By Daily Press staff
International Guitar Night will bring artists from across the globe to McCabe’s in Santa Monica on July 16. The one-night gathering of guitarists will feature Pierre Bensusan, the Grammy-nominated steel guitarist, composer and producer from French Algeria, as well as music from artists from as far as Brazil and New York.
The IGN gathering focuses not only on bringing together a community of artists, but also on breaking down artistic and cultural barriers and promoting a spirit of global harmony. The event has been hosted across the United States as far back as October 1999. IGN was originated in the U.S. by Brian Gore, a California native and steel string guitar player.
“The ultimate goal of the IGN is to awaken new audiences to the many possibilities of the guitar, as well as to foster a sustainable culture for original acoustic guitar music of all types,” according to the organization’s Web site.
Bensusan will perform songs from “An Evening With International Guitar Night Live,” which gathered 14 nylon and steel string acoustic guitar performances from the IGN 2004 Winter Tour. He began playing at IGN’s in 2001 representing, according to Gore, “what we’re all about, trying to cross boundaries and have a varied collaborative spirit.”
“Bensusan has shown that the steel string guitar can be a forum for a high form of art,” said Gore. “He’s one of the first people in the history of folk to successfully blend world music impulses with the music of his cultural upbringing.”
Bensusan began studying piano at age 7. At 11, he taught himself guitar. By the age of 17, he landed his first recording contract and recorded his first album “Pres de Paris.” He is well known for incorporating many musical languages into his melodies and creating innovative recordings. His latest recording was released in 2001 and is entitled “Intuite” “Solo guitarists have a way of expressing the vast poetry of life with a unique signature which you can’t find on other instruments,” said Gore. “They tap into a special dialogue of emotions. “(Bensusan’s production) is a celebration of how the guitar can facilitate global harmony and contribute peace and healing to a world so in need of it.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 30, 2004. Read the original PDF.