From Brian May to Messi: more than 50 celebrities unite in a new 'Hymn to joy'
Paz Vega and her son Lenon pass through a park and notice an Angela Molina with a melancholic gaze sitting on a bench. The raptor approaches him and draws a red heart on La Palma of his hand. Then occupy the plane Miguel Rios singing that 'Hymn to Joy' that in 1969 gave him international success, giving way to a parade of a quarantine of voices mostly from the Latin sphere, from Alejandro Sanz to Juanes, as well as the guitar of Brian May, that intersect in the video with figures from the sports world such as Messi, Figo, Pau Gasol, Rafa Nadal, Ona Carbonell or Vicente del Bosque.
The message is of unity in the face of the crisis of covid-19 beyond union colors and corporate interests, and therefore this new 'Hymn to Joy', devised "to raise funds to help those affected by the pandemic", It arises from the unprecedented entente created by the heavyweights of the Spanish music industry, associated under the La Carbonería brand.
From Manolo García to Nathy Peluso
There are the three record labels (Universal, Sony and Warner), as well as the promoters Live Nation and Get In, the EsMúsica association or the Latin Grammys. A team that took shape last year, when the scope of the pandemic was already in sight, in order to “have a voice”, highlights Pino Sagliocco, president of Live Nation in Spain. "And as a bridge of harmony and coexistence, against hatred, fear and social tension ”. Initiative "non-profit", which will go to "a fund for the most needy in the sector."
The artists involved include Andrés Calamaro, Manolo García, David Bisbal, Fher (Maná), Rosario, India Martínez, Leire Martínez (Van Gogh's Ear), Macaco, Luis Cobos, Nathy Peluso, Malú, Manuel Carrasco, Mikel Izal Y Rozalén, as well as the portuguese Sweet pontes and the italian Laura Pausini. Regarding the inclusion of Brian May (Queen), Sagliocco emphasizes that “he is a humanist, he did not hesitate for a second to participate with his guitar solo, and he insisted that we also write the song in English”. Proposal that remains in the air, as well as others, since, as Narcís Rebollo (Universal) indicated this Thursday at a press conference, this initiative is "a first stone".
In 2022, "everyone on the road"
Sagliocco points out to this newspaper his intention to turn this new 'Hymn to joy' into a concert when the pandemic allows it. “We don't want to do it with masks. It has to be an event to celebrate the hug, being together, the interaction between fans and artists ”, estimates the promoter, ideologist of the project, who chose this musical piece in the framework of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth and why the composition conveys a constructive spirit, "to resurface after suffering and re-inspire the people." The name of the collective that drives it, La Carbonería, is inspired by the 'carbonari', who emerged in Naples two centuries ago, “freethinkers in favor of a more civic world”.
Asked about the horizon of live music, Sagliocco sees this summer as "just as bad as 2020" with regard to large-capacity shows, although with room for formats of up to 5,000 viewers, including occasional international figures , and places the full comeback no later than 2022. “Next year is going to be the most spectacular in history, everyone will hit the road and the public will be eager to make up for this lost time”, claims the veteran promoter, citing groups like Guns n'Roses and Aerosmith as examples.
