Montreux (original) (raw)

Montreux, is a resort town in west Switzerland, on Lake Geneva; population about 20,000.

Montreux holds several noteworthy festivals:

• international television festival awarding the Golden Rose of Montreux; annually in the spring since 1961
• international jazz festival; annually in July since 1967

It is home to American opera soprano, Barbara Hendricks, like nearby town of La Tour-de-Peilz is home of Canadian singing star Shania Twain, in the castillo of Sully.

Montreux is mentioned by Ian Gillan of the band Deep Purple in the seminal classic rock song "Smoke on the Water", which in part tells the story of the fire that destroyed the Montreux casino in 1971.

"We all came out to Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline

To make records with a mobile - We didn't have much time

Frank Zappa & the Mothers were at the best place around

But some stupid with a flare gun burned the place to the ground

Smoke on the water - A fire in the sky

Smoke on the water" and so forth.