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| Thanks Jimi Festival
- A tribute to Hendrix
1st of May 2006 - Wroclaw, Poland
Author: Leszek Cichonski, Wroclaw, Poland
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Thanks Jimi Festival - A tribute to
Hendrix
1st of May 2006 - Wroclaw, Poland
1581 guitars played Jimi
Hendrix's blues-rock hit "Hey
Joe" at the Old Town Square in Wroclaw, Poland, on the 1st of May 2006.
This event sets a new Guinness' World Record for the largest number of guitars
simultaneously playing the same song. This was the fourth attempt: last (2005)
year 1201 guitars participated in the event. The previous record (1555 guitars)
belonged to Epiphone - the American guitar producer.
The attempt took place during the "Thanks Jimi Festival"
dedicated to the music of the world's best known guitarist, Jimi Hendrix. It
was organized on the initiative of Leszek Cichonski - a respected musician and
music educator from Wroclaw, Poland, who wants to attain a goal of teaching
guitarists a new Hendrix's song every year.
1581 guitars from all over Poland, as well as from countries
like Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Sweden and the USA, gathered at the
Old Town Square in Wroclaw despite the rain falling persistently since the day
before. Until the last moment the weather forecasts were not optimistic, putting
the whole event in danger but just before the general rehearsal (electric &
acoustic guitars tuning) by 3 p.m. the rain suddenly stopped. When at 4 p.m.
the orchestra conducted by Leszek Cichonski performed "Hey Joe" the
Sun was shining! Thanks to... Jimi? Many great guitar players as Hiram Bullock,
Class Yngstrom, Rudy Cronfuss, Egon Poka and Polish masters: Dariusz Kozakiewicz,
Marek Raduli, Wojciech Hoffmann featured the concert. Additionally, the world's
largest guitar orchestra performed the hits: "Little Wing", "Red
House", "Wild Thing", as well as Cichonski's own "Thanks
Jimi".
The idea was born nearly ten years ago during the summer blues
guitar workshop held by Cichonski in Zakrzewo, when 16 participants have played
together "Hey Joe" for the first time. The idea to play this song
by hundreds of guitars has been maturing for many years.
Even though the record was set, the "Thanks Jimi Festival"
will be continued in the next years.
More information and photo galleries you’ll find here: www.cichonski.art.pl
.
Related links:
Thanks Jimi Festival 2005
(2005 year gathering presented on www.old.barikada.com)
http://emma.blurp.org/gitary2006/
(2006 year gathering photo gallery)
http://mp3.wp.pl/p/strefa/sciagnij/35356.mp3
( "Hey
Joe" - mp3 download)
Leszek Cichonski |
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Leszek Cichonski |
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