der alte Holzmichl noch? That hit #4 on the German charts and stayed there for 56 weeks, establishing Die Randfichten as a powerful presence in the volksmuzik realm.

Since then they've been a regular presence on German and Austrian TV and have amassed a parcel of music awards including an Echo (the equivalent of our Grammy award), the "Goldene Stimmgabel", and the "Krone der Volksmusik."

Here is a video of their lively hit from last summer, Rups am Grill (Rups at the Grill)

Here is a medley of Die Randfichten's hits as performed on the 2008 Starparade der Volksmuzik broadcast:

Here is their big hit Lebt denn der alte Holzmichl noch?“, which propelled them to stardom and stayed on the charts for 56 weeks:

And here is the soft, sentimental side of Die Randfichten, the very pretty, 's is mei Haamit

Running the gamut from lighthearted humor to soft sentimentality it's little wonder that Die Randfichten has developed a fiercely loyal, almost cult-like fan following of volksmuzik aficionados throughout the German speaking world.

Francine Jordi's Summer Vacation: 2011

2011-09-18T15:03:00.002-05:00

Francine Jordi was the featured performer at the Swiss
Embassy's August 1st "Swiss Day" in Bangkok, Thailand

I can't believe we've gone the whole summer without an update on our favorite Swiss schlager chanteuse, the perky and ever cute, Francine Jordi.

While she didn't undertake a grueling multi-city marathon tour this summer, like her fellow superstars, Helene Fischer and Andrea Berg, Francine Jordi, was by no means letting the grass grow beneath her feet.

On August 1st, at the behest of the Swiss government, she flew down to Southeast Asia to perform at the Swiss Embassy's, first ever, "Swiss Day" event at the Swissotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

Earlier in the year she was featured on the 30th anniversary special of the famed Musikantenstadl schlager show. And in late June, she travelled to Vienna for the big Danube Island Music Festival.

Additionally, she maintained a busy schedule of TV appearances and began work on a duet CD with pop singer, Florian Ast, which will be released on September 30th.

Here she is performing at this year's Musikantenstadl 30th anniversary broadcast:

Here she is at this summer's Danube Island Festival in Vienna, Austria on June 26th with the pop offering Die entdeckung der gefuhle (The discovery of feelings):

With the blustery Chicago winter heading our way, what better way to end the summer than with Den schönsten Kuss des Sommers (The best kiss of Summer) from Francine Jordi? She's really at her best in this little clip, also from the Danube Island Festival:

Is it just my perception, or does Francine Jordi seem to be getting more blond with each passing year? Must be the bleaching effect of all that Southeast Asian summer sun, right?

Echo Award Winner, Andrea Berg, Wraps Up 2011 Tour

2011-09-15T11:17:00.003-05:00

Andrea Berg accepts her
2011 Echo Award in Berlin

Andrea Berg just wrapped up her 2011 "Thousand and One Nights Tour" with a September 4th concert in Brunswick and she is unquestionably as hot as ever - both personally and commercially.

Between January 14 and September 4th she played to packed houses in 20 major German cities as well as in Salzburg and Vienna in Austria and Zurich, Switzerland.

She interrupted the tour just long enough to accept her 2011 Echo Award for Best German Language Female Schlager Vocalist, presented in Berlin on May 24th.

This came in the wake of the October 2010 release of her Schwerelos CD which shot to #1 on the German and Austrian schlager charts within a week of its release.

Berg, the best selling recording artist in post-war German history, seems to have toned down her persona for the 2011 tour by jettisoning the leather biker chick look for more elegant gowns. The more feminine attire seems much more compatible with the soft ethereal strains of her unforgettable voice.

Here is a 9 minute clip containing a medley from Andrea Berg's 2011 tour:

Is There American Schlager Music?

2011-09-12T14:11:00.004-05:00

While most readers of the Chicago Schlager Music Review arrive here after searching for their favorite schlager stars such as Helene Fischer or Francine Jordi, from our analytics we have noticed that a surprising
number are arriving after searching for the words "American schlager" or "Is there American schlager?"

Well the answer to that question is NO and MAYBE.

Schlager is a decidedly Germanic phenomenon with distinctive musical rhythms and usually performed in the native German language or in the cases of the peripheral countries, Dutch or Slovenian.

But as we noted when we launched this site, schlager has often been compared to American Country and Western music.

In many ways they are quite similar in lyrical content, in that they both emphasize country life, the traditional roles of men and women, sentimental love and a longing for home or heimat.

American country music stresses the simple life and often seems to relish its lower class origins. Its lyrics often sentimentally expound on the problems of the lower classes -- drunkenness, divorce, prison, loss of job.

In fact the famous Chicago satirist and folk musician, Steve Goodman, co-wrote a spoof of C&W music which began with the lines:

"Well I was drunk
The day my mom
got out of prison..."

American Country and Western music is the only popular American musical genre entirely uninfluenced by the music of the American negro. Its antecedents can be found in the Celtic folk music of the early Scots-Irish settlers to America and was later reinforced by the Celtic musical influences of the Irish immigrants from the Catholic South of Ireland.

Subgenres of C&W were influenced by the Cajun French who, being dissatisfied with life under the British Crown, relocated from Canada to the French colony of Louisiana, which in 1803 was sold to the American Republic by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, to finance his European wars (at 3 cents per acre for 829,000 square miles of prime American land it was probably the greatest real estate bargain in world history.)

American Country music moved Westward with the American settlers who conquered the Great Plains during the 19th century. In the isolation of the Wild West, it took on a number of distinct refinements, most notably a heavy reliance on the easily transportable guitar.

Today American Country and Western performers still often sport distinctive Western attire -- 10 gallon hats, Texas string ties and and cowboy boots -- although more than a few of them have likely never been astride a horse in their lives.

Compare this to the similar propensity of many Germanic schlager stars to perform wearing the traditional lederhosen and dirndl.

The similarities between Germanic schlager and American C&W are such that a formidable schlager subgenre has sprung up in the German speaking world which embraces and imitates the American music form. It is celebrated by an organized Country and Western Music Association -Deutsch and has been notably represented by such popular German schlager stars as Tom Astor and Linda Feller.

We were surprised to see that a popular Austrian radio station, Radio Alpenstar devotes its entire programming to "Schlager, Volksmuzik and Country Music."

So if anyone asks you if there is American schlager music, just tell them -- maybe-- and point them in the direction of American C&W.

Following are some representative samples of American Country and Western music.

Here Waylon Jennings performs his big 1978 hit, Luckenbach, Texas, a wistful song about returning to the simplicity of country life -- to one's heimat (appearing on stage here with Jennings are fellow Country & Western legends, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson who from 1985 to 1995 all performed together as the C&W supergroup, the Highwaymen)

Here is Mary Chapin Carpenter with an example of the Louisiana French Cajun subgenre of C&W performing her hit "Down At the Twist and Shout." (In the video as they pan the audience, you will see President Ronald Reagan's vice-President, (and later President) George H.W. Bush. Being from Texas, Bush was a big C&W fan. This writer met Mary Chapin Carpenter in Washington, D.C. Despite becoming a big C&W star, she was no backwoods country girl, having been the daughter of a prominent Washington lobbyist and having attended an elite Washington D.C. Prep school):

Here the Kendall's perform their spritely 1977 hit "Heaven's Just a Sin Away," before a German audience:

And here is the legendary, late Johnny Cash, the C&W personification of the strong, independent American man, singing his classic, "I Walk The Line":

Tony Christie: From UK "Big Voice" to Schlager Stardom

2011-09-09T16:22:00.000-05:00

Tony Christie

By David Hillier
CSMR UK Correspondent

LONDON - Along with Roger Whittaker, Tony Christie has become one of the principal Englishmen to become a big star in the German-speaking schlager music world.

Unlike Whittaker, however, Christie did so singing almost exclusively in his native English language.

Tony Christie is a popular English singer whose career has enjoyed an unexpected revival during the last decade. He recently celebrated 50 years in the music business.

Born Antony Fitzgerald, he freely admits to having adopted the stage name “Christie” out of an affection, shared by millions of other young men at the time, for the glamorous English actress, Julie Christie.

He began his musical career as a teenager in industrial South Yorkshire, amongst a landscape of coal mines and steel mills, performing in the demanding settings of local working mens' clubs.

Starting out as one of “The Grant Brothers”, a duo who consciously modelled themselves on the 50s and early 60s American pop sensations, The Everly Brothers, he subsequently joined a local group called “The Counterbeats”.

After a first attempt to launch a career as a solo performer in London proved unsuccessful, he returned to the then thriving Northern club scene, and quickly established himself as one of its star attractions.

This time a record contract materialised, and Tony’s first hit, ‘Las Vegas’, reached Number 21 in the UK charts at the start of 1971. It was quickly followed by such international hits as ‘I Did What I Did For Maria’ which peaked at Number 2, ‘(Is This The Way To) Amarillo’ (written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield) and ‘Avenues And Alleyways’, the theme tune to the British TV series “The Protectors”.

These songs have been characterised as “big voiced songs” and their chart success led to Tony undertaking a number of worldwide tours. These years on the road ensured that when, by the mid 1970s, opportunities for recording were becoming rarer, there would always be people who wanted to listen to Tony Christie.

Although his popularity waned in his native England through most of the 1980s and 1990s, Tony, who moved to Spain, was able to maintain a successful singing career in continental Europe and in Western Germany in particular. He had a huge hit there with “Sweet September “and went on to record nine albums for the German market between 1991 and 2002, the first of which, “Welcome to My Music”, reached number 7 in the charts and went platinum.

Here is Tony performing a medley of his biggest schlager hits before his German fans in a 2009 Musikantenstadl broadcast where he ends with a little duet with Andy Borg:

Tony’s fortunes in the UK were, however, then to revive most dramatically, almost by chance. In 2002, the English comedian Peter Kay featured "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo", which had become Tony’s signature tune, in his popular UKTV comedy series “Phoenix Nights”.

This led to a resurgence in Tony’s popularity, which received another significant boost when the original 1971 track of "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo", was re-released on in March 2005 to raise money for the Comic Relief charity.

It reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart and held that position for seven weeks, becoming the longest running chart-topper since Cher’s "Believe” almost seven years earlier. An album, “ The Definitive Collection” also reached the number one spot in the UK Album Chart and broke more records when it also came in at number one on the downloads chart.

Here is a BBC broadcast of Tony back home in the UK performing his big comeback hit, Amarillo:

In 2005 Tony re-recorded "Amarillo" with the Hermes House Band specifically for the German market. This version of the song reached number 25 in the German charts. As a result of the revived song's success, Tony was given the Freedom of the City award by Amarillo, Texas.

Christie has now returned to live in England where he has continued to make recordings, releasing his nineteenth studio album, the 1960’s retro-themed “Now’s The Time” in February 2011. During the summer of 2011 he undertook an extensive tour within the UK and has plans for a tour of the UK and Germany next year.

Throughout the ups and downs of his career Tony Christie has enjoyed the unswerving support of his wife, to whom he has been married for 43 years, and his son, Sean, who is his manager.

Tony Christie has unquestionably become one of the biggest British stars ever to enter the schlager music firmament.

Monika Martin-The Silent Star (Der Stille Star)

2011-08-29T01:00:00.005-05:00

Editor's Note: With this article we introduce the Chicago Schlager Music Review's UK Correspondent, David Hillier. Mr. Hillier, a longtime British government operative and avid schlager music fan, will regularly report on schlager from a British perspective.)

Monika Martin

By David Hillier
CSMR UK Correspondent

LONDON -- One of the artistes featured in the Chicago Schlager Music Review's 2 May analysis of schlager singers who had covered American hits, was the sweet-voiced Austrian, Monika Martin.

She is a rare example of someone who has made a career move from practising academic to stage performer. She is known to her fans as "Der Stille Star" (the Silent Star), on account of her reticence about her private life.

Monika has a long track record of hitmaking that began in the mid 1990’s and has risen to become one of the most successful female schlager singers in the German speaking world, ranking behind only Andrea Berg and Helene Fischer in popularity.

While generally classified as a schlager performer, she can also be considered one of the leading Austrian practioners of volkstumliche musik, a variant of volksmusik which incorporates contemporary themes and styles as distinct from the Alpine motifs generally associated with the genre.

Born Ilse Bauer on May 7, 1962, in Graz, Styria, a part of Southern Austria best known for its pumpkin oil and aromatic white wines, Monika numbered amongst her childhood hobbies making model aircraft and looking after homing pigeons. Now an older and wealthier adult, she collects old Meissen porcelain.

Her first live stage performance came at the age of ten when she had a small part in the opera “Carmen”, performed by the children's choir of the Grazer opera.

She went on to study solo singing at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz from 1982. To pay for her studies, from 1986 until 1992 she sang lead vocals in a band known as “The Heart Breakers mit (with) Dr. Ilse Bauer.”

Monika Martin went on to study art history and ethnology, obtaining a doctorate of philosophy in 1990. She has made it very clear, however, that her perceived status as an “intellectual” should not make her fans, with whom she has established a great rapport, shy about coming up to talk to her.

The only schlager star with a PhD

After 1990 she worked as an art teacher and, in addition, launched her own ceramics business in Graz in 1994.

Martin embarked on a solo singing career in 1995, releasing her debut album “La Luna Blu” the next year. This title track became one of her greatest all-time hits and came second amongst Austrian participants in the prestigious Grand Prix der Volksmusik.

Here is her groundbreaking hit, La Luna Blu (Blue Moon):

Monika’s second album, “Immer Nur Sehnsucht” (1997) included the major hit "Goodbye Farewell." while her third, “Klinge Mein Lied” (1999), reached gold sales status despite not featuring an individual hit on the scale of the previous two.

Having become established as a hitmaking singer with considerable commercial appeal, Monika gave up teaching in 2000 to concentrate full time on her singing career and has continued to produce a string of popular albums at regular intervals.

Monika is a devout Christian and has always included a considerable number of devotional songs in her repertoire. Most recently she has taken to performing wearing glasses, which only serves to add to her modest charm.

Like Helene Fischer, from whom she is otherwise very different, she has performed some material in English "translation" with sometimes similarly disappointing results. In 2002 a 12 track CD in English also entitled “La Luna Blu” was released in South Africa. Six of those songs formed a bonus CD in the deluxe edition of her 2008 album “Du Hast Mich Gekusst”.

Monika’s soft and gentle voice does, however, seem particularly well suited to performing early BeeGees's songs and her English versions of “Massachusetts” and “Don't Forget to Remember Me” are sublime.

Here is her cover of the BeeGee's big hit, Massachusetts:

Clearly, having combined a formidable academic background with her extraordinary talent as a musical performer, Monika Martin ranks as one of the most fascinating figures in the schlager music firmament.

Schlager for Kiddies (Loriot Cartoon)

2011-08-26T14:08:00.001-05:00

Before the advent of cable and satellite TV, in the US, Saturday morning was always the time reserved for kids' TV shows. From 7 am to noon the networks and their affiliates would run non-stop cartoons and other kids programming.

I was planning on putting up a Saturday morning post on schlager for kids this weekend and discovered that the cartoons I had picked out were by the renowned German satirist, writer, comedian and cartoonist, Loriot, who passed away Thursday at age 87.

This is a major cause for remorse throughout Germany as Loriot was a beloved national figure. The German newspapers and magazines are today filled with moving tributes to the man.

Loriot

So with that mentioned I lead off this Schlager for Kiddies piece with Loriot's animated cartoon of Wum & Wendelin. Seems that in the land that produced Beethoven, Bach and George Frideric Handel they even had musical cartoon figures:

And here are two schlager stars, Maxi Arland and Stefan Mross who for some reason decided to do Hi Ho from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, created by Chicago's own Walt Disney:

And here is Loriot's Hundklavier (Dog Piano):

Nana Mouskouri: Angelic Voice in 12 Languages

2011-08-24T12:32:00.005-05:00

Nana Mouskouri

Nana Mouskouri is a legendary international singer who has sold a phenomenal 400 million records worldwide over her 5 decade career.

She has recorded in a dozen languages including Greek, German, Dutch, English, Welsh, Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Hebrew, Mandarin Chinese and Maori.

She is colloquially said to have been a singer with the voice of an angel and a face only a mother could love.

She persistently refused the urgings of her handlers to shed her trademark thick rimmed eyeglasses and rather dumpy schoolgirl hairdo. But in the end they proved to be no impediment whatever to her wild international success.

Born in Greece in 1934, she was admitted to the Athens Music Conservatory at age 16 to study operatic voice, but was expelled after 9 years when a stodgy professor learned that she was singing at jazz nightclubs at night. Throughout her serious academic studies she had been a secret admirer of the music of American greats, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.

As it turned out, opera's loss was popular music's gain.

She continued singing at a fashionable Athens jazz club and there met a prominent Greek composer, Manos Hadjidakis, who was impressed with her unique voice and began writing songs for her, one of which she sang to win the 1959 Greek Song Festival.

She won a number of other vocal competitions and was signed to a recording contract with Phillips-Fontana records.

In 1961, Mouskouri sang the soundtrack to a German television documentary about Greece. This produced the German-language single Weiße Rosen aus Athen (The White Rose of Athens). The song was originally adapted from a folk melody by Hadjidakis.

It became a colossal success, selling over a million copies in Germany. The song was then translated into several other languages and it went on to become one of Mouskouri's signature tunes.

As a result of this first successful foray into German pop, Mouskouri was adopted by German schlager fans as one of their own and continued to rank high on the schlager music charts well into the 80s.

After a successful worldwide farewell tour, which included US concerts in Florida, New York City and Boston and a dozen Canadian cities,Nana Mouskouri formally retired in 2008 and now resides in Switzerland with her husband, Chapelle.

Here is a German Television clip from the 1960s featuring Nana singing the very beautiful Weiße Rosen aus Athen (The White Rose of Athens).

(Please bear with the rather annoying 21 second German TV introduction and the peculiar little mouse animations that occur in the clip. German TV was rather primitive in the 60s.)

English speaking people can more fully appreciate the incredible beauty of her voice in the treatment of this song by hearing it in their own language. Here is a brief BBC capsule of the song's history which includes her 1974 Royal Albert Hall performance of the English language version, The White Rose of Athens:

Here she sings Lieder, die die Liebe Schreibt (Songs That Write the Love) from her 1981 German hit album, Meine Lieder sind mein Leben:

Nana Mouskouri is still revered by schlager fans throughout the German speaking world and worldwide has to be counted among the greatest pop performers of all time.

More Oesch's Die Dritten: Their 2011 Performances

2011-08-20T17:43:00.003-05:00

Oesch's Die Dritten

Since we first profiled the popular Swiss family group Oesch's Die Dritten on May 16th, there has been a surprising outpouring of interest in them on this site.

A lot of it, no doubt, comes from the cohesive Swiss communities in the United States, for whom the group is a happy reminder of their heritage.

Having lived briefly in the heavily Swiss community of New Glarus, Wisconsin, I am well aware of the importance Swiss-Americans ascribe to their roots in Switzerland.

The Oesch Die Dritten: Hans Ueli and Anne Marie Oesch, their children, Melanie, Kevin and Mike and the accordion player Heinz Haldi have been very busy this spring and summer with a number of concert and televised appearances and their first trip to Finland, where they were previously little known.

They seem to be consolidating their position as one of the foremost up and coming schlager music acts.

Here are clips of recent 2011 Oesch's Die Dritten performances:

A new 2011 video - Swiss Girl der Alpen:

Here's a televised performance of Die Berge, sind mein Zuhaus (The mountains are my home) from June 5th:

Here's another new 2011 video, Wir sind eine Jodelfamilie (We are a yodeling family) with scenes of a family picnic in the mountains punctuated by Melanie's signature yodeling:

Germany's Singing Cowboy: Tom Astor

2011-08-19T12:23:00.002-05:00

Tom Astor

Tom Astor was born Wilhelm Brautigam in 1943 wartime Schmallenberg, Sauerland and has become Germany's biggest name in American-styled Country & Western schlager.

He started out as a traditional schlager singer in 1963 but in the late 70s Astor decided to carve out a niche for himself in the growing German C&W movement.

In '84 he had his first big C&W hit with Hallo, guten morgen Deutschland, (Hello, Good Morning Germany.)

From there he skyrocketed to fame, performing regularly on German TV and in concert throughout the Germanophonic world. He has released 40 albums and 600 singles with more than 4 million in sales throughout his career.

He has recorded duets with such American Country and Western luminaries as Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Crystal Gayle and Dolly Parton. He appeared at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN -- America's premier Country & Western event -- in 2000 (two years after his female German C&W counterpart, Linda Feller appeared there.)

And his appeal is by no means on the wane. GoldStar TV in Germany aired a "Tom Astor Live" special broadcast of him performing in an open air concert just yesterday evening. August 18th.

Here he is back in his 1984 prime singing his breakthrough hit, Hallo, guten morgen Deutschland

Here is Astor's second Gold record performed in 1990, Jungen Adler (Young Eagles) Interestingly, it incorporates Celtic bagpipes, something never heard in American C&W:

Here he is reprising his signature hit in 2005 before a sizable crowd. Apparently he changes the lyric slightly depending on the time of day as this is Hallo, Guten Abend, Deutschland (Hello, Good Evening, Germany):

And here is a 1996 performance where Astor teams up with the only son of the legendary Johnny Cash, John Carter Cash, to sing his father's anthem, "Ring of Fire," on German TV. While a formidable composer and producer in his own right, son John was clearly not a chip off the old block when it came to singing. Astor actually outshines him here:

Traditional Bavarian Fashions Becoming Chic

2011-08-17T10:38:00.007-05:00

Traditional lederhosen and dirndl
are becoming hip in Germany

Several years back I was at a thrift store on Western Avenue and on the rack amidst the second hand Brooks Brothers and Jos. A. Banks mens' suits, I spied a lone lodenjanker.

That's a traditional country sport jacket indigenous to Bavaria and the other Southern regions of Germany and the odds of that showing up in a Chicago thrift store are something like 1 in a million. I'm sure my ancestors wore them, but I'm sure no one in my line has worn one in well over 100 years.

lodenjanker

It fit me and I was tempted to buy it. But then better sense prevailed. When, after all, would I actually wear the damned thing? Maybe once a year at Maifest Chicago or possibly at an occasional DANK Haus stammtisch.

And I would feel like a damned fool being seen in it on the streets of Chicago going to and from those events.

Well, it seems I might have passed up a great bargain, because now, word comes from Der Spiegel that traditional Bavarian couture is becoming the hottest thing in Germany today -- not just in Bavaria but everywhere.

Helene Fischer and Florian Silbereisen
in dirndl and lederhosen

Sort of like as in Huey Lewis' 1985 song, "It's hip to be square", it's apparently becoming so hip to don lederhosen or dirndl in many parts of Germany - at least for parties and special events - that manufacturers of the traditional apparel can't keep pace with demand and prices are soaring.

Helene Fischer, Francine Jordi and Andrea Berg among many other schlager songstresses have been photographed wearing dirndl, to very good effect.

I should have bought that lodenjanker when I had the chance.

Here the svelte Swiss schlager star, Marianne Cathomen sports a dirndl while singing her breakthrough Hey Baby küss mich nochmal (Hey baby, kiss me again):

Schlager superstar, Andrea Berg wears traditionally conservative dirndl in the Christmas sequences of this very nice video of Schenk mir einen stern (Give me a star.)

Rosanna Rocci's Italianate Swiss Sound

2011-08-15T13:52:00.005-05:00

Rosanna Rocci

The 43 year old Rosanna Rocci is something of an international pop star who veers off into schlager from time to time.

Born in the Italian canton of Switzerland, her family relocated to Northern Italy and she effectively grew up there.

In the early 90s the vivacious blond was discovered by the German musical composing team of Hanne Haller and Bernd Meinunger who worked with her in the Allgauer region of Bavaria.

From there she toured much of Europe with British singer Tony Christie and Italian Umberto Tozzi and became internationally known.

In 1992 she began singing more extensively in German and teamed up with her husband, the slightly Elvis-resembling, Michael Morgan to win the 1999 German Schlager Festival. Since then she individually and with him has continued to produce a steady stream of hits.

Here is a brand new 2011 video of her new pop offering Du Bist Kein Americano (You're no American) where she pokes fun at the ubiquity of American pop cultural influences (a complaint for which I don't entirely blame her.) You'll certainly recognize a lot of the words in here: " Baseball, Big Mac, Whiskey &Soda, Rock'n Roll." And it looks like they're as sick and tired of Obama over there as we are here.

And here Rosanna Rocci performs her major schlager hit, Arrivederci Hans:

Schlager Music's Gifts To The Nursing Profession

2011-08-10T13:54:00.002-05:00

The 2 Spelas may not have been nurses
(but they played them on video)

It seems that several of the bigger female schlager stars were at one time involved in the medical profession as nurses.

Bavarian schlager superstar, Andrea Berg has sold more records than anyone in German recording history, but well into her 30s, she was a nurse.

Austrian sister stars, Sigrid and Marina used their income from their day job as nurses to pay for formal voice lessons which led directly into their professional singing careers.

And the two hot blond Slovenian Spelas -- Groselj and Kleinlercher -- to my knowledge, never actually were nurses, but to lift a line from a popular American TV commercial -- "they played one on TV."

In fact, the Atomik Harmonik video, in which they played nurses may have done more to popularize the nursing profession than anyone since Florence Nightingale.

Here are videos of the three schlager acts with connections to or reference to the nursing profession:

Andrea Berg -- Schenk Mir Einen Stern (Give me a star)

Sigrid & Marina -- Medley from Hansi Hinterseer Austrian TV special

Atomik Harmonik -- The Turbo Polka (Nurse video)

Die Amigos: Schlager Music as Utterly Mystifying Schmaltz

2011-08-01T19:47:00.002-05:00

Die Amigos

As a home grown American boy, despite my German heritage and personal sympathies for Germanic schlager music, sometimes I run into something schlager and just have to throw up my hands and exclaim, "I just don't get it."

Die Amigos left me with just that mystifying perplexity.

Die Amigos consist of two brothers, Bernd and Karl-Heinz Ulrich. They are from the tiny Hessian town of Villengen, which boasts 1,400 souls, one grammar school, one bakery and one butcher shop.

The Ulrich boys began performing at local events around Hesse and were discovered by a promoter in 1986 which led to a self-produced CD.

They released a number of discs throughout the '90s and early millennium with very limited success, but began to come to popular notice in 2006 and hit the top of the charts with their single, the very peculiarly named, Der helle Wahnsinn (Weird Science) in 2007.

Die Amigos were nominated for an Echo award (the German equivalent of a Grammy) that year for that hit record, but lost out to schlager superstar, Andrea Berg.

They won an Echo this year in the folk music category.

Die Amigos have a lot of devoted fans, a number of avid fan clubs and sell a lot of records, but frankly, I don't get it.

Their sound is sometimes pleasant enough, but they seem to have developed schmaltz into a high art form.

One of their hits, Auch Engel müssen manchmal weinen (Even Angels Have To Cry Sometimes) was truly the most syrupy paean to cheap sentimentality ever to be spewed forth in any language. The video for the song showed a fawn-like girl wearing a white dress and angel wings, prancing around on an expansive lawn, looking sad. Egads!

Die Amigos With Avid Fan

You can see it here -- if you really want to.

Otherwise, Die Amigos come across like genial old retirees, dressed in 70s era leisure attire -- the sort you might see sauntering down a beach in one of the cheaper South Florida resort communities.

And I, for the life of me, can't see what all the excitement is about. They have successfully toured Germany, Austria and even Canada.

Well, maybe I can understand their Canadian success. After all, don't Canadians wear 70s-era leisure suits as they saunter down the beaches in our cheaper South Florida resort communities?

Here is Die Amigos first big hit which reached #1 on the German charts in 2007, the very oddly named Der helle Wahnsinn (Weird Science)

And here is their tribute to schmaltz, Juanita

New Atomik Harmonik Release: The Traktor Polka

2011-08-01T01:00:00.006-05:00

Atomik Harmonik's New Cast

The Slovenian schlager/pop institution, Atomik Harmonik has just released a new video of their new song, The Traktor Polka.

This group seems to undergo as many personnel changes as one of those 90s boy bands or a 60s Motown act on the American oldies circuit.

In the first instance, the boys voices would change and that would require new members and in the second case replacements would be needed for aging band members who kicked the bucket.

But what is Atomik Harmonik's excuse for their revolving-door membership?

As we chronicled in our May 31st article, the principal star, Spela Groselj, who was one of the original members in 2004 has left to pursue a solo career. So has Spela Kleinlercher, the other original hot blonde.

Here with two new, somewhat less engaging replacements, is their new 2011 release, the
Traktor Polka:

Compare that to their first hit in 2004 of what became known to English listeners as the Turbo Polka. In Slovenian it was entitled Brizgalna Brizga (Fire Hose Spray) and was their first hit ever, performed with the original two blonde bombshells, Spela Groselj and Spela Kleinlercher:

Die Jungen Zillertaler: Tyrolean Party Animals

2011-07-28T11:42:00.001-05:00

Die Jungen Zillertaler

The Zillertal is an Alpine area of Austria that is near the point where Austria, Switzerland and Germany converge and it has produced one of the liveliest traditional schlager groups around: Die Jungen Zillertaler.

The trio has put out a dozen best selling CDs since '97 and has spawned 11 enthusiastic fan clubs throughout the German speaking world and even beyond into Belgium.

They seldom deal with serious topics -- these boys are into fun.

The group consists of Ladstätter Markus (vocals, bass), Daniel Prantl (guitar, vocals) and Michael Ringler (accordion, vocals) and they inject a real joie de vivre into their onstage performances.

They're traditional, no doubt about it. But they exude a kind of quirky enthusiasm that is contagious.

See for yourself:

Here's their first big hit and perennial fan favorite, So a schoner tag (What a nice day)

And here's Boarisch where they perform an amusing on-stage dance while carrying their instruments and pull off an unexpected electric guitar riff:

Die Jungen Zillertaler are the total Tyrolean party animals and that probably explains their widespread popularity.

Tamara and Michael Bern: On Schlager's Cutting Edge

2011-07-25T16:10:00.002-05:00

Tamara Bern

We recently received a missive from Austria regarding a new husband and wife performing team who seem intent on exploring new dimensions in the realm of schlager.

They are Tamara and Michael Bern from Innsbruck. Both have deep roots in traditional schlager/pop.

Tamara, who was classically trained at the Tyrol Music Academy has sung with a number of schlager bands over the past decade in both German and English.

Michael is something of a Renaissance man -- an attorney who lectures in entertainment law at the University of Innsbruck, he is a singer and musician in his own right and has composed a number of works for other artists. On top of this he has found time for philanthropic work for cancer-stricken children in Austria and for penning a controversial protest song.

"Renaissance Man" Michael Bern

The two have collaborated on a music video in a genre they call schlager/disco and have a complete album in the works.

Their new video deals with the notion of reincarnate lovers meeting at different junctures in time.

The concept of reincarnation has been treated in song in several memorable ways. First there was the beautifully lyrical 1937 show tune by Rogers and Hart, "Where or When," which has been covered more than 100 times by various artists over the years. Its message is of love rediscovered in time:

"It seems we stood and talked like this before.
We looked at each other in the same way then.
But I can't remember where or when..."

The concept was treated in a rather brazen pop form by Crosby, Stills and Nash in their 1970 "Deja Vu" and more artistically in the surrealistic "One Velvet Morning" by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood in 1968, which has developed into a cult classic with almost 1 million YouTube hits.

Tamara and Michael Bern treat the same (shall we say, timeless) topic in their maiden release, "Ewige Liebe" (Eternal Love). The video has a haunting quality with its historical flashbacks and Michael Bern's deep tones add to that effect. First, here's the original German version followed by the one they translated into English:

Ewige Liebe -- (Eternal Love)

In the English version, Tamara's voice stands out as her classical training and experience show in almost impeccable vocal phrasing.

Here's Love Without Limits (English Language Version):

Petra Frey: Pillar of Austrian Schlager/Pop

2011-07-21T14:56:00.007-05:00

Petra Frey

Petra Frey was a 15 year old hotel clerk from Wattens, Austria when she began recording her first CD. It wasn't a huge smash, but it was a beginning and for the best part of the past two decades she's been a mainstay of the schlager world.

She's has been a regular contestant in the principal popular music competitions in Europe but without a whole lot of success.

She won the rights to represent Austria in the Eurovision Song Competition in 1994, but finished a dismal 17th. She tried again in 2003, but was runner up in the Austrian trials and again earlier this year, she failed to make the cut for the 2011 event.

But she has produced a steady stream of pleasant, quality schlager over the years and just released her 13th CD, Einfach Petra Frey (Simply Petra Frey) in April.

Her sedate, friendly Austrian stage presence continues to keep her among the ranks of fan favorites and best record sellers throughout the Germanophonic schlager world.

Here is a nice 2007 video of her schlager hit-- Fegefeuer (Purgatory):

And here's her dance beat-laden, Küss mich - lieb mich - halt mich fest -- Kiss me - Love me - Hold me, filmed for some reason in the other North American Second City, Toronto, Canada:

(Thanks to Chicago Schlager Music Review Reader MannD, for the excellent suggestion that we profile Petra Frey.)

Natalija Verboten's New Slovenian Anthem

2011-07-19T09:40:00.002-05:00

Natalija Verboten:
Still Smokin' Hot at 35

We have the new Natilija Verboten video that was just released at the end of June and it really showcases her flamboyant talent along with her stunning natural endowments.

Natalija's roots are in schlager as we pointed out in the profile we published of her on May 21st. It is schlager of the Slovenian variety which contains definite Balkan and Hellenic influences (you will hear a Greek OPAH!! in this song.)

But Verboten seems to like to straddle the schlager/pop fence. In fact she is one of the few schlager artists that the au courant Europop sites consider cool enough to feature as was recently the case in the spritely Los Angeles-based Europopped.

Her new "Sing Slovenia" is replete with schlager's countrified elements, but she manages to fuse those with a glitzy Europop edge.

First here's the newly released version of the video. It's Natalija's
totally smokin' hot version of Zapoj Slovenia -- Sing Slovenia.

(As far as national anthems go, this is one of the very few that most men might gladly be persuaded to fight and die for. The ridiculous old Yugo-communist, Tito, would have had a far easier time holding off Stalin if he'd have had this to goad on his troops.)

And so there's no mistake about the song's schlager roots, here's Natalija's rustic schlager version of Zapoj Slovenia (Sing Slovenia) complete with hefty Slovenian fishwives in 19th century rural attire:

Jan Smit: From Schlager Wunderkind to High Energy Hollander

2011-07-18T15:53:00.006-05:00

Jan Smit in concert

Dutch schlager/pop star, Jan Smit has been to the top and to the bottom and back to the top again. He's had his tumultous love affairs recounted in detail on the front pages of Europe's tabloids. He's lost and regained his precious voice and his life story has been made into a popular Dutch made-for-TV movie.

And all of this at the ripe old age of 25.

As Jantje (Johnny) Smit, he was discovered in 1997 at age 12. As a child star singing traditional Germanic schlager he had a #1 hit in Holland and several hits in the German market as well.

In 2000, despite his Dutch nationality, he teamed up with schlager performer Oswald Sattler to win the Grand Prix der Volksmuzik representing the South Tyrol.

A few more child star schlager hits followed but as he entered adolescence, the bloom was off the rose and his record appeal ebbed considerably. Smit seemed headed for musical obscurity by his late teen years but in 2005 he was rediscovered by a Dutch film producer whose treatment of his life sparked a regeneration of his career.

At age 20 he was embarked on his comeback as a vibrant and, ultimately, wildly popular pop star.

With his debonair good looks and powerfully boyish voice he has since enjoyed a succession of big hits in his native Holland and in Germany and beyond.

He creates a really quite dynamic and solid soft rock sound, tempered by distinctly European rhythms. We find him quite appealing and fun.

Here's a recent high-energy pop release, Als De Morgen Is Gekomen (When the morning has come)

Here's a newer release that was filmed at EuroDisney: Leef Nu Het Kan (Let's Live Now)

Looks like Jan Smit may be around the schlager/pop music realm for several more quarter centuries.

(Thanks to Chicago Schlager Music Review correspondent, Dieter JJ in Brazil for recommending that we profile Jan Smit.)

Helene Fischer's Idiotic English Song Choices

2011-07-17T14:00:00.005-05:00

Helene Fischer sounds so beautiful in her native German. And to say she is easy on the eyes is a monumental understatement.

But when she chooses English language songs to cover, it seems she has developed a career death wish. Lately, her choices seem to have been just simply godawful.

Eric Carmen was the bane of American men and boys during the 1970s, churning out some of the most maudlin, schlocky, syrupy, downright crappy chick music of all time.

And lo and behold, the gorgeous Helene Fischer decides to cover one of his tunes -- what is possibly in the top 10 list of all-time worst American pop songs -- All By Myself.

Helene Fischer's Musical Advisers

As we used to say on the grammar school playground, while sticking a finger in our mouths for dramatic effect: Barf!! Puke!!

And then apparently, the sadly ill-educated Fraulein (she only ever studied singing, dancing and acting) decided she wants to show her "social conscience" by covering the shrieky, trite "What about us? -- Earth Song" -- popularized by no less a pea-brain than the late pederast, and monkey petter, Michael Jackson.

One begins to wonder who Helene Fischer's career advisers are -- Moe, Larry and Curly?

"Muskrat Love", by the Captain and Teneille, in a CNN poll and several other surveys has been voted by Americans as the stupidest pop song of all time.

With the idiotic selections she's been making in English language songs, look for Helene Fischer to be covering that little gem any day now.

Here is Fischer reprising the execrable 1976 Eric Carmen hit, All By Myself:

In one concert Helene Fischer dressed up like the LA perve himself, and belted out the asinine, What About Us? (Michael Jackson's Earth Song). That was so incredibly bad, that her record company removed all trace of it from the internet to pretend that it never happened.

However, dressed like Jackson, she did cover another inane Michael Jackson 2-bit pop sociological piece, laden with outdated left-wing socialist cliches, called "Heal the World," here it is:

(If you have dogs with sensitive hearing, you may want to let them out in the yard right now as she does some very serious shrieking and howling in this one.)

Give me Helene Fischer's German schlager tunes from a few years back, but please spare me her recent idiotic American pop music selections. The girl needs some serious career counseling. Isn't that supposed boyfriend of hers, Florian Silbereisen, man enough, to slap some sense into her?

Helene Fischer In English: Does It Work? (Part 3)

2011-07-16T17:21:00.005-05:00

Here's another of Helene Fischer's schlager hits in its original German form, then juxtaposed to the English language version that was released in 2010.

First here's the German language original Ich will immer wieder diese Fieber spür'n -- (I want to always feel this fever.)

(I'm not sure how long this will be up here, since her peculiar record company, EMI, is trying to purge her German language performances from the internet in the USA in an apparent Orwellian attempt to hide her early, less polished German career from Americans. This is obviously an attempt to revamp her image as a precursor to attempting entry into the lucrative American record market.)

And here is the English language version, which after a substantial lyrical rewrite comes out "Only Dreamers": (In an attempt to sanitize her image, EMI records has blocked it from the US, but you should be able to see it if you are elsewhere:

The lyrics seem compelling enough, but I question the style, which seems to be Flashdance era (circa 1985) American chick dance music.

One gets the sense that Helene's mother, Maria, fell in love with this type of stuff, when she first landed in the Rhineland from Russia, which was during that era (1988), and passed this time-warp along to her daughter.

(For a more detailed story on Helene's family's flight from the USSR and the plight of ethnic Germans there you can go right here.)
Does the song retain its original charm in the face of the rather massive lyrical rework in translation?

Do you think this would fly if marketed to English language speakers today?

Please leave a comment below.

Vincent & Fernando's Traditional South Tyrolean Folk

2011-07-13T15:52:00.005-05:00

2009 Grand Prix der Volksmuzik winners, Vincent and Fernando are really Otto and Ulrich Messner, brothers and family men in their 40s from the South Tyrol.

The South Tyrol is one of those territorial abominations left over from Woodrow Wilson's grandiose Versailles treaty, in that it is a traditionally Germanic region that was appended to Italy. (King Victor Emmanuel III had to get some imperial baubles from the war settlement, too.)

In fact, even Adolf Hitler, pan-Germanist that he was, sold the South Tyrol down the river by acquiescing to Italy's continued control over it. In return Hitler got Mussolini's support for his 1938 annexation of Austria and Italy's support for his war against the Western democracies.

But the region remains largely Germanic in language and culture and it, along with Austria, Switzerland and Germany itself, regularly produces formidable competitors in the pan-Germanic Grand Prix der Volksmuzik competition.

Among the most persistent of those have been Vincent and Fernando, who were perennial bridesmaids there, coming in second in '06, '07, and '08 and finally snatching the bouquet in 2009 with a 1st place win.

Respectively a carpenter/draftsman and a government housing bureaucrat, Vincent and Fernando have fused a very pleasant, golden-voiced harmony into a laid-back traditional folk formula. There's a little part of their act that hints at a Germanophonic Everly Brothers or Ricky Nelson.

More soothing than exciting, they nevertheless have risen to the top ranks of the schlager music world. (They will be performing this Saturday evening, July 16th, on Hansi Hinterseer's ARD-ORF TV schlager special on a bill with such luminaries as Helene Fischer, Francine Jordi and Stephanie Hertel.)

Here are several of their nicer vocal offerings:

Einfach Dankeschon -- A Simple Thank You

Die Kleine Gartenbank --- The Little Garden Bench

Helene Fischer In English: Does It Work? (Part 2)

2011-07-12T09:27:00.005-05:00

The English Ones CD

Here is part 2 in our assessment as to how German schlager/pop star Helene Fischer comes across to native English speakers when she abandons her native German and performs in our language.

She had flirted with a few stray performances in English prior to 2010 but her release of the CDThe English Ones that year signalled her intent to more fully embrace performance in English. And perhaps it also signals an intent to try and break into the lucrative English language markets.

The translations from German into English obviously entail some changes in nuance and emphasis.This is particularly apparent in this song Mitten Im Paradies, which for lyrical purposes is changed from "In the middle of paradise" to Everything I need, -- a pretty significant lowering of emotional emphasis.

The same occured in the hits we juxtoposed previously, Und morgen kuss, "A morning kiss" becomes Wake me up, in the English lyric. Once again a pretty significant downgrade emotionally.

One wonders if Helene Fischer has top-notch talent formulating these English lyrics. Some of them sound pretty lame.

Judge for yourselves whether Fischer retains her same level of appeal in English, as once again we juxtapose the two versions of one of her major hits.

First, here she is in a December 2008 TV performance of her big hit, in the original German, Mitten Im Paradies

And here is the English version she released in 2010, Everything I Need (EMI Germany, with typical German imperiousness, has blocked this video from the USA, but you should be able to view it if you are abroad):

Does it work for you? Leave a comment.

(For a long English language story on Helene Fischer, with biographical info you can go right here.)

Helene Fischer in English: Does It Work? (part 1)

2011-07-10T11:06:00.005-05:00

Last year German schlager superstar, Helene Fischer released her first compilation of songs sung exclusively in the English language.

The CD, rather blandly entitled, "The English Ones", contained several of her German language schlager hits directly translated into English along with other material in English.

Part of the charm of schlager for non-German speakers, we think, stems from the fact that the listener is oblivious to and not distracted by the banality -- even the silliness of some of the lyrics.

Who can really keep a straight face at the odd lyricism of Fischer's "A Carousel in My Stomach," or Bernhard Brink's, "Seven Bars of Chocolate"?

And when insulated by language from the banality of the lyrics, the imagination can focus on the singer's vocal qualities, the music itself and, in Fischer's case, her gorgeous persona.

But Helene Fischer has decided to give it a go in English -- perhaps as an opening salvo in a bid to crash the big US, British, Canadian, Australian and other English speaking markets.

We'll put up a series of posts containing both Helene Fischer's original German schlager/pop hit juxtaposed to the 2010 version with the English translation.

You decide if the English lyrics work or not.

Here's one of her biggest hits, Und morgen früh küss ich dich wach, which she usually cites as her favorite. First in the original German:

And here is an admixture of the German original and the English language version, which becomes Wake Me Up in translation (her creepy EMI Germany record label has blocked the clean English version from the US internet for reasons that can only be considered German inscrutability):

Here is the full English version which you should be able to get abroad, but which EMI has oddly blocked from the United States:

What do you think -- does the English version work for you?

Please leave a comment.

(Coming Next -- a comparison of Mitten in Paradies vis a vis Everything I Need)

(For background and bio on Helene Fischer in English you can go right here.)

Which Way Helene Fischer? Freak or Madonna?

2011-07-08T15:52:00.004-05:00

Fischer During Her 2011 Tour

We mentioned in an earlier post, that German schlager superstar, Helene Fischer was seemingly trying to reinvent herself during her recent 2011 tour.

We posted her Las Vegas showgirl styled Hey Big Spender but the most clearly controversial addition to her 2011 repertoire was the Lady GaGa impersonation in her performance of the New York freak's Poker Face.

It's a long way from the trademark schlager that made her famous. You can judge for yourself. Here is her Lady GaGa impersonation from June 2011:

This is the same woman who in 2008 offered this beautiful rendition of Ave Maria:

Helene Fischer is certainly as versatile as she is gorgeous. But just precisely where does she think she's going professionally? Is she getting bored with schlager?

(For English language background and bio on Helene Fischer, you can go right here.)

Die Paldauer: Austria's Schlager Quasi-Rockers

2011-07-06T20:39:00.005-05:00

Die Paldauer

Started as a group of neighborhood kids in the tiny Styrian town of Paldau in 1968, the sextet, Die Paldauer emerged as one of the most prominent schlager groups of the past 25 years.

They certainly had a long and interesting climb to the top which included everything from a schizophrenic drummer who went nuts on stage to a celebrated Caribbean booze cruise to the Dominican Republic with 400 of their fans in 1999.

Their big break really came in 1974 when they were heard performing by the Austrian Defense Minister who had a little vacation home near Paldau. He liked them so much that he told them that they could spend their mandatory Army service time playing for the troops. He even let them all room in the same barracks so that they could practice more easily.

This would be the thing of scandal in the US, of course, but what could it really hurt in the Austrian army, which, after all, hasn't had a serious raison d'etre since the Hapsburgs were still around? Why does Austria even have an Army?

Anyway, Paldauer spent the 70s playing smaller venues throughout Austria and Switzerland and self-produced a few records.

They were signed to a recording contract and made their first TV appearances in '84 but really came into their own in '88 with their first German TV appearance and first #1 hit, Tanz mit mir, Corinna -- Dance with me Corinne.

Since then they have had an ongoing succession of hit records and concert tours. Die Paldauer has settled in as one of the mainstays of the schlager/pop world.

Here is a hit from one of their more recent CDs, Du,Du,Du from a live 2009 performance:

Here is one of their recent releases, Rock 'n Rose:

Sigrid & Marina: Traditional Austrian Schlager Girls

2011-06-28T12:53:00.004-05:00

Sigrid and Marina Hutterer

These two sisters from the region of Upper Austria (which borders Bavaria), Sigrid and Marina Hutterer, took time off their jobs as nurses in 1990 to study voice and music.

They entered local talent shows in the late 90s and later represented Austria four times in the Grand Prix der Volksmuzik competition, eventually winning first place in 2007.

Having been signed to a contract by MCP records, their first big hit "Alles hat zwei Seiten“ (There are two sides to every story) went gold a mere 4 days after its premier in the '07 Grand Prix competition.

They have followed with a string of hits and regularly perform throughout the German speaking world.

The 30 year old Sigrid and 26 year old Marina are performers in the traditional Tyrolean schlager mode -- clean cut, conservative, cheery -- (they even compiled a CD of their grandmother's favorite songs and unveiled it by inviting her onstage). If Lawrence Welk was still around he'd sign them up in a minute for his family entertainment show.

Here is their upbeat, ebullient groundbreaking hit, "Alles hat zwei Seiten" which won the '07 Grand Prix der Volksmuzik:

Here is the very pretty "Wenn ich ein Glöcklein wär" (If I were a bell) which contains expressions of the Catholic religious traditions of their native Austria:

Linda Feller: Germany's USA Country & Western Girl

2011-06-24T15:41:00.001-05:00

Linda Feller

European schlager has often been compared to our American Country and Western in that it celebrates the values and traditions of the Central European country folk, albeit drawing on different musical roots.

So it was just a matter of time before the two genres would musically conjoin and one of the pioneers in that regard was Germany's Linda Feller (I wonder if she's a distant relative of Cleveland Indians Baseball Hall of Famer, Bob Feller.)

The 44 year old native of Ohrdruf in the Thuringer region -- a town that was briefly the home of Johann Sebastian Bach -- has been singing on stage since she was discovered at age 18 on the German TV talent show Springboard.

A big fan of Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette and Shania Twain, in the early 90s Feller linked up with a group of other German afficianodos of American Country & Western music and became lead singer in a band called Country & Company.

She scored with a string of countrified schlager hits beginning in 1990 which continues to the present.

In 1992, Linda Feller was the first female artist to be given the "Singer of the Year" award by the newly-founded American Country Music Federation --Deutsch.

In recognition of her American-styled C&W sound, in September, 1998 she was invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, the premier Country & Western showcase in the United States. German television network, MDR, broadcast that groundbreaking appearance.

In 2003 she was one of the foreign performers invited to a celebration of American C&W at an event in Hoštice u Volyně,in the Czech Republic called "Stodola Michala Tučneho" -- the Country Music Festival.

You can really hear the C&W flavor in this upbeat, bouncy Linda Feller hit, Ich kann nicht Lachen wenn du Traurig bist:,-- I Can't Laugh When You're Sad.

And here's a medley of her hits that are more schlager in tone, with a touch of American country twang:

Helene Fischer's 2011 Tour: Going Glitzy Showgirl

2011-06-15T13:18:00.007-05:00

Fischer on her 2011 Tour

Helene Fischer just wrapped up her Spring 2011 tour, in which she played 20 cities in 5 weeks. Most of the concerts were in German cities with a few stops in Switzerland and Austria.

The 26 year old German schlager diva is clearly trying to reinvent herself, although it isn't entirely clear into what.

As mentioned in an earlier post, attired in black leather, she added a rendition of Queen's rock anthem, "We Will Rock You" to her act.

But on the tour she also tried to bring off a preposterous imitation of Lady GaGa, performing "Poker Face." We won't burden you with a videoclip of that, it's just too painful. But if you can picture a fresh faced 60s Leslie Gore or Petula Clark trying to ape the uncouth 2010 New Yorker, you'll get the picture.

Fischer also performed a technically very good but soulless rendition of Judy Collin's poetic 60s ballad, "Send in the Clowns." Aside from her mechanical performance of it she was accompanied on stage by an annoyingly distracting mime performance -- the mime was apparently miming the emotions expressed by the lyrics. Very, very weird.

Still, Helene Fischer is frightfully beautiful and if she feels a need to reinvent herself from the quiet little girl of schlager stardom she could do worse than these three attempted self-reincarnations from her 2011 tour:

The production values on this tour were higher than any she's enjoyed in the past as evident in this clip where she performs, backed by dancers and a large musical ensemble:

Here's she does a reprise of Peggy Lee's sultry 50s hit Hey Big Spender in which Fischer does her best Marilyn Monroe imitation:

Just to put the song in its proper cultural perspective, here is showgirl, Edie Adams singing it in a 1971 American cigar commercial:

And here's Und Morgen Früh Küss Ich Dich Wach her big schlager hit-- Las Vegas Style

Helene Fischer has released a collection of English language songs, rather artlessly entitled, The English Ones and one gets the impression that her handlers are trying to position her for an entry into the American market. Is Helene Fischer gunning for Las Vegas? We'll see.

(You can see English language background and bio on Helene Fischer by going right here.)

Bernhard Brink: German Schlager's Comeback Kid

2011-06-11T13:17:00.002-05:00

Bernhard Brink

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote that there are no second acts in American life, but we all know that isn't true. Just look at Frank Sinatra whose career was on life support in the mid-50s only for him to rebound and become "The Chairman of the Board," a veritable monument in and of himself.

The same applies to German schlager star, Bernhard Brink. He is the schlager "comeback kid" -- a one man testimony to the power of perseverance.

I really like this guy.

Born in 1952 in Nordhorn, he flunked out of college in Berlin because he was far more interested in music and partying than the study of law.

He pursued a musical career and by 1974 he attained a modest degree of success with a few minor hits -- basically singing Germanized versions of US and UK styled pop/rock songs.

He then sank into cultural obscurity. Throughout the decade of the 80s he had little success, running through a succession of progressively smaller record labels. He tried out for and failed at selection to represent Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest six times -- a Chicago Cubs-like record for futility.

But then he adopted a countrified schlager style and, with his engaging personality, in the early 1990s he scored a gig as host of a Dick Clark styled German TV music show.

A certain aging Tucker Max quality

With this as a platform, he shot into the top ranks of schlager performers with a number of hit records. And they just keep on coming.

In his earlier videos, he was slender and meticulously dressed and groomed. In his contemporary performances, he often looks as if he just rolled over out of bed after a night of heavy carousing. There is a certain aging Tucker Max quality to his persona.

Take a look for yourself in the following videos.

First, here's a Greatest Hits Medley performed at a New Year's Eve gala. It ends with his big hit Blondes Wunder -- "A Blonde miracle."

This is a recent hit Sieben Tafeln Schokolade -- "Seven Bars of Chocolate." It is about a guy who is dumped by his girl and begins drowning his sorrows in heavy consumption of chocolate. (I warned you that schlager sometimes has really odd themes.)

Here's a hit with a really pleasant almost American pop quality Die Liebe -- "Love" (This video looks as if it were taken in a venue where he was an opening act for a home appliance trade show -- very strange.)

And here is a very nice, softer offering, vaguely reminiscent of Neil Diamond, Lieder an die Liebe -- "Love Songs:"

Helene Fischer Rockin' On (Sort of)

2011-06-06T16:28:00.004-05:00

Helene Fischer, the ultra-feminine, German femme fatale of schlager has been injecting some elements of regular old rock n roll to her act.

In the first two clips following here, she performs what are decidedly schlager offerings with a stronger than usual percussion and electric guitar backup.

Her performances seem a bit more relaxed and spontaneous as a result.

And in the third clip, she takes on the British rock group Queen's 1977 classic rock anthem, We Will Rock You.

Meant to be sung a capella, the song is a great vehicle for showcasing Fischer's formidable vocal strength. Interestingly, she betrays not even a hint of a German accent which is probably a testimony to her theatrical school-induced prowess as an actress.

And in it she looks as hot as any girl you've ever seen anywhere in a leather suit.

First, Vergeben Vergessen und Wieder -- (Forgive and Forget Again) with a fairly strong percussion and electric background.

Second, a slightly more rock oriented than usual version of Du Fangst mich auf und lasst mich fliegen (You Catch Me and Let Me Fly)

And third, Queen's We Will Rock You which, for some reason she decided to add to her repetoire, and which she performs here in the original English:

(You can see English language background and bio on Helene Fischer by going right here.)

Peggy March: From American Teen Classic To Schlager Star

2011-06-03T17:46:00.001-05:00

Peggy March

Peggy March isn't necessarily a household name to Americans, but everybody knows her #1 pop hit from 1963, the American teen classic, "I Will Follow Him."

An Italian girl from Landsdale, Pennsylvania, born Margaret Annemarie Battavio, she was only 14 years old when she recorded the hit song as "Little Peggy March."

After several other releases that fared only moderately well on the U.S. charts, she faded from the scene, still retaining the distinction of being the youngest female vocalist ever to have a #1 hit record (which stands to this day.)

In the mid 60s she began recording for the German market, and relocated there in 1969. She was a commercial success on the schlager charts there throughout most of the mid 60s and 70s. She had the #1 German hit in '67 with "Romeo und Julia", a #2 in '65 with "Mit 17 hat man noch Träume" and a #5 again in '67 with "Memories of Heidelberg."
She even competed for the honor of representing Germany in the popular pan-European, Eurovision Song Contest in 1969, only to place second in the national finals with the song "Hey! Das ist Musik für Mich".

March made another Eurovision attempt in 1975, when she performed the Ralph Siegel composition "Alles geht vorüber" in the German national contest but again came in second.

March moved back home to the US in the 80s and still performs regularly on the oldies circuit in Las Vegas and Branson, MO. In fact she appeared at the Orleans Hotel in Vegas last July as part of the "Legendary Ladies of Rock n Roll," and had a German TV special in August.

Here from 1963 is her famous hit, "I Will Follow Him:"

And here is a medley of her German schlager hits:

Špela Grošelj: Busty Blonde Balkan Bombshell (Breakoff From Atomik Harmonik)

2011-05-31T15:22:00.002-05:00

Špela Grošelj

Spela Groselj has been an almost constant presence in Slovenian pop culture for the past decade. In 2002 and 2003 she was a member of Slovenia's first teen girl group, the Foxy Teens, which sang about skateboarding, puppy love and other archetypal teenage pursuits.

Then from '04 to '09 she was a member of Atomik Harmonik, a popular act that combined 2 hot looking babes, an electronic dance sound and traditional accordion in a kind of Balkan pop/schlager melange. That group broke out of the limited Balkan market and had hit records in Germany and Austria.

In 2010, the 26 year old busty blonde from the little Slovenian city of Domzale decided to strike out on her own and here's her first solo hit, Moč srca "The Power of the Heart."

Despite the trendy pop feel of the video, it contains some unmistakable schlager style elements with the Hellenic strings, whistling and folkish hand clapping.

And here she is in the Atomik Harmonik from 2006 with their pan-European hit, Turbo Polka. It's an interesting amalgam of traditional Balkan styles and Americanized electro-dance. (In Slovenia, the first country to break away from Communist Yugoslavia, they've come a long way from grainy black and white wall photos of Tito, decrepit Yugos and vile tasting tumblers of slivovitz. You don't see polka like this in the Milwaukee Avenue Polish enclave of Chicago.)
The Turbo Polka (sung in English)

Happy Anniversary Francine Jordi!

2011-05-25T16:05:00.011-05:00

Francine Jordi and Tony Rominger

EDITOR'S NOTE: Since we first published this article last year, Francine Jordi has come out publicly and declared her affection for Swiss rocker, Florian Ast. She has moved out of the house she shared with Tony Rominger and taken with her their Labrador Retriever, Theo. Read all the details on the Jordi-Ast affair by clicking here.

Actually it was a week ago today on May 18th, but European news takes a while to get to Chicago. We're talking about Swiss schlager/pop star Francine Jordi's second wedding anniversary. On that day in 2009, she married the Danish born Swiss bicycle racing star, Tony Rominger.

Rominger, 17 years Jordi's senior, (he's 51, she'll be 34 in a few weeks) was a formidable presence on the European bike racing circuit in the 90s, garnering a 2nd in the '93 Tour de France and winning the Vuelta a España in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and the Giro d'Italia in 1995.

He also set a world 1 hour track record in 1994. He retired in '97 after breaking a collarbone during the Tour de France.

The couple was quietly married 2 years ago in the Franco-Swiss canton of Vaud in the Lake Geneva resort area.

Here is a very nice medley combining two of Jordi's songs appropriate to the occasion. First she performs the pop hit, Alles Steht und Fallt mit Dir (All stands or falls with you) and it is followed by the schlager offering, Was ist denn hier los? (What's going on here?)

Throughout her career, Jordi has had a tendency to get a bit hyper on-stage and to over emote. On occasion, she has flashed so much cleavage as to be almost embarassing. She tones it down and buttons it up considerably (maybe marriage has had an effect on her) in this very recent 2011 appearance on the Musikantenstadl TV show where she performs a very nice medley of some of her many hit songs:

Musical Celebrations of Bavaria

2011-05-22T17:12:00.009-05:00

Crazy Bavarian King Ludwig's castle

Bavaria, the most bucolic part of Germany, has its own very distinct identity and traditions. It is almost universally considered to be the most laid back, fun-loving part of the country.

If Hogan's Heroes' high-strung Colonel Klink might have been from some busy beehive of a German town like Hamburg, the food-conscious, easy going Sergeant Schultz would have almost certainly been from live-and-let-live Bavaria.

Schultz & Klink

In fact, in Bavaria they joke that Munich, the chief city, is so relaxed that it is the only Italian city North of the Alps. Yet it is after all, still German so the trains do run on time there and it is home to the famed industrial giant, the Bavarian Motor Works (BMW).

Bavaria is predominately Roman Catholic and unlike elsewhere in Germany, it escaped much of the devastation of World War II. It also had the good fortune to have been in the American zone of occupation following the war where its first Military Governor was the famed US General George S. Patton (who was one of the only Allied Generals immediately after the war who was unabashedly pro-German and anti-Russian.)

One side of this American writer's German ancestry came originally from Bavaria -- more than 100 years ago (the other side from Baden-Wurttemberg -- about 125 years ago)which probably explains genetically why he has an insatiable thirst for beer or -- "Bavarian bread", as it is sometimes called.

Here are two contemporary musical celebrations of Bavaria --

--- One Nice:

--- And One Naughty:

And here Linkin Park sings My December to a backdrop of some beautiful scenes of Bavaria during wintertime:

Natalija Verboten: Stunning Slovenian Songstress

2011-05-21T14:39:00.003-05:00

Schlager takes on something of a Balkan/Hellenic sound and flavor as you move southeastward through Europe to Slovenia. There the northernmost state of the former communist Yugoslavia produced the strikingly gorgeous and vibrant, Natalija Verboten.

She was born in 1976 in Slovenj Gradec (or Windischgrätz), a traditionally German town near the Austrian border.

At the age of 16, Verboten was discovered by a folk music band and became their lead singer on 2 folk albums and in appearances at local music festivals.

In 1996, she cut her first solo album and she entirely severed ties with the group two years later. That year she placed first in the "Happy Autumn Music Festival" with Ne budi me (Don't wake me) which emerged as her first hit.

Since then she has released a string of albums, scoring platinum with her 2000 Sonce Iz Srca (The sun from the heart.) She has been a regular presence on TV Slovenia. After taking a hiatus from recording in 2005, she returned to active recording in 2008 with the hit Pozabi me, (Forget me.)

Here is her 2008 hit: Pozabi me (Forget me.)

Here is a quite funny video of her hit, Obrisi sline, (roughly, The drool on your face.) In it she spells out her dating dos and don'ts.

Natalija Verboten remains a popular pop/schlager presence today, though principally in the Balkan countries.

Oesch's die Dritten: Swiss Family Dynamos

2011-05-16T13:42:00.000-05:00

To most Americans, yodeling is considered rather like bagpipe music -- either quaintly charming or downright annoying.

As a musical form, however, yodeling has been around at least since Roman times, when in the 4th century AD Roman Emperor Julian complained about the wild, shrieking songs coming from the Alpine mountain people to the north.

Yodeling even worked its way into American country and western music as clearly seen in Patsy Montana's 1935 signature C&W hit song, I want to be a cowboy's sweetheart which you can hear here.

At any rate, the traditional Alpine genre seems to be seeing something of a comeback in the world of European volksmuzik as evidenced by the rising popularity of a refreshingly energetic Swiss family group, Oesch's Die Dritten.

They are German speakers from the Swiss Bernese oberland. Comprised of a mother, father, three children and an unrelated friend, the group has churned out 7 successful albums (2 gold and 1 platinum), scored a 3rd in the Gran Prix der Volksmuzik competition and has even toured California and Arizona.

They are a surprisingly unpretentious lot, by show business standards in that they have real day jobs and relegate performances mostly to weekends. Father Hans is a postal worker and mother Anne Marie is a nurse. The boys are HVAC technicians and hand organist, Hans Haldi is a cable car mechanic.

But the star of the group is 24 year old daughter Melanie, who sings (and yodels) lead and whose strikingly wholesome beauty has generated most of the attention, even spawning a fan club in Germany (the membership of which, I suspect is largely male.)

She handily won the Junior division in the 2007 Musikantenstadl competition, a Eurovision sponsored musical event for the German speaking nations.

The family has begun to give her top billing on album covers and with good reason. To date, she has reportedly turned down offers to embark on a solo career.

Here are several of Oesch's die Dritten's really pleasant videos.

First, here's a really energetic live performance to rival any American C&W offering Zwei rehbraune Augen -- "Two Auburn Eyes:"

And here's a video with a very pleasant, scenic Swiss backdrop from the town of Miltenberg:

Thanks to Chicago Schlager Music Review reader, Tony Hudak, for turning us on to the really dynamic Oesch's die Dritten.

Roger Whittaker: Schlager Star From the UK

2011-05-15T16:52:00.000-05:00

Roger Whittaker

Most Americans of a certain age likely remember Roger Whittaker for his 1975 top 40 hit, "The Last Farewell," a folk song about an English mariner. It reached #19 on the US charts, but seemed omnipresent on the US airwaves at the time.

After that, Whittaker pretty much faded from the US scene, save for a series of late nite TV ads in the 90s hawking his records by mail order.

But throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Whittaker became a big hit on the German schlager circuit, with German language songs produced by Nick Munro.

Unable to speak German, the Kenyan-born UK citizen, Whittaker, sang the songs phonetically. He became a regular presence on German and Danish TV and successfully toured the German speaking world, singing to packed houses as late as 2008.

With a deep baritone voice and occasional quirky injection of whistling into his songs he held a strong appeal to Germanic schlager audiences.

Whittaker's worldwide record sales currently stand at a phenomenal 55 million. That's undoubtedly in large part attributable to his ability to successfully appeal across linguistic and national lines.

Here are several of Roger Whittaker's German language hits:

Here is a live performance of "Albany" which reached #3 on the German charts in 1982:

And here is a performance of Wenn es Dich noch gibt, transl: "If You've Still Got It" which reached #8 on the German charts in 1983 (and contains a bit of his whistling:)

Early Andrea Berg

2011-05-13T14:41:00.001-05:00

Here is a medley of schlager superstar, Andrea Berg's hits, from 1992-2001, her early years. This was when she was just a few years away from having been an ER hospital nurse and before she adopted the "biker chick" stage persona, replete with black leather mini-skirts.

The songs are, for the most part, a bit softer than her later works and are flattering to the ethereally feminine, almost hypnotic quality of her voice.

Andrea Berg is clearly the biggest star in the schlager firmament, having sold more recordings than anyone in post-war German history.

Her most recently released CD, Schwerelos, went platinum within a week of its October 2010 release and shot to #1 on the German and Austrian charts.

Child Star Marco Konegger: Too Weird For Words

2011-05-13T14:26:00.000-05:00

In the 1980s there was a Chicago rock group called the Shaggs that was so amateurish and just plain bad that they actually kindled something of a cult following. They were so bad that they were amusing and they actually ended up as an opening act for some serious rock acts.

That is the only possible explanation that I can divine for the apparent popularity of Austrian child schlager star, Marco Konegger.

Born in 1997 in a single mom household in Spittal an der Drau, Austria, at age 11, he was somehow discovered by a songwriter/promoter. He has since cut 4 CDs which seem to have sold reasonably well.

Most of the cuts are kiddy songs about such things as Halloween and Christmas.

But now that the child star is advancing to a gawky early adolescence (replete with cracking voice), they are dealing with "puppy love" themes.

Anyway, here he is -- make of it what you will, but you might want to put the dogs outside if you don't like them howling:

"Gespenster ziehn durchs Haus" -- translation: Gespenster Creeps Around the House

And here is his new almost comic "puppy love" themed, "Mary, Mary Kiss Me."

Kristina Bach's Happy Energy

2011-05-06T13:32:00.001-05:00

Still in her 40s (just barely) Kristina Bach has been a fixture in schlager music for more than two decades and still seems possessed of an inexhaustible supply of energy.

She is one of the most unpretentious schlager performers and just seems to exude a powerfully buoyant, good natured optimism.

A native of Mettmann in the North Rhineland of Germany, she became a local television host in the 80s and began recording in the schlager genre soon thereafter. After a number of minor hits, she finally hit the bigtime with "Erst ein Cappucino" (Only a Cappucino) in 1990.

Now with 14 CDs and a number of schlager music awards to her credit, she continues to record and has been helping develop new, young talents like Jeanette Biedermann and Michelle.

Here is a medley of her greatest hits put to a dance beat. It really shows the ebullience and energy that her music exudes:

Here is the bouncy schlager Wahre Lügen Translation: Where The Truth Lies

You can hear her incredible vocal range in her lone English language hit, which was a 1993 dance-version rendition of "The Phantom of the Opera," which made the Billboard charts in the U.S. Click here for a link to the generic video over which it was sung.

Thanks to Chicago Schlager Music Review reader, Dieter JJ of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil for his excellent suggestion that we do a review of Kristina Bach.

Schlager Artist Covers of American Hits

2011-05-02T20:15:00.005-05:00

I discovered that more than a few Central European schlager artists have been covering American pop/rock classics.

In the examples following, rather than translations, entirely new German lyrics were fashioned for the original melodies.

First, the elegant Swiss chanteuse, Marriane Cathomen, covers the Beachboys' Sloop John B as Die Nachte von Napoli :

In 1970, German schlager star Jurgen Marcus had his breakthrough first hit with this cover of Simon & Garfunkle's El Condor Pasa entitled Nur Du:

And Austrian songstress, Monika Martin, covered the traditional "Oh, Danny Boy" as

Mein Liebeslied :

Semino Rossi Sings The (Moody) Blues

2011-05-02T19:02:00.004-05:00

Rossi

In our recent forays into the wonderful, and sometimes weird, world of Euro Schlager music, we have seldom found anything as --- well --- mystifying as the Semino Rossi phenomenon.

Rossi, an Argentinian-born crooner of Italo-Austrian extraction seems to be all over the place in language and style. I'm not really sure he should be termed "schlager" in the conventional Central European sense. Maybe more something like "Euro-eclectic pop."

But the highly flexible Mr. Rossi is very big on the current European schlager circuit. He has maintained a steady output of hit CDs and completed his 3rd concert tour thru Central Europe last summer, drawing over 100k in a number of sold out appearances.

Amidst his seemingly encyclopedic repertoire, he does a Spanish language version of "My Way," a Caruso like "O Sole Mio," and a Spanish language version of the Moody Blues', "Nights in White Satin."

Beginning in high school and lasting to this day, this writer has developed a great love and respect for the highly artistic British rock legends, the Moody Blues, so I sincerely hope that Semino Rossi doesn't try his hand at, "A Question of Balance," "The Voice" or "Wildest Dreams." It might be too painful.

Here is Semino Rossi singing "Nights in White Satin," in Spanish, followed by one of his German language tunes and then Frank Sinatra's personal anthem, "My Way".:

Here is Ja ich würd' es immer wieder tun I'd Do it All Over Again, shot in an Alpine setting:

All you Frank Sinatra fans out there might want to leave the room right now as Semino Rossi performs his version of Frank's anthem, "My Way," en espanol. He is self accompanied on the guitar:

(This article was reprinted from The Chicago Lampoon by permission)

The Greatest Schlager Hit of All Time: The Beer Barrel Polka aka Rosamunde aka Skoda Lasky

2011-04-28T15:32:00.005-05:00

Very probably the most famous schlager tune of all time is what Americans call:"The Beer Barrel Polka," what the Germans call, "Rosamunde," and was originally entitled "Škoda Lásky", ("Wasted Love") by its Czech authors.

The song was originally composed in 1927 by Czech musician, Jaromir Vejvoda, and became a big hit in its respective lyricized forms in both Germany and the USA. It is odd to think that both US GIs and German Wehrmacht soldiers were enjoying this song on different sides of the battle lines during World War II.

It remains a favorite throughout the world. In the US today, it is a staple of the repertoire of the superb marching band from my alma mater, The University of Wisconsin, which plays it at all Badgers' football games.

Here it is in 4 versions -- First as the German "Rosamunde" as performed by the iconic German schlager performer Heino and Andre Rieu's orchestra during the 2009 Octoberfest in Maastricht, Holland:

And here it is as an American World War II song celebrating the accomplishments of the US Naval fighting forces, "Here Comes the Navy." It is an adaptation of the American peacetime hit "The Beer Barrel Polka," as performed by the 1940s American swing-era vocal stars, The Andrews Sisters:

And here it is as performed by the University of Wisconsin Marching Band during the Badgers' December 2010 trip to Pasadena, California for the UW Badger football team's appearance in the Rose Bowl:

And finally here it is in its original incarnation as Skoda Lasky as performed by the Communist-era Czech performer, Karel Gott:

It's interesting to note how each national culture left its own distinct imprint on this song. In the original Slavic Czech it was a lachrymose theme, somewhat sad, about "Wasted Love."

Then in German, it becomes a more upbeat, sentimental song about a girl.

And then, done by Americans, it becomes optimistic, talking about defeating sadness i.e. "We've got the blues on the run" and the perennial American pastime, "having fun."

It is impossible to calculate the number of performances and number of records sold of this song in its English, German and Czech incarnations, but almost certainly as The Beer Barrel Polka, Rosamunde and Skoda Lasky it ranks as the biggest schlager music hit of all time.

Early Helene Fischer

2011-04-22T19:21:00.013-05:00

Here are some video clips from the earlier part of Helene Fischer's career.

You can see the relative unsophistication of her wardrobe during this timeframe, and the smaller venues at which she performed.

This was, however the period which saw her produce several of her biggest schlager hits.

Evident throughout even these 2007 performances, however, is the almost precise professionalism and polished poise that is such an integral part of her style.

This was also before she began to try and expand her repetoire to more generic American-styled balladizing.

Here is an earlier clip of her schlager hit Und morgen früh küss ich dich wach (A Morning Kiss), back when she performed in Brittany Spears-styled lingerie:

Get a load of her outfit in this 2007 clip of Mitten im Paradies (In the middle of paradise):

And here is a very early (circa 2006) televised performance where she sings a Christmas seasonal duet with her longtime boyfriend, Florian Silbereisen, Zwei spuren im Schnee (Two tracks in the snow):

A more complete story on Helene Fischer's career background and her family's flight from the former USSR and settlement in Germany is in the Chicago Lampoon from February 4, 2011.