1/23/2010

100 years of Django

One hundred years ago, a gypsy family in Belgium was celebrating the birth of a baby called Jean Baptiste Reinhardt, nicknamed Django. They didn't know then, but their baby was destined to be different from the others: he was a musical genius, who would have become one of the greatest guitar players in history. Everything has been said and written about Django and today his artistic heritage is still alive and beating. Hundreds of guitarists all over the world play in Django's style, groups inspired by the 'Quintette du Hot Club de France' are everywhere, not to mention the 'Manouche' musicians that worship him as a god. We'd like to remember him with three minutes of his 'solo guitar' music.
It is hardly possible to be more expressive, poetic and touching than this.


1 comment:

  1. Great post, and great music by a legend. This Improvisation no # was recorded several times by Django, but I haven't been able to locate when this was recorded. Any suggestions? - It's quite clear to hear reminiscences of the inspiration from Flamenco in some sequeences, I think, allthough this Improvisation of course draws mostly on the Gypsy tradition.
    Jo

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