Zappanale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zappanale |
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|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Dates | Weekend in August |
| Location(s) | Bad Doberan, Germany |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Founded by | Arf-Society |
The Zappanale is a music festival that happens every year. It takes place near Bad Doberan, a town in Germany. This town used to be part of East Germany. The festival started in 1990. It features many different bands. These bands play the music of Frank Zappa. He was a famous composer and guitarist. Many musicians who played with Zappa have also performed at this festival.
The Story Behind Zappanale
Many people who organize the Zappanale festival grew up in East Germany. During that time, Frank Zappa's music was not allowed. Several Eastern European countries, which were communist, did not approve of his music.
One of the festival's founders is Wolfhard Kutz. The secret police in East Germany, called the Stasi, watched him closely. They did this because he was a fan of Zappa. In 1992, the German government made all Stasi files public. Kutz then learned that his file said he "knows how to influence the youth with Zappa."
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Kutz could finally enjoy Zappa's music freely. He then started a fan club called "Arf-society." The first Zappanale festival happened the next year. It was a big party with just one band playing Zappa songs. Since then, the festival has grown a lot. More than 2,000 people now attend the festival each August. The Arf Society became an official group in 1993.
In 2002, the festival organizers helped raise money. They wanted to create a bronze statue of Zappa. A Czech sculptor named Václav Česák made the statue. It is now placed in the center of Bad Doberan.
Court Case About the Name
In November 2007, the Zappa family took the festival to court. They said the festival used Frank Zappa's name and image without their permission. Court meetings were held in Düsseldorf in August 2008. Both sides were given time to try and settle the case outside of court.
In January 2009, the court made a decision. The court ruled against the Zappa family. They said the family did not show enough proof. They needed to prove they actively used their trademarks in Germany. The court decided this was necessary to win the case.
