Video above: Guinness World Record Achieved at the 2023 Xin Jiang Tacheng Accordion Art Festival with 2525 live accordionists, plus 2003 verified online to total 4528 accordion players.

Picture above: China Accordion Association (CAA) Executive Secretary Crystal Wang introducing Kevin Friedrich to the Tacheng Accordion Museum crowd.

An important event of the recent 2023 Tacheng Accordion Art Festival was the Forum between the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA) and the Tacheng Accordion Museum. Kevin Friedrich is the Director of a new initiative, the WAMA, which is a global initiative held under the auspices of the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA), to coordinate the efforts of Accordion Museums and collectors around the world. Full report: 2023Tacheng

Picture left: Ma Yulan (Director of the Tacheng Accordion Museum) and Kevin Friedrich (Director of the CIA World Accordion Museum Alliance).

World Accordion Museum Alliance (WAMA) Mission Statement: WAMA is an International partnership, committed to the conservation, protection and promotion of our global accordion heritage. Our common responsibility is to preserve our accordion related treasures, document the accordion’s cultural heritage, encourage discoveries and tell our story for future generations.

The WAMA aims to carry out International missions in association with the CIA and its member nations, affording the opportunity to discuss and reflect on museum and heritage related issues. Within the CIA member nations, Accordion Museums are found in Austria, China, Finland, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden, the USA and more, with private collections being held in many other member nations. The CIA aims to support the collective efforts to ensure that the history and development of the accordion is protected well into the future.

The CIA recognizes the tremendous work by done by the Tacheng Accordion Museum to establish the extensive collection of accordions, the largest in China. Tacheng is a city rich in culture and music and the Museum is an important way to preserve and promote this heritage. The CIA had great honor of inviting the Tacheng Accordion Museum to join the CIA World Accordion Museum Alliance (WAMA) which was accepted.

Picture below: Official presentations with certificates and antique accordion gifts were (left to right): Crystal Wang, CIA Music Committee, CAA Executive Secretary; Kimmo Mattila, Secretary General, CIA; Shi Xuexia, Deputy Mayor of Tacheng; Zhang Qingyang, Head of the City of Tacheng Propaganda Department; Mirco Patarini, President, CIA; Ma Yulan, Director of the Tacheng Accordion Museum; Li Cong, President China Accordion Association (CAA); Kevin Friedrich, Ambassador CIA, Director CIA WAMA; Harley Jones, Public Relations CIA.

Full August Tacheng Report at: 2023Tacheng