To be honest, there aren't many reasons to be proud of my Country these days...
but something, very beautiful, and that no one here could expect is happening these days, in Turkey, and has to do with Italy.
Young people in Istanbul protesting against the decision of the government to destroy a park to build a huge commercial centre sing..."Bella Ciao".
http://video.repubblica.it/dossier/turchia-in-rivolta/turchia-cantano-bella-ciao-le-mille-voci-della-protesta/132042/130564?ref=HRBV-1 (http://video.repubblica.it/dossier/turchia-in-rivolta/turchia-cantano-bella-ciao-le-mille-voci-della-protesta/132042/130564?ref=HRBV-1)
I don't know if this song is someway familiar to those who don't live in Italy (where it's of corse extremely famous):
it's an old song of women working in rice fields (circa the end of 19th century), that became, with changed lyrics, the anthem of partizans fighting against Nazi-fascists in WW II.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_ciao (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_ciao)
A timeless song, it seems. And probably our grandfathers would be proud of it.
Alfredo
wow. i found this on the web a translation from turkish to english and a version of the song by turkish group grup yorum
http://lyricstranslate.com/en/cav-bella-ciao-bella.html
this is disturbing reading http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/alleged-police-torture-against-music-group.aspx?pageID=238&nid=30468
Bump...
...since to our surprise, this WWII Italian Partizans song is becoming today more and more popular around the world (Charlie Hebdo memorial in France some days ago, and yesterday evening in Greece the last examples).
http://video.corriere.it/bella-ciao-tutte-lingue-mondo-cosi-canto-partigiani-diventato-global/24c02342-a38b-11e4-808e-442fa7f91611
The paradox is that here instead it is someway linked as a "too much lefty" song, so a rather dividing song...
Alfredo