The Sounds Of Bavaria: Exploring Traditional Band Culture

Bavarian bands are known for their distinctive sound, often referred to as oom pah, and their energetic live performances. The traditional Bavarian band consists of instruments such as the accordion, tuba, euphonium, trumpet, clarinet, and baritone, with some bands extending to include a vast array of other instruments. These bands are synonymous with the famous Oktoberfest, where they perform in the traditional Dirndl and Lederhosen attire, entertaining guests with a mix of polkas, waltzes, and folk dances. The oom pah sound has travelled the world, with Bavarian bands in high demand for events seeking an authentic Bavarian experience.

The Chico Bavarian Band from Northern California

The original Chico Bavarian Band members were all Chico State students: George Vest, Byron Yerzy, Steve Dixon, Mike Eaton, Steve McGinnis, Bruce Blanchard, Robert Maggiora, Kirk Weller, and Frank Kibbish. The band started as a group of five college friends playing for free beer, and gradually grew into a serious 20+ member group. The members hail from all over Northern California and get together for performances whenever possible.

The Chico Bavarian Band is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and plays at Oktoberfests, Faschings, and Trachtenfests in Northern California, mainly in September and October. The band has also travelled to Europe to perform, including a guest appearance at the Hof Brau Haus in Munich in 1987. In 1997, they made history as the first American band to be allowed to participate in the Sunday parade at the Munich Oktoberfest. The Chico Bavarian Band was also the first non-European group to march and perform in the famed Munich Oktoberfest parade.

The Chico Bavarian Band blends German polkas and waltzes with American country and popular music, from "Take Me Home, Country Roads" to "Sweet Caroline". Their signature style is a hit with all audiences, whether they're domestic or measuring the sound against a traditional expectation. The band's unique brand of music has taken them to stages of all sizes, from the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds to Munich's Oktoberfest.

Oom-pah music played by brass bands

Oom-pah music, often associated with Volkstümliche Musik (a form of popular German music) and polka, is an onomatopoeic term for the rhythmic sound of a deep brass instrument in combination with the response of other instruments or registers in a band. The "oom" sound is usually made by a tuba alternating between the root of the chord and the 5th, while the "pah" is played on the off-beats by higher-pitched instruments such as the clarinet, accordion, or trombone.

Oom-pah music is a wide variety of styles, including polkas, waltzes, and marches, and is commonly performed at Oktoberfest, a traditional Bavarian festival. A typical Bavarian brass band from Munich consists of at least a tuba or baritone, a clarinet or trumpet, and an accordion. However, the instrumentation can be extended or modified to suit different styles and contexts.

For example, the Bavarian band "Bergvagabunden" includes instruments such as the trumpet, trombone, tuba, baritone (euphonium), alphorn, and accordion. They perform a range of styles, including authentic marches, polkas, waltzes, and folk dances, providing entertainment for various events such as private parties, weddings, and corporate functions.

Another Bavarian band, "The Lausbuba," showcases the versatility of oom-pah music by combining traditional Bavarian folk music with modern tunes. They play a range of styles, from polkas and waltzes to hits by artists like Britney Spears and AC/DC. The band consists of multitalented young musicians who perform in the traditional Bavarian "tracht" or attire.

In recent years, there has also been a trend of playing contemporary pop and rock songs in an oom-pah style. Bands such as Oompah Brass from the UK have built a reputation as a "rock 'n' roll oompah band," performing songs by artists like AC/DC, Queen, and Taylor Swift while donning lederhosen.

The Bergvagabunden band

The band's repertoire includes classic folk songs from Bavaria, as well as their own creations, such as the well-known "Sunny Yodel." They also perform polkas, marches, waltzes, schuhplattlers (traditional German dances), and other German music genres commonly associated with Oktoberfest. The band has gained popularity not only in Munich but also throughout Germany and Europe, with their unique style of Bavarian tunes and energetic live performances.

Bergvagabunden is known for its professional and versatile performances, captivating audiences of all ages. They offer different band sizes, from a duo to a quartet, and can even include a female singer. The band is fluent in English and French and can moderate in these languages if requested. Additionally, their musical repertoire includes hits in various languages, such as Spanish, Portuguese, French, Turkish, Russian, Arabic, and Dutch.

The band members are all professional multi-instrumentalists, showcasing their skills with traditional German instruments. These include the accordion, alpenhorn, guitar, bassoon, clarinet, euphonium, tuba, and more. They bring Bavarian fest culture to life, creating a unique blend of traditional Bavarian music with modern elements, making their performances appealing to a wide range of audiences.

Bergvagabunden has become internationally renowned, touring all over Europe and bringing the sounds of Munich to people from different backgrounds and languages. Their mission to create universal music that transcends cultural and language barriers is evident in their popular song "Sunny Yodel," with its simple yet unifying lyrics of "La la la."

The Lausbuba band

The band consists of two main members but can be booked as a trio with a female lead singer or a quartet. They play a wide range of instruments, including the trumpet, accordion, tuba, clarinet, guitar, keyboard, saxophone, and they also showcase outstanding singing vocals. The Lausbuba band is known for its huge musical repertoire, combining traditional Bavarian folk music with modern tunes and the infamous oompah-sound, creating an authentic Bavarian-style experience.

Their performances include polkas, marches, and waltzes, as well as hits from various decades, such as the 60s, 70s, 80s, and even modern chart-toppers. The Lausbuba band has performed at various events, including beer festivals, wedding receptions, birthday parties, corporate events, and office parties, always ensuring that their shows are unique and memorable.

Yodeling and schuhplattler dancers

Yodelling and the Schuhplattler dance are integral parts of Bavarian culture and performance. Yodelling, or jodelling, is a form of singing that involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch, which is very popular among tourists. The Schuhplattler is a traditional folk dance that originated in Upper Bavaria, Tyrol, and Salzburg. It involves performers stomping, clapping, and striking the soles of their shoes, thighs, and knees with their hands held flat. The dance is playful and acrobatic, with colourful costumes, jumping, leaping, and kicking. It is thought to date back to Neolithic times, around 3000 BC, but the first record of the dance was in 1030 AD when a monk in the Tegernsee Abbey of Bavaria described a village dance containing leaps and hand gestures.

The Schuhplattler was originally a courtship dance, performed so that young men could impress young ladies. It was also performed as a partner dance, with couples doing a Ländler and then separating so the girls could twirl in their Dirndls while the boys showed off their Platteln. The Dirndl is a traditional dress with a long skirt, bodice, blouse, and apron, which emerged in the 18th century as a plain, practical servant's dress. It has since evolved into a stylish garment made of silk or satin.

The Schuhplattler has over 150 variations, with each village appearing to have its own version. The dance was historically performed by farmers, hunters, and woodsmen in isolated towns and villages in the Bavarian and Tyrolean Alps. It was also performed by members of different professions, such as the Mühlradl (miller's dance) and the Holzhacker (wood cutter). The music was generally in three-quarter time and was performed on the zither, guitar, accordion, or concertina.

Today, the Schuhplattler is still largely performed by adults but has become increasingly popular with children who love the colourful costumes and the bouncing, leaping, and kicking movements. The dance is often performed at festivals and events in Bavaria, such as the Gartenfests (garden festivals) held in the village of Oberammergau. These festivals feature traditional Bavarian food, drink, music, and dancing, including the Schuhplattler and polka.

Bavarian bands, such as "Bergvagabunden" and "Die Lausbuba", also incorporate yodelling and the Schuhplattler into their performances. These bands play a range of instruments, including the accordion, trumpet, trombone, tuba, baritone, euphonium, alphorn, clarinet, guitar, and saxophone, creating the distinctive Bavarian sound known as "oom pah". They perform a mix of traditional folk music, marches, polkas, waltzes, and modern tunes, providing entertainment for events such as weddings, birthdays, and corporate functions.

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