The “Concert with Refugees” is an initiative of Fundación UNHCR Argentina to celebrate solidarity through music. This Sunday, November 22 at 21, as part of World Music Day, UNHCR Argentina Foundation will hold the “Concert with Refugees” via streaming, an exclusive and free meeting to pay homage to the resilience of those forced to leave their land, and to celebrate solidarity through music. The event will seek to make visible the situation of more than 79 million refugees and displaced persons in the world, of which about 40% are children, as well as raise awareness of a problem recognized as the greatest humanitarian crisis since World War II.
While this event is a festive meeting of different cultures through music, it is very important to be able to make this problem visible worldwide and that cross thousands of people. Far from being resolved, UNHCR, as well as from different non-governmental organizations, offers assistance, containment and adaptation of displaced persons from their places of origin.
What is UNHCR?
UNHCR is the UN Refugee Agency. It is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people who are forced to flee their homes due to conflict and persecution. They provide life-saving assistance, such as accommodation, food and water. They help safeguard people’s fundamental human rights and develop solutions that ensure that displaced people have a safe place to call home. They do this work in more than 130 countries.
PHOTO: fundacionacnur.org
The UNHCR Argentina Foundation works to inform and raise public awareness of the needs and challenges these refugees face. The organization also raises funds to support UNHCR’s work around the world, bringing direct assistance to the refugee and thousands of families who, forced to flee their homes, have lost everything. As a foundation, it is funded entirely by voluntary contributions through donations, allowing it to provide sustained assistance to thousands of refugees worldwide. “The UNHCR Foundation is a way to make this cause visible that is a global crisis and the largest after what was World War II. Not many people become aware of or know about this, so this space is to give voice to almost 80 million people who were forced to flee their homes, because their lives were in danger. These people didn’t decide to leave, they didn’t really have security either because of armed conflict or persecution,” He told Filo.News Facundo Funes, Communication Director of the UNHCR Argentina Foundation.
“On this occasion, we seek to carry a hopeful message and unity through the ‘Concert with refugees’, a solidarity embrace for those who have lost everything. The concert is presented as Funes.De space for exchange and integration between artists of different nationalities who will come together through music as a universal language and without borders, so we chose to perform it on World Music Day,” said this way, which will feature the conduct of Germán Paoloski, and the special participation of Pedro Aznar , Natalie Pérez and Connie Isla, who will be accompanied, by ten musicians members of the Latin Vox Machine Symphony Orchestra (LVM), which consists mainly of migrant, displaced and refugee musicians of different nationalities, based in Argentina.” When FUNDACIÓN UNHCR Argentina proposed to me to participate in the Concert with Refugees, I did not hesitate for a second, I find the work they do incredible. I chose to play Love After Love because I think that’s what it’s all about, resigning the bonds refugees had in their homeland in a new place, starting from scratch and re-believing or living love from somewhere else,” singer Connie Isla told about the concert experience.
“I chose to play Love After Love because I think that’s what it’s all about, to re-establish the bonds that refugees had in their homeland in a new place, to start from scratch and to re-believe or live love from somewhere else.” Connie Isla.
Latin Vox Machine synchronous project
Latin Vox Machine consists of an orchestra, choir and musical academy. It was founded in 2017 by Venezuelan producer Omar Zambrano, and consists mainly of migrant, displaced and refugee musicians. Today, it has more than 150 artists from differentarts of the world, which makes them fuse their music both Venezuelan, Argentine, Peruvian, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Chilean and Syrian. Daniela Flores, is the head of press and communication at Latin Vox Machine and told Filo.News: “It’s a wonderful experience, constant learning. From the first to the last link, they are all amazing professionals. It’s an independent project, and in September we launched the virtual music academy. UNHCR is an ally that always provides us with help and support.” According to a study of “Global Attitude Towards Refugees”, conducted by the renowned market research company, IPSOS, shed the fact that Argentina is one of the most refugee-friendly countries. The objective of this study was precisely to measure the openness of communities with refugees. More than 18,000 people from 26 countries were surveyed and Argentine society proved to be one of the friendliest to refugees.
Moreover, according to the latest figures from UNHCR’s annual report “Global Trends”, the world’s displaced from 41 million in 2010 to 79.5 million in 2020, the equivalent of the population of almost two Argentinas.
With this non-minor data, it is relevant to make the work of different organizations visible, but also to raise awareness of this problem. Supporting and boosting support in these causes, they talk about the society we are.
“Our idea is part of integration, and how that is reflected in music, on the that music has no boundaries. What better than to demonstrate integration with these guys who are musicians and from other countries, may be playing with Argentine artists, where they both have to put their musical efforts for the same project. We found it wonderful to be able to merge cultures through music, because this concert with refugees has the axis of representing solidarity and integration between communities,” said the Director of the Foundation. The testimony of Maria Andreyna Chavez
María Andreyna Chávez, a violinist and Venezuelan, is 26 years old, and holds a Degree in Music. In his native Venezuela, he taught in an orchestra and was also part of it. “I met the Latin Vox Machine orchestra in 2017 from Venezuela and that was the push to leave and get to Argentina. When I was told about the project, I knew I was in charge of a Venezuelan, I auditioned and stayed. In my country there were situations that could already predict what was coming, then this opportunity was given by the hand of music. The music was my lifeguard. Argentina is a country that not only opens the doors, but also the arms, there is a lot of support and facilitates many formalities that do not happen elsewhere,” the music that is now part of the orchestra and also teaches at the academy, told Filo.News.
How to witness the concert
Just register and book the places in www.conciertoconlosrefugiados.org, the show will start at 21 on this Sunday. On the site, he also invites to join the Blue Ponchos, the icon that for the UNHCR Foundation, represents the solidarity of Argentines, as well as the union and the shelter.” Blue Ponchos we are all the ones who give a hand to those who were forced to flee their home. Being present at this concert and being a part of it is already a way to give visibility to this problem,” Funes said, who want to learn more about the music project and be part of “Latin Vox Machine”, can do so through www.latinvoxmachine.com, Instagram @LatinVoxMachine, Facebook Latin Vox Machine, Twitter @LatinVoxMachine, and through the YouTube channel.
