Escopetarra facts for kids
An escopetarra is a special kind of guitar that is made from a rifle. It is used as a powerful symbol of peace. The name "escopetarra" comes from two Spanish words: escopeta, which means shotgun or rifle, and guitarra, which means guitar.
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How the Idea Started
Escopetarras were invented in 2003 by César López, a peace activist from Colombia. After a sad event in Bogotá in 2003, he saw a soldier holding a gun almost like a guitar. This gave him the idea to turn weapons into musical instruments. The very first escopetarra was made from a Winchester rifle and an electric guitar called a Stratocaster.
The First Escopetarras
César López made five escopetarras to start. He gave four of them away:
- One went to the famous Colombian musician Juanes.
- Another went to the Argentine musician Fito Páez.
- One was given to the United Nations Development Program.
- The last one was given to the city government of Bogotá.
- César López kept one for himself.
Later, Juanes sold his escopetarra for US$17,000 at an event in Beverly Hills. The money helped people who were hurt by anti-personnel mines (explosives that hurt people). The escopetarra given to the UN was shown at a big meeting about disarmament in 2006.
More Escopetarras for Peace
In 2006, César López received 12 more AK-47 rifles. These rifles were no longer used for fighting. He plans to turn them into guitars too. He wants to give these new escopetarras to well-known musicians like Shakira, Carlos Santana, and Paul McCartney. He also wants to give them to important leaders, such as the Dalai Lama. However, someone from the Dalai Lama's team said that giving a weapon as a gift might not be right. César López said he would try to explain his peaceful message more clearly.
Images for kids
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Escopetarra display at the UN Headquarters as of December 2016[update]
See also
In Spanish: Escopetarra para niños
