"Willi Grimm / Didjeridu (*1946)
Willi's first profession was as an offset printer. Thus, it was his initial contact with colours that led him to his current passion for different shades in music. From 1960-67 he played bass guitar in several Bernese rock bands. From 1968, he lived for three years in Australia, where he encountered the didjeridu and studied with aboriginal and white musicians. In 1971, he brought the first didjeridus to Switzerland, thus becoming one of the first European ambassadors for this instrument. Since this time, he gives workshops, concerts, performances and talk shows in institutions and elsewhere. In 1989, he co-founded the duo NATURTON with Gérard Widmer, who plays the Slovakian shepard's flute fujara. As a solo performer, Willi adds other harmonic instruments to the didjeridu such us Tibetan singing bowls, Asian gongs, and Indian string instruments such as the surmandel and tanpura. Aside from recordings on their own label ""NaturTonMusik"" he has participated with several other bands for CD productions. His solo CD is ""Willi Willi - Didjeridu & Overtones"".
Gérard Widmer / Fujara (*1955)
Gerard trained in modern dance, pantomime, music and figurative art, and worked as a freelance performer from 1977-1999. He has been a member of several theatrical groups (puppet and children theatre, circus, performances), and has participated in art exhibitions by showing objects, graphics and rear-glass-painting. In 1980, he encountered the fujara (giant recorder flute from Slovakia), and studied its origin and how it is made. He was the first to experiment playing the fujara out of traditional contexts. He makes sound performances in combination with painting, movement, lyric and video. In 1989, he co-founded the duo NATURTON with Willi Grimm, who plays the Australian didjeridu. As a solo performer, Gérard plays other flutes, guitar, and the kalimba, and is also a keen entertainer. He has issued three CD's with NATURTON. His solo CD is ""Fujara&"". In a well known seminar and cultural castle, Gérard is co-leader and is in charge of the artistic programs." BIOGRAPHY |
