Escopetarra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An escopetarra is a guitar made from a modified AK-47 rifle. The name is a portmanteau of the Spanish words escopeta (shotgun/rifle) and guitarra (guitar).[1] It was invented by Colombian peace activist César López; he initially made five escopetarras, four of which were given to Colombian musician Juanes, Argentine musician Fito Páez, the United Nations Development Program, and the city government of Bogotá, while one was kept for himself. Juanes later sold his escopetarra for US$17,000 at a Beverly Hills fundraiser held to benefit victims of anti-personnel mines,[2] while the escopetarra given to the UN was exhibited at the June 2006 of the UN Conference on Disarmament.[3] In 2006, López acquired an additional 12 rifles; once they are converted into guitars, he plans to give them to high-profile musicians such as Shakira, Carlos Santana, and Paul McCartney, as well as political figures such as the Dalai Lama. However, a member of the Dalai Lama's staff rejected López' offer, citing the inappropriateness of giving a weapon as a gift; López has said he will try to explain his purpose more clearly.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Torrone, Phillip (2006-03-11). Guitar made from AK-47 - The Escopetarra. MAKE: Technology on Your Time. Retrieved on January 31, 2007.
- ^ Latorre, Héctor. "Escopetarras: disparando música", BBC World, 2006-01-24. Retrieved on January 31, 2007.
- ^ Conte, Gabriel. "La escopeta transformada en guitarra del músico César López será exhibida en la ONU", Desarme.org, 2006-06-15. Retrieved on January 31, 2007.
- ^ Sites, Kevin. "Killer Sound", Yahoo! News, 2006-04-24. Retrieved on January 31, 2007.
