The sounds of the Covid generation

Every generation has its own soundtrack. How has the Covid-19 pandemic influenced today’s sounds and the current generation of Swiss musicians?

This 2021 documentary by Swiss public television, SRF, talks to musicians about the impact of the pandemic. It examines the role of music in today’s society and how musicians imagine their future.

The beats, chords and melodies of each era tell much about who we are and the world in which we live. Every upheaval in society is marked by distinctive music. If you think of the French Revolution, it’s hard not to hum La Marseillaise. The Roaring Twenties wouldn’t be the same without Louis Armstrong’s jazzy trumpet. And the 1960s remain intimately linked with Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix’s guitar riffs.

What will the global health crisis sound like in the years ahead?

Some of the musicians interviewed by SRF explain how the pandemic has marked a turning point in their careers. Despite the challenges, for some it’s been an opportunity to start something totally fresh.

“Art is important. It creates space for ideas that are utopian. It somehow enables me to be flexible and makes me realise the world isn’t just what it is, it’s what we make it,” says rapper Big Zis.