Dear Robbie and MMD,  today, 24th May 2012, street organ manufacturer
Josef Raffin, of Überlingen, Germany, is celebrating his 80th birthday!
Some might already have seen him and his entire family in a YouTube
video from German TV's "Musikantenstadl", at http://youtu.be/M687GdLDB0U
 

Over 50 years ago he had to start with building sport boats, small
furniture and kitchen cabinets in order to afford the machines necessary
for building organs -- small and large alike.

In 1970 he was asked to repair an old street/busker organ which seeded
in him the idea to design one himself.

In 1974 he moved into the now well-known address of Abigstrasse 9.

In 1977 he started the first series of his still famous 20/31 model
Drehorgel with a small number of only 13 organs.

In 1983 the 31-keyless was added to the spectrum of organs being sold;
meanwhile organs have been sold into over 30 countries worldwide.

In 1997 the company was transformed and two of his sons-in-law were
included to run the company.

In 2005 he transferred his own shares to the wives -- his daughters --
of said sons-in-law but he still is active in the company as Senior
Master.

Josef Raffin's small series of organs in 1977 helped with the
re-introduction of street organs into public life of Europe's streets.
While there are other organ manufacturers available, the enormous
quality and standard of Mr. Raffin's organ have made him a name as
being "the Mercedes" among the organ companies.

Organ rallies already existed even back then, but with the possibilities
of a roll-operated organ vs. the old barrel organs with which the
enthusiasts up to that point met all over Europe, the face of organ
rallies started to change and the percentage of participants arriving
with new organs from the house of Raffin increased in some places, even
to the point where the organ rallies unofficially received the titles
"Raffinade" (based on the word "parade").

The possibilities of exchanging music with your fellow enthusiasts as
well as being able to play their organs together in duos or even more
multiples continued to cement the position of the Raffin Organ
Manufactury.

Through the years Mr. Raffin continuously updated the line of products
with new innovations, such as reed organs, mini organs, but also flute
clocks.

My family -- and I'm sure I'm saying this in the name of the entire
MMD -- is sending all their best wishes to Josef Raffin on his 80th
birthday!

Ingmar Krause
Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada