The Pfister Siblings () is a
Swiss-German comedy band founded in
Berlin in the early 1990s. Their music incorporates elements of
folk,
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' (G ...
,
bossa nova
Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...
,
vaudeville,
swing
Swing or swinging may refer to:
Apparatus
* Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth
* Pendulum, an object that swings
* Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus
* Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse
* Swing rid ...
, and
yodeling. In 2022, ''Mannschraft Magazin'' described them as a "
queer music cabaret trio."
Formation
In the 1990s, actors Christopher Marti, Tobias Bonn, Max Gertsch, and Lilian Naef formed the group at the
Schiller Theater. They created fictional personas as 4 orphan siblings from
Zermatt, Switzerland.
Music
In 2009, they released ''In The Clinic'', which includes a cover of
Esther & Abi Ofarim
Esther & Abi Ofarim were an Israeli musical duo active during the 1960s, consisting of husband and wife Abi Ofarim and Esther Ofarim. They enjoyed particular success in Germany. They had hits in Europe with their songs "One More Dance," "Morning ...
's 1968 novelty single, "
Cinderella Rockefella
"Cinderella Rockefella" is a novelty song written by Mason Williams and Nancy Ames. It was originally recorded and released by Israeli folk duo Esther & Abi Ofarim on their 1967 album '' 2 in 3''. It became an international hit single in 1968.
...
," performed by two men.
The album also includes an
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
version of "Spider Pig,"
a brief song sung by
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared, along with the rest of his family, in ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' short "G ...
in 2007 film ''
The Simpsons Movie
''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. The film was directed by the show's supervising director David Silverman and stars the show's regular cast of Dan Caste ...
'', which in turn is a parody of the
Spider-Man theme song.
Awards and legacy
The group was awarded Berliner Kritikerpreis () in 1992.
In 1993, they won the Salzburger Stier Award,
an annual award for "the best cabaret artists and satirists from German-speaking countries."
In 1995, they won the
Prix Walo
The Prix Walo is the most important award in Swiss show business. It is known as the " Swiss Oscar".
Awards since 1994 Honorable - Walo - awards
* 1983: Charly Fritsche
* 1991: Eynar Grabowsky
* 1992: Willi Schmidt, First Harmonic Brass Ba ...
,
a Swiss show business award sometimes referred to as a "Swiss Oscar."
They were portrayed in the 1995 documentary ''
Magic Matterhorn
Magic Matterhorn (1995) is an essayistic documentary by Swiss director Anka Schmid about the meaning of ones homeland, its clichés and reality. The mountain Matterhorn is the starting point for the portrayal of a ‚part-time‘ farmer from the S ...
''.
In 2014, the group won the B.Z.-Kulturpreis.
The 2021 ''Historical Dictionary of Berlin'' names The Pfister Siblings as one of the city's most important performers.
In Spring 2022, the original four members reunited to perform again, for the first time in 30 years. The ''
Berliner Morgenpost'' claimed it was "almost like
ABBA."
In 2022, they were awarded the Swiss Culture Prize.
See also
*
Max Raabe and the
Palast Orchester, a jazz big band in Berlin that recreates 1920s and 1930s big band music
References
Cabaret performers
Cabaret in Europe
Musical groups from Berlin
German comedy musical groups
Swiss comedy
LGBT-themed musical groups
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