What does Singer Dodo have to do with this lighthouse?

The “hippie bus” has been parked regularly at the Oberalp Pass for some time now: reggae singer Dodo (45) has been appointed by the Rheinquelle Lighthouse Foundation as the current caretaker of the structure at the top of the pass between Surselva and Urnerland. . “I was very honored that the foundation approached me,” said the musician.

The ten-metre-high tower is the tallest of its kind in the world and has been in this unusual location since 2010. As a replica of the lighthouse at the mouth of the Rhine, which was once 1,233 kilometers away, it symbolizes the nearby origin of the Rhine at Tomasee. The foundation has appointed one prominent person as honorary guards each year since 2015 – artists Ted Scapa (91), singer Sina (56) and TV star Nik Hartmann (50) have already received the red key to the tower.

“Lighthouses fascinate me”

It’s been Dodo’s turn since last fall. What is he actually doing in this role? “It’s more of a representative mission,” says the Zurich native. “I’m a guard, not a guard. But I really like the tower.” For him, lighthouses symbolize a safe place. They would offer orientation on the high seas to sailors, but also to other adventurers like him. “It is both absurd and fascinating to have a lighthouse over a causeway instead of a harbor,” the Dodo continues. “Two and a half years ago, I was fascinated by the tower when I stopped here for about three weeks while traveling through the gate for several months.”

Because the Oberalp Pass is very familiar to the musician. In a container converted into a mobile home and recording studio, Dodo went on a journey through various Swiss passes and recorded the album «Pass». A journey that should initially bring him to Ivory Coast, the land of his early childhood years, via Basel, the Rhine and the Atlantic freighter. But the “Storm” Corona took him off course, so he shifted his voyage to the sources of the Swiss rivers, which would later flow into the sea.

Rhine water in Africa

Since then, the Dodo has been fascinated by transitions. “It is a clearinghouse where everyone pauses for a moment,” he says. “One stage is done before the next one expires.” The Oberalp Pass is a particularly special place, with two very good restaurants (one on the Grisons side and the other on the Urner side) and an ingenious tower. “I noticed this as well, on the occasion of being presented as a guard at the concert last summer. The mood was magical. Reggae in transition – people especially love it!”

The musician caught up with his project in Africa, which was delayed due to the corona pandemic. The Oberalp Pass also accompanied him on his musical expedition from Cape Town via Ghana to Ivory Coast – in the form of a bottle of Rhine water that he personally filled to use before leaving the river source at Lake Toma. To protect the mango tree next to the house where he grew and drank water in Abidjan. You can find out if Dodo found his home at that time in the movie documentary that will be released in cinemas next winter.

The next concert is in March.

The African adventure has just come to an end. Since then, Dodo has returned to “his own” lighthouse, a flying visit on the occasion of a snowboarding weekend in the Disentis Sedrun ski region, which avid winter sports enthusiasts particularly love.

And soon, on March 19, the reggae singer will return to Oberalp Pass for another concert (see box). Also in the trunk of the Dodo: “Many good feelings and a little bit of Africa,” he announces.

Source : Blick