Manu Chao singing along with refugees in City Plaza

Reporters: Kostas Papantoniou, Karolina Tsoukala

A pleasant surprise was meant for the refugees in the occupied City Plaza. Manu Chao accompanied with Klelia, visit the place, speak with people and play music.

It is a very happy moment in the daily life of the refugees, who are gathered around the artist and actively participate by dancing, singing or clapping on the rhythm.

This pleasant event begins, by the time Manu Chao find some refugees playing music with their own traditional musical instruments in a small balcony and without any hesitation a company is created, that began to expand.

It is not the first time that Manu Chao express his support in practice. Last summer he sang at the yard of Ministry of Employment at st. Stadiou for the employees of VIOME. In the previous years, he had expressed his support to struggles at Skouries and he had signed along with other artists the petition about the case of Irianna.

Moments are very touching. The Spanish artist gives a hearty hand to whoever know, while looking at him and smiling. He walks across all the rooms of City Plaza and he seems to appreciate the effort of people there. Moreover, he had showed his appreciation again in the past by stating his support to refugees and the occupation of accomodation for refugees.

Since Manu found the musicians, he has respected them. He has been waiting for them playing their song, he listened and then he started talking in “music language” with them. “Minor?” is his question to the musician who he has just met and they start play together. They play song from one’s country and the other’s country. Some moments melodies are combined and people sing together even if they don’t know the lyrics.

When they silence for a while, a young boy, who imitates the guitarist style of Manu with his hands and sings with amazing accuracy the lyrics of “Besame Mucho”, interferes!

Subsequently they are photographed with Manu, who does not spoil anyone, but he prefers to be all together in the photos.

Then he leaves his small guitar aside, he light a cigarette and he continues enjoying the moment. In the same time, more and more people want to play a song. There is a sense of a journey to the East and to neighborhoods that war devastates, but they never lose their soul.

*Look for more details about this nice afternoon on the page of Refugee Accommodation and Solidarity Space City Plaza. Click like to follow the page and be informed for the nice things that happen there.