The carnival band Canadysli awakens the spirits of Basel Fasnacht in Canada.
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Fifty years ago, Basel’s carnival tradition inspired Swiss expatriates in Toronto to found the Canadysli carnival band. Today, they follow the Morgestraich parade via livestream. Two days prior, however, they take up their own drums.
The fifth season, as carnival is popularly known in German-speaking countries, reflects Switzerland’s federal spirit in its most colourful form – at least for those who don’t flee the organised chaos. There are few occasions that spark as much passion as when carnival revellers celebrate their traditions, although the customs beyond the cantonal borders may elicit a benevolent smile at best.
Residents of Basel-City are particularly proud of their so-called drey scheenschte Dääg (three most beautiful days), and this was true long before the Basel Fasnacht, Switzerland’s largest carnival, was recognised as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2017. Their pride stretches so far that the tradition has taken root 6,400 kilometres to the west.
Basel’s wake-up call in Toronto
In 1976, a group of Swiss expatriates in Toronto, Canada, came together to form the Gugge Canadysli. Following Basel’s tradition, the group organised a Morgestraich in the city’s Yorkville neighbourhood, a procession that traditionally heralds the start of the Basel Fasnacht at 4 o’clock in the morning.
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The early hour was initially maintained in Toronto, albeit at a lower volume. “I remember my parents taking me along early in the morning. The drums were slightly muffled, and the piccolo flutes were played more softly,” recalls Philippe Moser, president of the Swiss Club Toronto and the band leader of Canadysli.
“It was fine with everyone until it wasn’t.” For around 30 years, the group has no longer received a permit for its early morning parade. Rumor has it that, in one fateful year, the wrong Toronto official was roused from his sleep by the participants. Permits were no longer available the next year. “Whether that’s a true story or not, I don’t know. I was far too young at the time,” says Moser with a laugh.
In 1981, Canadysli was still holding its Morgestraich parade in the streets of Toronto:
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Adaptation as a survival strategy
Without a permit, the group had to adapt. Initially, they moved the Morgestraich into a bar, where they celebrated the start of carnival each year. But when the owner passed away 12 years ago and the bar closed, they once again had to look for a different solution. “Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer places willing to bend the rules a little,” says Moser.
The Morgestraich remains a key date in the Canadysli calendar. However, they no longer perform the parade themselves. Instead, the members watch the original Basel version via livestream – a digital solution Basel traditionalists might need a moment to digest.
The Canadysli adjusted their schedule to the circumstances. Rather than at the stroke of 4 o’clock, the emotion-filled words Vorwärts, Marsch (“Forward, March”, which mark the beginning of the Basel Fasnacht) are now announced in the late afternoon. The first carnival tunes are no longer played in the open air, but in a hall.
An international ensemble
The drums used by Canadysli originate in Basel.
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Flexibility has always been part of the group’s approach. “Each year we check which instruments we have available and which songs we can play with them,” says Moser. This year, the saxophones are particularly well represented with five players, so they carry most of the melodies. “We adapt the songs to suit our circumstances.”
Although deviations from the original are unavoidable, Moser is adamant that the aim is to stay as close as possible to the Basel original. The drums used in Toronto, for instance, are by no means of Canadian origin – they all come directly from the Swiss city on the Rhine.
Canadysli currently has around 20 members, the youngest about two or three years old and the oldest in their eighties. “Most are in their mid-forties with small children. Families getting together to make music and have a good time.”
The group is part of the Swiss Club Toronto. Swiss expatriates form its core, but Swiss heritage is not a requirement for membership: “The Gugge is open to everyone – we have members from Belgium, Taiwan, and Trinidad and Tobago.”
Half a century of Canadysli
The highlight of the Canadysli year usually takes place on the Saturday before the start of Basel Fasnacht. Much like some pre-carnival events in Switzerland, guests are invited to a dinnerExternal link. The evening is accompanied by the Gugge Canadysli, whose repertoire ranges from Polo Hofer to Taylor Swift. “We learn new songs every year, but of course people also want the classics,” says Moser.
The moment he looks forward to most? “When everything kicks off. I say ‘Vorwärts, Marsch‘, then the drums start. The riff has been the same since day one.” Since the hall is not particularly large, it gets correspondingly loud.
Classic elements such as Räppli (confetti) or a kind of Blaggedde (decorated badge) are a must. Those who wish can have a go at a Schnitzelbank (a humorous rhyming performance). “The whole thing is a big party with a DJ playing real music, dancing and a tombola,” Moser says.
This year marks a special anniversary: for 50 years, Swiss expatriates have brought that curated cacophony of Basel’s Guggen bands to Canada, a sound that manages to divide opinion even in its homeland.
That this tradition has survived abroad for half a century is remarkable. Moser believes it’s thanks to the level of commitment shown by its members. “The founding members who set up Canadysli in 1976 played together all the way until the last one passed away. They were always there.”
“Some came to play straight from hospital and checked themselves back in afterwards.” This dedication was infectious to the rest of the group. Moser, himself part of Canadysli for 22 years, is convinced: “Once you’re in, you don’t leave.”
Last year, we visited the carnival in Basel with a group of Swiss Abroad. Read our article here:
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‘We’ve lost half the group!’ Swiss Abroad visit the carnival in Basel
Edited by Marc Leutenegger; Adapted from German by AI/cm/ac
