More often than not, music and art excel at doing what everything else, especially religion, fails at. The same happened after Paris attacks. After the chaos and clutter, the world united with anger and grief. Sympathy poured from all around the world and tributes were given in multiple forms. The actions might not fix the damage but they can surely help in healing. One of the acts that garnered great attention and applause was the piano performance by Davide Martello outside the Bataclan theatre. Davide performed John Lennon’s famous song ‘Imagine’ on a grand piano. According to him, it was his duty to pay tribute to the victims of Paris attack.
Davide was in a pub in Konstanz, Germany when the attacks began. He was watching the France v/s Germany football match when the explosion began at Stade De France. As soon as the news of the attacks broke out, he felt like he had to do something. He wanted to be a part of the healing process and there is no better way than music for that. It was right at that moment when he decided to take his piano in a trailer and travel 400 miles all the way to Paris. Also, he specifically chose ‘Imagine’ because the song is inspiring and fills people with hope.
Deadly attacks hit various sites in the French capital. There were explosions outside the stadium and many people were held hostage inside a concert venue. People at cafes and restaurants also faced a volley of gunfire.
Martello was completely shocked like the rest and he knew that though the situation cannot be fixed, efforts towards betterment were needed. He described the entire scene as heartbreaking and there was blood on his piano from the previous night’s concert. The performance was heavy for him and got him so emotional by the end of the song that he unable to finish the song.
The series of deadly attacks in Paris killed around 129 people and many were left severely injured. Messages, tributes, prayers and reactions poured in from all over the world in various forms. Residents and visitor left flowers and candles outside Bataclan.
Davide is known for travelling around conflict zones. The 34 year old, who also performs under the name Klavierkunst is known for his healing performances. He last performed at the sites of Charlie Hebdo attacks. He has also appeared in the Taksim demonstrations in Istanbul, the Maidan revolution in Kiev and civil war in Donetsk. He tries to reach out to people, tell them that humanity is still alive and make them believe that for all those who hurt, there are people who want you to heal. Martello has also been recognized by the European parliament for “outstanding contribution to European cooperation and the promotion of common values”. Other artists also joined the movement with their sketches and protests. Comic strips and sketches were released by eminent artists to mark their opinion.
Recently Madonna and Justine Bieber also talked about Paris attacks at their respective concerts.
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