The Real Anji: The Friend Who Inspired Davy Graham's "Anji"

In the context of the acoustic guitar instrumental, Anji (often spelled "Angi" or "Angie") was the name of the girlfriend of English folk guitarist Davy Graham. Graham composed and recorded the famous fingerstyle piece in 1961 and named it in her honor.The instrumental itself became a legendary rite of passage for guitarists during the 1960s folk revival.Key facts about the piece:Origins: Graham first recorded it in 1961. It was released on his debut EP 3/4 AD in 1962.

It bridged the gap between traditional folk and complex fingerstyle guitar, inspiring a generation of artists.Famous Covers: The song was notably covered by Bert Jansch, Paul Simon (on Simon & Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence), and John Renbourn

Postscript

The published and commonly accepted credit for the composition is to Davy Graham alone. Contemporary sources, music databases, and later reference works consistently list Graham as the sole composer of the piece.

The brother of the late Sidney Katzenell claimed that Sidney Katzenell was a joint composer of the work. Graham and Sidney Katzenell lived together in a Notting Hill Gate apartment in the 1960s, a plausible environment for musical exchange and shared influence.