Opinion
Italy has been hard-hit by the novel coronavirus and the Italians have been under self-isolation in their homes.
Italians are famous for their sense of community and appreciation of all the good things in life. They found a way to stay connected even under the strict lockdown. From Naples to Tuscany, residents lift spirits and pass time by singing and dancing. Instruments, speakers, DJ sets, strobe lights and even pots and pans were used in songs.
The Social Media Wave
Many videos were shared on twitter of Italians singing together after the lockdown was announced by Giuseppe Conte, the Italian Prime Minister, shutting down all of Italy except for some essential services.
Matteo Colombi, a Florence resident, said, “In the flat in front of me, a couple with a small child appeared,” he said. “The mother carried him in her arms while the father played a children’s musical toy. They waved over at us and we waved back. We’ve never met.”
He added, “A little later I heard the sound of people using pans to beat out a rhythm. It turned out to be two elderly women, both small and physically frail, who were testifying in this way to their love of life and of the city. I took two pans myself and followed their beat. Then we said goodbye to each other and closed our windows as it was getting too cold to carry on.”
Twitter user @valemercurii posted a video where songs echo between the narrow streets of Tuscan city of Sienna. The resident wrote on Twitter, “People of my hometown #Siena sing a popular song from their houses along an empty street to warm their hearts during the Italian #Covid_19 #lockdown.”
The popular patriotic folk Canto della Verbena (And While Siena Sleeps) was being sung; a traditional song that signifies local pride and celebrates a flowering herb used for medicines and perfumes.
In another video post from Naples, people sang Andrea Sannino’s song, Abbracciami. In other parts of the country, people sang the country’s national anthem from their house balconies.
“We humans are social animals! Music overcomes despair ❤,” one Twitter user replied to the post.
Another said, “Imagine the whole world singing like this from their houses. No hate, no nothing. Just unified for once. Love this so much.”
“Andrà tutto bene!”
Italians reassure all by spreading their slogan, meaning ‘everything will be alright.’
The people of Wuhan used the Cantonese phrase, “jiāyóu” when they were under lockdown – chanting the phrase from their balconies and expressing it on social media. The phrase literally translates to “add oil” and means “keep on the fight” or “stay strong”.
Many Italian children, now confined to their house, had more time in their hands. They left similar, hand-made notes for their neighbors that read, “don’t give up” or “hang on in there” – similar to the Cantonese phrase.
Related: Coronavirus: Why There Are Reasons To Feel Heartened 2020.
Italian Citizens Give World Hope
These chants and social activities have served as a great example for the world. On social media, it gave hope to many people across the globe going through similar situations.
This inspired the people of Boston, USA, to do their own sing-alongs, organised by Boston resident Michelle McCormack. McCormack is the founder of Secret Boston, an event management business that organizes concerts, parties and other local cultural gatherings. She said, “It’s a really terrifying time in history. The goal is to distract people in a way that’s not about looking at the news or fighting with people over what’s true and what’s not but instead actually doing something cool like coming up with songs to sing together.”
In Spain, the singer Beatriz Berodia, known as Betta, sings many classic blues for a half-hour on a daily basis, during evening time. She is accompanied by her partner, Andrea Capalbo, the neighbor who plays the guitar next to her balcony. Similarly, the police did an impromptu performance for the residents in Algaida, Majorca. Much to everyone’s surprise, an officer came out of his vehicle with a guitar. “We’ve come to sing!” another announced. The song they sung was “Joan Petit” – a classic children’s song.
The Indian police did the same in many regions across the country – in many cases informing the public how to stay safe from the coronavirus with their own songs. The public sang under quarantine too. In Kolkata’s Bow Barrack locality, for example, people sang the very popular song, “We Shall Overcome,” through their balconies.
German residents showed solidarity with Italy by singing the – globally popular – Italian anti-fascist anthem, “Bella Ciao.”
In Paris, France, the youtube singer Alexandra Panayotova, sang Queen’s, Bohemian Rhapsody, to the tune of the piano. Her neighbors enjoyed the song, listening in from their balconies. Panayotova has continued to sing various songs during quarantine.
In Brazil, the community came together to create a melodious song together, “Samba da Quarentena,” each within their own homes.
From Italy to the world, sing-alongs and dance-alongs have cropped up in country after country (with too many examples to include here). Whether it’s for our medical workers on the front lines or to keep the public morale high, in times of great hardship, people will come together and help; this comes in many different forms. With mottos and messages for human solidarity, this can be a potent reminder that we are not facing this pandemic alone.
