‘Mad professor’ to play guitar festival

An eccentric Japanese musician-cum-inventor who’s been described as the “mad professor of home-made instruments” is set to liven up the classrooms of a West Cork school where he will perform as part of the Clonakilty Guitar Festival.

ICHI, a musician and film-maker, not only creates his own musical instruments from detritus scavenged in landfills — he also wears them.

A one-man band who dangles his eccentric creations from his arms and shoulders, ICHI has attracted much international attention for his colourful performances where he dresses as everything from a computer character to an upside-down mouth.

“He’s like a mad professor of home-made instruments”, said Kevin McNally, a member of the festival committee.

ICHI, from Nagoya in Japan, will be performing at Scoil na mBuachaillí in Clonakilty on Friday, Sept 20. The Clonakilty Guitar Festival, runs from Sept 19-22.

One of the highlights will be an exclusive/Irish premiere screening of the documentary, In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey.

*For more details visit www.clonguitarfest.com