Venezuelans pay homage to violinist Armando Canizales who was killed during street protests

Record ID: 900672

  • Title: Venezuelans pay homage to violinist Armando Canizales who was killed during street protests
  • Date: 5th May 2017
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LINING UP TO PAY RESPECTS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CRYING OUTSIDE THE CHURCH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FRIEND OF CANIZALES', DANIELA BARBIERI, SAYING: "I shared nine years of my life with him and it makes me sad that he didn't get to enjoy the whole prime of his life. He turned 18 just a month ago, he just turned 18. I remember the day I wished him a happy birthday. And I remember the day he died and I didn't say 'goodbye' to him. He left and told me he was going to Las Mercedes and I didn't say 'goodbye' to him." VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF THE ORCHESTRA OUTSIDE THE CHURCH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FRIEND OF CANIZALES', ARON CABRERA, SAYING: "What is true is that it is very sad that this is happening in our country. And those of us who are members of the El Sistema orchestra are not pleased that we've always been scared to go out in the street with our instruments which are our only weapons." MORE OF MEMBERS OF THE ORCHESTRA LEAVING THE CHURCH
  • Embargoed: 19th May 2017 21:27
  • Keywords: crisis music Armando Canizales Gustavo Dudamel death protests violinist Venezuela symphony
  • Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Civil Unrest
  • Reuters ID: LVA0036FKD64J
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Famed Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel used social media to mourn the death of an 18-year-old musician and member of the country's youth orchestra programme who was killed at an anti-government rally this week.
    Armando Canizales, 18, was killed in a protest on Wednesday (May 3) in Caracas.
    He was a viola player and a member of El Sistema, which trains children of primarily poor backgrounds to play classical music.
    Members of the Jose Francisco Youth Symphonic Orchestra offered tribute to Canizales during his funeral at the Eastern Cemetery on Friday (May 5).
    The group played the Venezuelan national anthem, and the second movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, which was the last song Canizales himself had played.
    Family members, friends and fellow musicians lined up to pay tribute to Canizales, many of them in tears.
    Dudamel called out the government on his Facebook page and changed his twitter profile picture to black with "Armando Canizales Carrillo" written across a black banner in white letters.
    Until now, Dudamel, music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, had maintained a friendly relationship with the government through the El Sistema youth orchestra programme, but he's come out to criticise Caracas, saying "Enough is Enough."
    At least 37 people have been killed in the unrest that began in late March, driven by accusations that President Nicolas Maduro is consolidating a dictatorship and anger over chronic product shortages that have left many struggling to eat.
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