Benno Ernst plays in numerous bands and projects. As Niño he plays his genuine, own music, which is presented on this website.

 

In the following biography his entire cultural work is examined. You can find the links under "Bands / Links".

Benno Ernst was born in 1982 in the small Swiss town of Aarau. He started playing the guitar at the age of seven.

For the next 16 years he continued his education in different styles with various teachers. He trained his voice autodidactically, or rather, he simply sang, no matter whether before, during or after his voice broke and no matter what it sounded like. While still at school, he launched artistic projects and founded school bands. After graduating from high school in 2003, Benno Ernst devoted himself entirely to his cultural preferences of music, theater and tango. In 2007 he completed the specialist course for stage technology (sftb) and worked part-time as an event technician for around ten years. Since 2011 he has been in Buenos Aires for a total of five months to train as a tango dancer. Since 2015, Benno Ernst has lived with his family in the country, where his wife runs a horse farm.

Today Benno Ernst is a freelance and self-employed live and studio musician and takes part in theater and film projects. He also helps out in the stables and takes care of the forest and meadows. He is busy and at the same time loves idleness, needs urban activity and the tranquility of nature in equal measure, lives as wildly and freely as possible, is an opportunist and realist who loves utopias.

 

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Current artistic work:

- Niño (singer-songwriter)
- Chommerbuebe (dialect songs)
- Sugar and the Josephines (Jazz/Evergreens)
- Salut les Copains (Chansons)
- The Sheds (Irish Trad./Folk)
- Crown Affair (Smooth Jazz-Funk)

- 3 flats (jazz funk)

- STEEM (Alternative Rock)
- The Möckli Tales (Theatrical Reading)

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Substitute musicians at:

- Hilssheriff Tom (country band for children)

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His goal is always to be able to implement ideas according to his taste, without regard for losses, directly and honestly.
His own artistic freedom was and is always more important to him than commercial success. Authenticity, simplicity and fun are the most important things in his work as an artist.

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Musical career (key points):

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From 1987 to 2004 guitar lessons with various teachers.

1996: Joined the band "Steam" (later "STEEM")
1999: Singer and actor in the musical "Time Cruiser (ZH / AG)
2000: Conductor of the youth choir "TenSing Switzerland" at the Expo Hannover (DE)
2001: Participation as a singer and guitarist in the music theater "VerSTIMMung" (AG)
2002: Participation as a singer and guitarist in the music theater "Jazz Moods" (AG / BE)
2002: CD production with band project "Silver Circle"
2004: Film music for the short film "A life like jelly" by Lena Vurma
2004: Funding contribution from the Aargau Board of Trustees
2005: Joined the leadership team of the annual music camp at the district school in Aarau
2005: Foundation of the jazz band "Marybellsteve" (today: "Sugar & the Josephines)
2005: Participation as a singer in the music theater "Moments" (CH)
2005: Contribution to the artistic work of the Aargau Board of Trustees
2006: CD production "Niño - rooms and stories"
2006: Founding of the guitar duo "Chommerbuebe"
2006: Performance of the first Chommerbuebe program "Adie walt"
2006: Acapella project "Vocal Cords" in Aarau
2006: CD production with "Bad News Entertainment" (AG / ZH)
2007: Music and drama in the theater "Spinner" (AG / ZH)
2007: Creation of the Chommerbuebe program "Es Kafi ond es Gepfeli"
2008: Chommerbuebe become Pro Argovia Artist 08 / 09
2008: CD production "STEEM - empty sun"
2008: CD production "Niño - the entertainer"
2008: Participation in the CD production of "Nando Palé - destinacion mundo"
2008: Participation in the CD production of "Starcellar - OK ON"
2008: Participation in the CD production of "Michael Zander - liquor, limes & the treasures of life"
2009: Musical accompaniment of "Lectures on the Art of Eating"
2009: CD production "Chomerbuebe - gang dedor dor"
2009: CD production "Sugar and the Josephines - Live"
2010: Musical participation in the SF documentary: "Dunkelschwarzi Auge - Der Dichter Paul Haller" by Franziska Schlienger
2010: Composition of "Apprendiamo Semper", official song of the Swiss National Learning Festival 2010
2011: Sugar and the Josephines become Pro Argovia Artist 10/11
2011: CD production "Niño - LIFE"
2012: CD production "STEEM - How About"
2013: CD production "Sugar and the Josephines - rhythm is our business"
2013: Paul Haller cycle and CD production "But Schmützli git's ekäis! – Stephan Hunziker, Benno Ernst, Liliane Gubler, Michael Wolf”
2013: Production of the EP "Niño - Departure"
2014: Club tour as a guest with the Baden band "Ed Elastic"
2015: Release of the music video for "No Walls", produced by Tom Karrer
2016: CD production "Niño - No Dress Code"
2016: Release of the music video for "No Dress Code", produced by WALKINGFRAMES
2017: CD production "Sugar and the Josephines - la rumba senza te"
2019: Composition and recording of two songs for the film "The Adventures of a Mathematician", dragonflyfilms Berlin, Warner Brothers

2019: Production of the EP "Niño - Desires"

2021: Production of the album "Niño - Brown and Blue"

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Acting career (key points):

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1993: Performances with the clown ensemble "Die Hotten und die Kuhlen" in Aarau
1998: Performances with the clown ensemble “Pink Pinguin” in Aargau
1999: Participation as a singer and actor in the musical "Time Cruiser" (ZH / AG)
1999: Performances with the clown trio "Schrompfdepozänter" in Aargau
1999 - 05: Participation in various theater productions of both canton schools in Aarau
2002: Appearances at variety shows with clown duo "Irish Blues Harmony"
2003: Participation in the diploma thesis at the acting school (HDK) ZH
2003: Founding of "OBÜ"-Open Stage in the Kulturhaus Flösserplatz in Aarau
2004: One-man theater "Dadariété" by and with Niño
2004: Founding of the series of events "Fesselspiele" in Aarau
2005: One-man theater "DINOlog about the nonsense of life" by and with Niño
2005: Work as a clown in the "Kijumu" mobile children's museum in the Zurich area
2005: Director of theater improvisation course "Wolfgang" in Aarau with Christian Gysi
2005: Head of theater course "K13" in Zurich
2005: Participation in the diploma thesis at the drama school (HDK) ZH
2005: Music theater about Frank Wedekind at Lenzburg Castle
2005: Participation in the theater festival "Theaterglut" in Aarau
2006: One-man theater "Pasta" by and with Niño
2009: One-man theater "LIGHT" by and with Benno Ernst
2011: Acting on "Carousel Amor" (REAL PRODUCTIONS)
2012: Official speech at the Biberstein Youth Festival on the subject of "Happiness"
2013: Theatrical reading "The Möckli Tales" with Oliver Keller on double bass