Mapping and representing musical diversity in Switzerland: The role of artists, ethnomusicologists, and officials

After Switzerland’s ratification of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008, governmental agencies began to implement the obligations and recommendations and published, in 2012, a national List of Living Traditions. The establishment of this list was managed through several steps of negotiations, involving representatives from cultural groups, cultural anthropologists, ethnomusicologists, and officials from state agencies. The process sought to find a comprehensive definition of “Intangible Cultural Heritage”, suitable to accommodate diverse views on cultural traditions in Switzerland. Focussing on sounds, the authors look into this construction process of “Living Traditions” from varying angles: a review of previous collections of musical and cultural traditions in Switzerland, with which the recent concept of “Intangible Cultural Heritage” is compared; a report of the establishment of the List of Living Traditions in Switzerland; a critical assessment of this list with its inclusions and exclusions of musical traditions; a presentation of a virtual soundscape of “Living Traditions” to put in perspective the steady re-assembling of sensual elements in the course of traditions. The authors argue that a continuous re-definition of “Intangible Cultural Heritage” is crucial for a successful realization of this concept.