2010-07-27
GUITAR CIRCLE
It all began with...
Well... where to begin this unusual, beautiful, sad, yet eventually uplifting story which consists of eight different stories, eight episodes which occurred separately in different places at different times, only to intertwine in dramatic circumstances and merge into one indivisible story of hope, friendship and unity?
Visaginas, Lithuania, „Visagino Country” 2007. Round midnight on the second hot festival night Lonstar and his band are wrapping up their show. The atmosphere is fabulous. Nearly thirty thousand throats yell-out their enthusiasm to the last beats of “Muleskinner Blues”. One last power chord, the thunderous ovation and then the band quickly plug out their instruments to give way to the next artists. Suddenly, out of the thin air there come a delegation: festival’s producer Elena Cekiene, followed by the representative of the main sponsor - “Utenos” brewery, the translator and beautiful Ruta Cekyte carrying the guitar case. It takes a while for completely surprised Lonstar to realize just what is going on. Well, it’s a new tradition being born at the “Visagino Country”: a special annual award for an artist with a significant merit in the field of promotion of this festival and country music. And the first recipient of this award is... Lonstar (!) who remains speechless for long thirty seconds before he can regain control over his emotion. The award turns out to be the beautiful Alhambra Western acoustic guitar. Last year’s “Visagino Country” similar Special Award went to... And this is where enter the second story.
Kosice, Slovakia. Hometown of a sensitive, creative and influential artist – Peter Dula. With his unique songwriting talent and an awesome voice he would power up the lineups and repertoires of numerous folk and country bands. For the last few years he was the front man of the best Slovakian country band, Veslari, also known under the English name, The Rowers, due to their success in the Western market. Several times he shared stage with Lonstar at various European festivals, including the “Visagino Country” in 2007. He would also share our attitude – both on musical and human level. Peter was the only artist from the Eastern block to date, who has firmly set his foot on the Nashville music ground as the singer and songwriter. He began his collaboration with some of Nashville top artists such as Billy Yates, Joe Diffie, Marty Stuart, Mark Chesnutt and Buddy Jewell. He topped the European country charts with his first big hit, “Waiting For The Rain”. The door to a big career at the very epicenter of country music stood wide open for him. Yet... Peter had to face much bigger challenge. He suffered of an incurable cancer. But he would never give in. He fought till the end. He’d write and record new songs, he’d tour all over Europe. He had one dream: to go with his songs to Nashville one more time, like a genuine American singer/songwriter. That’s why the foundation established by his family and friends whose purpose is to collect the means for a costly and complex treatment in the USA is called “Keep The Dream Alive”. But... this is time to introduce the third episode.
Visaginas, Lithuania, “Visagino Country” 2009. The Rowers with an American singer, Billy Ryan are getting ready to kick off their gig. Peter is absent even though several weeks ago he set an appointment right at this festival to write a new song with Lonstar. He also planned to meet Elena Cekiene who would always support him in his struggle with his illness. He was sure he would come back here. But briefly before the beginning of that tour the cancer has attacked again and now Peter is fighting for his dreams one more time at the hospital in Bratislava. Yet his spiritual presence can be strongly felt; one can almost see him in a hospital bed 2000 kilometers away, keeping his fingers crossed for his band. As I spot Ruta climbing the backstage stairway with the guitar case, I sense just what is about to happen. There follows Elena Cekiene and the “Utenos” representative... And – yes! – another top quality guitar founded by “Utenos” goes to the next artist who has so much deserved it for his dedication to country music and to this festival. Elena’s voice breaks when she reads out the dedication: “in recognition of your passion for country music and an admirable attitude in fighting the disease, with hope to see you back on this stage”... The tears twinkle in everybody’s eyes. Acoustic Martin OOO-15 along with the get-well wishes is accepted on Peter’s behalf by the band’s manager and multi-instrumentalist, Frantisek Jano who – just like Lonstar two years earlier – remains speechless for a long while. Nobody even bothers to hide one’s emotions. And how ominously sounds tonight Peter’s hit, “I’m Leavin’” whose original rendition of two years ago is still ringing in our ears...
Warsaw, Poland, October 10th, 2009. In the privacy of my home I am writing the article on the previous year’s edition of “Visagino Country”, including the award for Peter Dula. While reporting the latter, I have an inexplicable feeling of anxiety, as if some strange emotional force didn’t let me compose the phrases. In spite of the cold weather I take a walk outside to shake it off of my mind. Two days later, when my already finished essay is waiting at the editor’s for its release, the phone rings: Peter Dula at the age of only 28 has lost his years-long battle with cancer. He left us on... October 10th 2009...
To his funeral there came virtually the entire Slovakian and Czech folk-and-country world. Me and Lonstar went there, too in spite of an early attack of winter and snowdrifts on the highways. We simply had to go there. After a most moving funeral ceremony there happened something that... But here comes the fourth story.
Laco “Grizzly” Sasak is an all-round man of culture: multi-instrumentalist, composer, poet, music teacher and a universal animator of Slovakian artistic life. To Peter Dula he was his musical mentor and a spiritual father. Just a few days prior to Peter’s death they did a couple of acoustic recordings together, of course using that Martin OOO-15 guitar. Then Peter, knowing he would be dying soon, gave that precious instrument to his artistic guru. His last award went to his first musical tutor. After the funeral Laco Sasak invited to his home a group of fifteen-something artists who were close to the defunct. We were deeply moved by the fact that we found ourselves in their number. As we sat in circle, Laco brought Peter’s Martin guitar and we would take turns at it, each of us playing two songs. It wasn’t a jam-session. It sounded like a collective prayer – for Peter and for all of us who have still remained in this world, God knows for how long... Then, on December 16, 2009, by an initiative of the indefatigable Laco, an unusual concert took place at the “Domino” culture center in Kosice. In the “Tribute to Peter Dula” there appeared the artists who had collaborated with him at different phases of his career. Lonstar was invited to sing there, too. At the closing of the concert the foundation of Peter Dula Country Music Hall of Fame was announced and the honorable title of its two first members was granted to Lonstar and to Slovakian country superstar (and privately – Peter’s friend), Allan Mikusek. Visaginian guitar was exposed throughout the entire concert on stage and at the moment of granting the Hall of Fame membership it went symbolically into the hands of Lonstar. But not for keeps! That instrument has been baptized “Wayfaring Guitar” and every six months it will change the owner, traveling from one new member to another, according to Laco Sasak’s idea of uniting the artists and expanding the circle of country music brotherly souls.
Warsaw, Poland, April 2010. In the nation-wide plebiscite “Stagecoach 2009” the induction of Lonstar and Allan Mikusek to ”Peter Dula Country Music Hall of Fame ” won in the category Event of the Year. At the Polish Country Gala the award was accepted by Laco Sasak and then Peter Dula’s “Wayfaring Guitar” provided accompaniment to Lonstar’s new tribute song, “Cowboy’s Gone”, sung by Allan Mikusek, Laco Sasak and the author. At that moment the otherwise agitated audience got silent and I could swear Peter was smiling down on us. And again, just like eight months earlier in Visaginas, you could see the tears in many eyes... In the weeks that followed, in our home two guitars sat on the guitar stands: Lonstar’s Alhambra Western and Peter’s Martin OOO-15. Both being the awards granted by one festival. Two sisters belonging to two spiritual brothers.
Nashville, Tennessee, USA, June 2010. Lonstar sang in a few prestigious concerts during the greatest country music festival in the world – the CMA Fest. It was a great honor, the more so that the invitation had come from one of the best country songwriters, two-time Grammy winner (and also the headliner of the “Visagino Country” in 2006), Billy Yates. It was all too obvious that the “Wayfaring Guitar” should go with us, so that – according to Peter’s motto – this dream would stay alive. And so, Peter’s Martin rang at “The Countriest of the Country” show alongside the country’s greatest songwriters. For a brief while it wound up in the hands of two of Peter’s Nashville friends, songwriter Mark Trail and a hot newcomer Buddy Jewell. Then, millions of listeners around the globe could hear it on the legendary live WSM radio show broadcast worldwide. Next, its warm sound supported Lonstar at the “Midnight Jamboree” with Rhonda Vincent and her band and, finally, it came to the Cowboy Church and joined the country believers in the musical prayer again... We took it everywhere Peter would want to be.
Frombork, Poland, July 2010. A friend once asked Lonstar whether he would regret to give this guitar away. And Lonstar replied that no, he wouldn’t. I mean, he would never give it away just like that, to an unknown stranger. But this is not the case. Allan Mikusek is not only a good friend and a regular guy but also a perfect musician, expert guitar player and a great artistic personality. We are confident that this guitar goes into the right hands! And knowing Laco Sasak’s intuition and his thorough awareness of the musical scene, we are positive that after Allan all the next nominees for Peter Dula Country Music Hall of Fame will be worthy of carrying on this “guitar relay”. No, there wasn’t any regret at this year’s “Country Meeting” in Frombork. Quite the contrary: there was a moving, emotional moment and the sense of mission assigned by the Peter Dula Hall of Fame when the Visaginian “Wayfaring Guitar” was passed forward. Now it’s Allan Mikusek’s mission to “carry the torch” so that this guitar circle stayed unbroken and Peter’s dream stayed alive forever.
Magdalena „She-Wolf” Łuszczynska
2007-03-29
PETER AND THE ROWERS IS STILL AT #1
Single "Blind Horses" is still at #1 on European CMA TOP 100 CHART January 6th-12th,2007. This is another week at #1 on this major european country chart. PETER & THE ROWERS at # 7 on ROOTS TRUE COUNTRY CHART March 2007. PETER & THE ROWERS have just recorded 2 new songs. One is called Succeed and the other one is a western swing tune called Which Way Do I Go. You can hear the songs on the band's official myspace at www.myspace.com/rowers The band is working hard in studio finishing their brand new album with original songs in English. The release date is planned for May 2007.
2007-02-19
CMA GLOBAL COUNTRY ARTIST AWARD NOMINATION FOR RACHAEL WARWICK
Nominees have been selected for this year's CMA Global Country Artist Award which recognizes outstanding achievement by a country music artist who has furthered the popularity of, and brought attention to, the genre in their foreign-based territory. The eight nominees include Rachael Warwick (United Kingdom) Tom Astor (Germany), Calaisa (Sweden), Rodrigo Haddad (Brazil), Adam Harvey (Australia), Corb Lund (Canada), Melinda Schneider (Australia) and Michelle Wright (Canada). Candidates are chosen from artists nominated by CMA's international membership. The winner will be invited to accept the honour at the 2007 CMA Music Festival (June 7-10) in Downtown Nashville and perform during one of the Daily Concerts on the Greased Lighting® Daytime Stages at Riverfront Park.
