Boogie Woogie in Switzerland
Switzerland was also hit by boogie fever. The Swiss boogie-woogie duo Che & Ray from Zurich shaped this music very much at the beginning of the 1970s. After his debut album in 1975 with "Giants of Boogie-Woogie & Blues", numerous tours through Europe followed. Already her second record "Burning the Boogie" got the status Gold and Platinum. The duo played over 3000 concerts and reached a concert audience of over 3 million.
Boogie Woogie & Ragtime Piano Contest
27 November 1977 was an important milestone in the Swiss boogie scene. This unique event, a competition for amateur pianists, originated from an idea of the "Tages-Anzeiger" and took place in the Schützenhaus Albigüetli in Zurich. At that time the enthusiasm for this music experienced its first climax in Switzerland. The amateurs' interest in taking part in the competition was so great that preliminary rounds remained indispensable. Eighteen pianists qualified for the finals, among them was Dani Gugolz, who is now a well-known bassist in the boogie and blues scene. Among the stars of the evening were James Booker, the piano prince from New Orleans and the Hamburg "Boogie Man" Vince Weber. Gold-Records released an LP by James Booker, which was recorded that evening. This recording was awarded the "Prix Diamant" by the jury of the Grand Prix du Disque de Jazz Montreux '78 as the best Blues record of the year.
International Boogie Woogie Festival Lugano
The international Boogie Woogie Festival in Lugano has been taking place in Switzerland since 19 April 2002. Every year in spring Silvan Zingg invites you to his 3-day Boogie Woogie Festival, which has become a real Mecca for Boogie friends. Here, national and international pianists give each other a chance for a real firework of new boogie creations. His Boogie-Woogie Festival is one of the biggest and most famous in the world today. BBC-World even reports about this festival and called it "One oft he most important piano event in the world".
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