After spending some time in Greece I felt a touch of heaviness in my soul. The situation here is certainly tough and everyone points at catastrophes to come.
In such an atmosphere we tend to miss the positive signs, like the fact that people in Greece managed to make the first step in dismissing their corrupt rulers after 38 years. Their power was more than halved in the elections nine days ago, something that was largely ignored by the international media.
In fact, those media and European politicians have been strongly pressuring Greek people by blackmailing them in order to give their power to these scandalous leaders again (PASOK and ND parties) – the ones that drove the country to destruction and desperation.
That is at least worrisome for European affairs; there is a huge democratic deficit. European elites are altogether responsible for the degradation of democracy, dialogue and critical thought in this part of the world. What we already knew became so profound.
In my attempt to discharge this heaviness I took my djembe and headed to Syntagma square to join the ‘12M Global Change’ manifestation. It was also one year celebration of the ‘indignados movement’ in Spain which coincided also with the arrival of the ‘March to Athens’ protest caravan.
Syntagma was not crowded (as I expected); nevertheless playing music, sharing the pulse and discussing with many interesting people about the most pressing issues of today had a soothing effect on me.
‘Part Of The Glory’ is a video clip about people coming together, real people not TV personas. It is about the beauty and skills of all people no matter their origin. It is about colourful neighbourhoods, where people of different cultural backgrounds meet, surpassing the fear, alienation and xenophobia campaign of the media.
According to the views of BBB horn player Ori Kaplan the meaning and video of the songs is about “How we all have something unique in us; how we have these glorious talents that we display on YouTube. But how in spite of that we live with this shadow society of migrant workers and ‘illegal aliens’ who run the engines of our world, and how we choose to ignore them in real life.”
It comes out of the latest album of Balkan Beat Box which is simply titled ‘Give’, inspired by recent uprisings like the Arab Spring and Occupy. Give is their fourth album and the most hardcore and electronic without all those guest musicians BBB usually feature in their songs.
The video clip, directed by Billy Levy shows the street spirit, peoples’ power – people coming together and enjoying, instead of being lonely behind their locked doors. This is a vibe we feel and we need.
The video was shot at the Tachana bus terminal which is placed in Tel Aviv’s most culturally-diverse neighborhood: Neve Shaanan. It features Fi – Hankra dancers, a group which was founded in 2010 by Ghanaian artists, the Lions of Zion, a Street Art Production break-dance crew, the world-renowned classical pianist Gila Goldstein, children from Bialik Rogozin school, south Tel Aviv (where poor children from 48 different countries come together to learn) and jumping rope artist Abra Kayne.
In Freegan Kolektica we believe that we all need to turn off our TVs and look at eachother, look at the people around us and all our untapped potential. Creating VIPs and idols is a kind of social violation that brings decadence and alienation.
Freegan Kolektiva 