(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Bus driver and yodeller Sämi Zumbrunn turns every ride into an unforgettable experience. Who better to act as ambassador for a Swiss tradition that could soon be on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list? We meet him in the Bernese Oberland. This content was published on October 25, 2025 - 11:00 6 minutes

I am an experienced video journalist passionate about making complex topics accessible and engaging through compelling multimedia storytelling. Focused on social and environmental issues, I produce various video formats on a wide range of topics, specialising in impactful explainer videos with motion graphics and stop-motion animation. During my studies in cinema, English literature and journalism, I've gained experience in radio, television, and print across Switzerland. After working with the Locarno Film Festival's image & sound team, I joined SWI swissinfo in 2018 to produce local and international reportages.

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• Deutsch de Sämi, der singende Postautochauffeur Read more: Sämi, der singende Postautochau
• Français fr Sämi, le ((Singing Driver)) Read more: Sämi, le ((Singing Dri
• Italiano it Sämi, il“singing driver” Original Read more: Sämi, il“singing dr

As soon as the bus comes around a bend, the children start waving. They have recognised Sämi Zumbrunn, their favourite driver, who will take them back to school after the lunch break.“Sämi, will you yodel for us?” asks a little boy, striped shirt and cowhide belt tightly around his waist, as soon as he gets on board. This request is repeated three times.

Then, after picking up the last tourist, Zumbrunn sings a yodel and immediately the buzz on the bus dies down. While the last notes are still echoing through the windows, a loud applause erupts, accompanied by whistles of approval. Once again, Zumbrunn has won the hearts of his passengers. Today he's driving the route between Brienz and the Brünig Pass, via Hasliberg.

“That's the way I am. I like to share my passion for singing and yodelling,” he says, en route to the open-air museum on Ballenberg where, during a short break, he drinks directly from the fountain.

Zumbrunn's house is typically Swiss. Céline Stegmüller/Swissinfo
His passion for yodelling can be found everywhere. Céline Stegmüller/Swissinfo

“I grew up in a farming family in Unterbach, near Meiringen. Even as a boy, I sang while milking cows or tending heifers on the Kaltenbrunnen alp in the Reichenbach valley,” recalls Zumbrunn, now 62.

At home, people were always singing: washing the dishes, after dinner or while on the mountain. This connection with animals, nature and Alpine landscapes deeply marked his childhood and adolescence.

“When I was 12, I got a tape with a compilation of songs by the best yodellers of the time. I listened to it a thousand times – so much so that the desire grew in me to become as good at yodelling as them.”

'The best PostBus trip of my life'

Zumbrunn learnt the trades of carpenter and farmer and, at 19, joined the Ringgenberg yodelling club. The director encouraged him to cultivate his singing skills, inviting him to private singing lessons.

“Thanks to daily practice I developed a range of four octaves,” he says.

His first performance at a yodelling party was 40 years ago.“I got the best grade: class 1,” he says with pride. It's the first of many distinctions.

Yodelling is in the running to become part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage. The candidature was submitted in 2024 and a decision is expected by the end of 2025.

Practised in Switzerland by more than 12,000 singers, yodelling is passed on within families, clubs and schools, keeping it alive and popular.

But despite its popularity, efforts are needed to secure its future. Measures such as improving national coordination, expanding training offers, supporting young talents and raising public awareness have been developed.

Switzerland has already won several UNESCO awards for its living traditions, including the Winegrowers' Festival, the Basel Carnival, the Mendrisio processions, watchmaking and the Alpine season.

His career as a driver began at the same time: first driving a milk tanker, then coaches. It brought him into contact with people and the tourism sector, the backbone of the economy in the Bernese Oberland.

In time, he became an ambassador for Grindelwald, the Jungfraubahnen and Switzerland Tourism. He travelled halfway around the world, always taking his yodel with him.

“Music speaks a universal language – it's understandable everywhere because it comes from the heart,” he says.“It can build bridges between cultures and forge friendships because it conveys harmony.”

More More Demographics Ten Swiss traditions on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list

This content was published on May 6, 2024 Yodelling might be the next Swiss tradition to make it onto the UNESCO Cultural Heritage list along side a 'once in a generation' festival and watchmaking.

Read more: Ten Swiss traditions on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage

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