Local guitarists to strum famed guitar

Several of the city's top guitarists as well as Franco-Ontarian folk musician  Robert Paquette are standing in line to play the famed "Canadian Guitar" this Thursday at the Towne House Tavern.

The guitar, also known as the Six String Nations guitar, is made from 64 pieces of Canadian culture including a piece of Pierre Trudeau's canoe paddle; decking from the Bluenose II; a gold dot from Maurice Richard's Stanley Cup ring; a piece of Halifax Pier 21 where many immigrants entered Canada; and even some Sudbury nickel.

Most of the front piece is cut from the golden spruce, a majestic 300-year-old tree revered by the Haida-Gwaii of British Columbia.

CBC Radio host Jowi Taylor (Global Village) conceived the idea to develop a symbol of national unity on the eve of the 1995 Quebec referendum.  He and Luthier George Rizsanyi, who built the guitar in his workshop in Nova Scotia, spent 10 years assembling the 64 pieces of bone, metal and wood that go into the guitar.

The guitar made its debut in Ottawa during Canada Day celebrations this year. Ontario singer-songwriter Stephen Fearing played his song The Longest Road, then pass the guitar to Colin Linden, Tom Wilson and other musicians. The guitar is on a cross-Canada tour.

Paquette with Peter Cliche, Paul Dunn, Gary diSalle, Stephane Paquette, Brian Dunn and Paul diSalle  are participating in the Towne House evening. which will be recorded for CBC Radio to be aired at a later date.

Paquette, a singer-songwriter, actor, radio and TV host,  is one of the  pioneers of Sudbury music scene.

Poet Robert Dickson will perform three poems commissioned by the Six String Nation. The concert is supported by Music and Film in Motion, La Slague, Le Carrefour Francophone.

The performance at the Towne House Tavern will begin at 8 pm. Tickets are $15.