Born in Ayent on 18 June 1947, Constantin joined his first band, Les Anges Blancs, in the 1960s.^[2] The band was named after the wrestler L'Ange Blanc. After a performance at the Swiss National Exhibition in Lausanne, he abandoned his studies in the graphic arts in 1964. He then met musician Brian Jones and took part in a BBC show in Montreux. He then traveled to the United States, where he met Frank Zappa. In the late 1970s, he returned to Switzerland, where he opened a bistro called Funky Pétard. In the 1980s, he became more well-known, releasing the songs "Switzerland Reggae" and "Lola Berlingot", which sold 275,000 and 250,000 discs, respectively.^[3]

Every Thursday from 2005 to 2012, Constantin hosted the radio show Les Jeudis de Bernie, broadcast on RTS Couleur 3.^[4] He was often nicknamed the "Alpine Iguana" due to his resemblance to Iggy Pop and a young Mick Jagger.^[5] His son, Jessie Kobel, was a comedian and hosted Get Up, Stand Up, which prompted an invitation to the Festival Morges Sous-rire in 2016.^[6]^[7] In the summer of 2024, Constantin joined his son on the radio show Mon bel été en Suisse, broadcast on RTS Première.^[8]

Constantin died in Anzère on 2 January 2025, at the age of 77.^[9]

Bernie Constantin
Born	(1947-06-18)18 June 1947 Ayent, Valais, Switzerland
Died	2 January 2025(2025-01-02) (aged 77) Anzère, Valais, Switzerland
Occupation(s)	Songwriter Radio show host

Life and career

Publications

References

External links