2nd Street Organ Fest in Chile unfolded music over Valparaiso

This October the second edition of the International Street Organ Fest “Manuel Lizana” was held on Valparaiso City in Chile. For a second time the street organ players from Chile and Mexico showcase their music instruments and the typical “chinchin” dance at main square Plaza Sotomayor. At the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Patrimony (Centex) Leer Más …

Street Organ History Expo in Berlin

With the title: “Musica di Strada” or “Street Music” the organ making history is at the Pankow Volkshochschule Museum in Berlin, Germany. In cooperation with “The International Street Organ Fraternity of Berlin”, this expo narrates how families like Bacigalupo, Graffigna and Cocchi families founded the first workshops of mechanical music at Germany and northern Europe. Leer Más …

Chilean barrel organ maker Manuel Lizana dies at age 73

World famous street organ maker Manuel Antonio Lizana Quezada passed away this Sunday, August 22, after being ill from cancer the last months. Through social media his family and friends spread the bad news and the funeral took place at his residence in the San Ramon Community. On Sunday’s night the street in front of Leer Más …

Tartu, the Northern Europe city who adopted the street organ grinders.

When we think in the street organ grinder tradition, we usually think in Mexico City. Also we may think in Germany. Germany is the country with the most street organ instruments. But there is a little town within the Baltic states. This town is Tartu (in Northern Europe on the eastern coast, just in border Leer Más …

90-year-old Chilean organ-grinder receives culture award

One day after the 100th birthday of Margot Loyola, the chilean Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Consuelo Valdés, announced the three winners of the «Margot Loyola Palacios  Lifework in Traditional Culture Award». In a ceremony at the «Palacio La Moneda,» the winner announce are the members of the Tabake Folkloric Projection Ensemble of Playa Leer Más …

One of the last barrel organ builders believes in the future

Axel Stüber is one of the last four barrel organ builders in Germany. But the cult instrument threatens to die out. With his club, Stüber is now fighting for the future of the barrel organ. Gently, Axel Stüber turns the small whistle of bright alder wood between his fingers. A critical look, then a satisfied Leer Más …

Radio interview with the chilean organ grinders

The Lizana’s heritage begun at the 1930’s as the first generation street organ grinder, Hector Lizana Gutierrez played and sell toys in the streets and plazas in Santiago, Chile. Soon after he begun to play the drum as the music man called «chinchinero». Radio Citoyens 102.5 in its program «Conexion Patrimonial», talked with Hector and Leer Más …

Margot Wolf a 102 years old Berliner organ grinder

The 102-year-old Berliner continues to crank up the music box Berlin (DK). She has played in Switzerland, Denmark, France, Belgium and England but prefers to play in Berlin. Her name is Margot Wolf. At the age of 102, she is probably the oldest organ player in the world. «I do not know any older ones,» says the treasurer Leer Más …