Escopetarra
An escopetarra is a guitar made from a modified rifle and used as a symbol of peace. The name is a portmanteau from the Spanish words escopeta (gun) and guitarra (guitar).
The Escopetarras were invented in 2003 by the Colombian peace activist César López at a meeting after the bombing of the El Nogal Club in Bogotá when he noticed a soldier holding his rifle like a guitar. The first Escopetarra from 2003 consists of a Winchester rifle and a Stratocaster brand electric guitar .
López originally made five Escopetarras; he gave four of them to the Colombian musician Juanes , the Argentine musician Fito Páez , the United Nations Development Program and the Bogotá municipal government , while keeping one to himself. Juanes later sold his Escopetarra for US $ 17,000 at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills for the benefit of landmine victims , while the UN's copy was on display at the UN Conference on Disarmament in June 2006 .
In 2006, López procured a further twelve AK-47 assault rifles from the office of the Colombian peace commissioner. These should - converted into guitars - go to famous musicians like Shakira , Carlos Santana and Paul McCartney as well as to political greats like the Dalai Lama . However, an employee of the Dalai Lama rejected López's offer on the grounds that a weapon was inappropriate as a gift. López has announced that he will try to explain his goals in more detail. A copy has been on display in the Werkstatt der Kulturen in Berlin-Neukölln since 2010 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Phillip Torrone: Guitar made from AK-47 - The Escopetarra . MAKE: Technology on Your Time. March 11, 2006. Archived from the original on January 25, 2007. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
- ^ Colombian musicians organize online , BBC News, June 1, 2006
- ↑ Making music out of menace: A Colombian musician has fashioned guitars out of rifles to help spread a message of peace. Miami Herald , March 7, 2006
- ^ Héctor Latorre: Escopetarras: disparando música , BBC World. January 24, 2006. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
- ^ Gabriel Conte: La escopeta transformada en guitarra del músico César López será exhibida en la ONU , Desarme.org. June 15, 2006. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007 Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved January 31, 2007.
- ↑ Kevin Sites: Killer Sound , Yahoo! News. April 24, 2006. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007 Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved January 31, 2007.
