Kastelruther Spatzen

The Kastelruther Spatzen started in 1975 in the village of Kastelruth, South Tyrol, with Norbert Rier, Karl Schmalzl, Walter Mauroner, and Oswald Sattler. They played at local festivals before their 1983 song 'Es War Einmal Ein Edelweiß' became a hit, bringing them wider attention. The group mixes Tyrolean folk with pop, often singing about love and their home region, with harmonies and accordion playing a big part in their sound.

In 1999, accordionist Karl Olang died in a bus accident, a loss the band has acknowledged in their work. They've released over 40 albums, including tracks like 'Die zärtlichste Versuchung der Berge' and 'Auf der Flucht vor meinen Gefühlen', and have been associated with South Tyrolean autonomy, though they say their music isn't political. Current members include Rier, Schmalzl, Sattler, Albin Gross, Rüdiger Hemmelmann, and Andreas Mariner.