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8h ago

UNESCO Adds Swiss Alpine Yodelling to Intangible Cultural Heritage List

The designation prompts Switzerland to expand programs to pass the practice to a new generation.

FILE - Yodel teacher Nadja Raess yodels in Lucerne, Switzerland, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)
Women-only yodelling choir, 'Coeur des Yodleuses' , rehearses as UNESCO is considering adding yodelling to its cultural heritage list, in Geneva, Switzerland, December 10, 2025. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy
Members of the yodelling trio 'Rond Om de Santis' performing in the garden of UNESCO's headquarters in Paris
Yodellers performing in front of a giant round of Emmental cheese as part of a university experiment

Overview

  • UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee announced the inscription during its 20th meeting in New Delhi on Thursday.
  • Switzerland's Culture Office said it will step up promotion of young talent, training, documentation and research to safeguard the tradition.
  • The Swiss government counts more than 12,000 yodellers nationwide through the Swiss Yodelling Association.
  • The practice traces to herders in the Central Alps and features rapid shifts between chest voice and head voice.
  • Switzerland framed yodelling in its nomination as a unifying expression of national identity, with transmission through families, clubs and music schools.