American guitarist Tom Morello is the winner of the Sena Performers European Guitar Award. He will receive the prestigious award on July 4 in Gebouw-T in Bergen op Zoom. Morello is seen as one of the greatest guitar innovators of his generation.
Guitarist for Rage Against The Machine, Bruce Springsteen and Audioslave
Morello (59) broke through in 1992 with his band Rage Against The Machine. The group from Los Angeles scored a monster hit that year with the activist rock-rap song Killing In The Name, which became an absolute classic. The band’s debut album is seen as one of the best works of the 1990s. After the necessary global successes with this band, Morello founded the supergroup Audioslave in 2001 together with Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, among others. He also played in Bruce Springsteen’s band for seven years and provided the guitars on his albums Wrecking Ball and High Hopes. Morello released albums with several major projects featuring musicians such as Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) and DJ Steve Aoki. He formed the group Prophets of Rage with Chuck D (Public Enemy), among others. Morello himself is very pleased to receive the award in Bergen op Zoom. “When you see who won this guitar award. That makes me very proud!”
European Guitar Awards
Morello comes to Bergen op Zoom with his own band and will also play during the Award. Previously, big names such as Brian May (Queen), Slash (Guns N’ Roses), Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Satriani, Steve Hackett (Genesis), Steve Lukather (Toto) and many others won the award. Last year it was Extreme and Rihanna guitarist Nuno Bettencourt who received this special honor. Morello studied political science at Harvard University and is also a spokesperson for an activist, progressive America. Jean-Paul Heck, co-organizer of SEGA, managed to get Morello earlier this year. “He has been on our list for years, but Morello is one of the most active guitarists in America, often working on multiple projects. Together with John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, previous winner Slash and Jack White, he is seen as the greatest electric guitarist of his generation. In addition, he has a clear political and social opinion that he has been able to draw attention to in an impressive way for years.”
Jack Pisters, chairman of SEGA, calls Morello a pioneer. “Tom Morello is one of those sublime guitarists who changed the guitar landscape forever with his band Rage Against The Machine. With his unique personality and innovative playing style, which consists of noise, scratches, virtuoso lines and strong guitar riffs, he makes an unforgettable impression. He is a major influence on guitar playing in the 21st century.” Gert-Jan de Koster, director of Building-T, is very proud that Morello is coming to Bergen op Zoom to receive the award. “It’s fantastic that we can welcome Tom Morrello in Building-T. An iconic guitarist with his signature guitar sound in Rage Against The Machine using the ‘pitch shifter’.”
Councilor Letty Demmers is responsible for culture in the executive board of the municipality of Bergen op Zoom. “As a college we are very proud that we can present this guitar award here in Bergen op Zoom. The festivities attract enthusiasts from all over the country every year. And it doesn’t stop there, because the organization also takes a much broader approach locally with young musicians and a concert where the winning guitarist is present as a central guest. In this way, the award really contributes to culture in Bergen op Zoom and the region.”
Ticket sales for the Sena Performers European Guitar Award start on Thursday, May 30 at 10:00 am. Tickets are available via: www.gebouw-t.nl.
