- Title: Piano Man plays 'Imagine' for refugees arriving at Polish border
- Date: 3rd March 2022
- Summary: KORCZOWA, POLAND (MARCH 3, 2022) (REUTERS) PEACE SIGN ON PIANO / PIANIST DAVIDE MARTELLO (WHO TRAVELLED FROM GERMANY TO THE BORDER TO BRING CHEER TO REFUGEES CROSSING FROM UKRAINE) PLAYING PIANO MARTELLO'S FINGERS ON KEYS WOMAN PLAYING PIANO WITH MARTELLO PHONE WITH SHEET MUSIC UNIDENTIFIED UKRAINIAN WOMAN PLAYING 'WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS' BY QUEEN / MARTELLO HELPS DRAG MUSIC
- Embargoed: 17th March 2022 18:17
- Keywords: Germany Poland Ukraine border camp piano refugees
- Location: KORCZOWA, POLAND
- City: KORCZOWA, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA001190803032022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Ukrainians arriving at the Polish border on Thursday (March 3) were serenaded by 'Piano Man' Davide Martello, who travelled from Germany with his instrument on wheels to bring some musical joy to the refugees.
He was joined at the keyboard by a Ukrainian woman played 'We Are the Champions' by British rock band Queen. Speaking a few words in English and making gestures, the woman suggested she had crossed from Ukraine and had not slept for three days.
Martello, a 40 year-old Italian who lives in Germany, also performed John Lennon's peace anthem 'Imagine', which some consider one of the greatest songs of the 20th Century.
Martello's trademark is the giant white peace sign painted on the side of his piano.
He says his aim is to use music to promote peace.
As refugees continued to arrive with suitcases to the temporary accommodation centre in Korczowa, some women sang along to 'Volare' by the Gipsy Kings as Martello played.
Martello became known as the Piano Man of Istanbul's Taksim Square when he took up residence with a baby grand piano where Turkish anti-government protesters and police clashed in 2013.
He also brought his instrument to the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk in 2014 when Russians had occupied a government building, and played outside the Bataclan theatre after the attacks in Paris in 2015.
(Production: Stephan Schepers, Natasa Bansagi, Emily Roe) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.