Baloise Session Backline Blog

It was a highlight for the Baloise Session – and for him personally: Marc Sway opened this year’s festival edition with a thrilling concert. The Backline Blog – brought to you by Baloise – accompanied him on the way to his performance and provides exclusive insights into the creative process and multifaceted personality of Marc Sway, one of Switzerland’s most successful pop stars. Follow Marc Sway at the media conference, in the Powerplay Studio, and backstage at the Baloise Session.

Insurance and rock concerts – at Baloise this is not a contradiction, but a living corporate culture! Baloise lives music not only as a long-standing presenting sponsor of the Baloise Session, but also in its own formats such as the in-house «Baloise on Tour» or the «Baloise Summerstage». In an exclusive interview in our «Backline Blog» – brought to you by Baloise – Clemens Markstein, CEO of Baloise Switzerland, provides fascinating insights into the musical DNA of his company.

His win at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest pushed Nemo into the international spotlight. But Nemo was already demonstrating his versatile, creative potential much earlier. At the age of 13 he made his first stage appearance in Udo Jurgen’s musical «Ich war noch niemals in New York» («I’ve Never Been To New York»). Then came the breakthrough in the rap scene and as a chart-shooter with tender ballad hits. On 5 November you can experience Nemo live on the Baloise Session stage; and in the latest edition of our Backline Blog, talking to Zeno van Essel – exciting, frank, and inspiring!

Without Roman Camenzind, many of the greatest Swiss hits would not exist! From Baschi’s «Bring en hei» to Pegasus' «Skyline» – his creativity has shaped the Swiss music scene. In the latest edition of our Backline Blog – brought to you by Novartis – we take you to his legendary HitMill Studio in Zurich’s district 5. In a fascinating interview, the skilled hit-maker give us a peek into his collaborations with the stars of the Swiss music scene and reveals how he manages to create authentic music that climbs right up to the top of the charts.

Basel in the 1960s: The economy is booming, while cultural life swings between the traditional and the modern and attracts an international public. Rock culture also finds fertile ground in Basel. A generation later, this inspires the founders of the Baloise Session to stage rock concerts on a larger scale in Basel. With what was then called the «Rock-Session», they lay the foundations for today’s Baloise Session. In the latest edition of our Backline Blog – brought to you by Basler Kantonalbank – Claude Pfau, one of Basel’s early rock pioneers, tells us about the beginnings of Basel's rock scene.

Her heart has been beating for the Baloise Session for 30 years. In the latest edition of our backline blog – brought to you by AMAG – CEO Beatrice Stirnimann provides rare insights into the everyday life of a festival director. Accompany her as she explains how she puts together a programme that meets the tastes of the audience as well as her own high standards for good music. Discover which acts she finds particularly inspiring and how she manages to create a unique line-up every year.

When artistes are on tour, they need a place to stay where they can relax and feel at home. In the latest edition of our Backline Blog – brought to you by Host City Basel – find out why international stars feel so at home in Basel thanks to the unique partner hotels such as Novotel Basel City, Hotel Märthof Basel and Mövenpick Basel. What requirements do the stars demand of their accommodation, and how can our partner hotels guarantee their comfort and privacy? Click on the «Play» button for an exclusive peek.

A concert is like a meal in a good restaurant. All the guest has to do is enjoy it, without having to think about the work that it took in the kitchen to prepare the menu. In the new edition of our «Backline Blog» – brought to you by Novartis – project manager Tobias Friederich of AudioRent Clair gives us a peek behind the scenes and explains the challenges involved in setting up the stage for different acts and their individual requirements.

Our latest edition of the Backline Blog – brought to you by Basler Kantonalbank – is all about the fascinating subject of «Women in the Music Business». Find out from Tanya Gavrancic, show producer and manager of Steff la Cheffe, the hip-hop artist herself and Beatrice Stirnimann, CEO of Baloise Session, how to assert yourself as a woman, how the situation of women in the world of pop and rock has evolved in recent years, and the advantages of bringing more women into decision-making positions in this industry too.

Unique encounters in the classroom. The rapper Siga and sign language interpreter Vanessa rock Basel county's Böckten primary school with hip-hop and sign language! The latest edition of our Backline Blog – brought to you by AMAG – shows how music can break down barriers and introduce schoolchildren to a new world. Let yourself be moved by a touching story about courage, music and community: Discover how Jenny, who has been deaf since birth, can feel the sounds of Siga’s hip-hop, and learn about the role music plays in her life.