Costa Concordia Disaster One Year Later - Costa Concordia Disastro Un Anno Dopo

I am today reposting a beautiful song that was released last March in the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster. Costa Concordia Tribute The Costa Concordia partially sank after hitting rocks, then running aground off the coast of the small Italian island, Isola del Giglio, not far from the mainland. Over four thousand people had to be evacuated and sadly there were inevitably deaths and injuries. 
Justine Pelmelay a singer from the Netherlands and Antonella Tonna an Italian pianist got together after both surviving the tragedy. The pianist Antonella was working on board the cruise liner and the singer Justine was with her partner on a vacation. The song recalls those moments when it felt like ‘Time Stood Still’ and I think it is a moving tribute. It was decided that all proceeds from the song went to the residents of the Isola del Giglio who went out of their way that night to offer shelter to the survivors of the disaster.

Il Tempo Si é Fermato - Justine Pelmelay with Antonello Tonna ( Costa Concordia )

LYRICS:
Ma-ni strette dentro una speranza
Mani che sussurrano, una preghiera nella danza
La Luna che
illuminava i nostri "perchè"
Ma-ni, tese dentro un abbraccio
Mani che rimangono ferme ad aspettare un cenno
Il mare che
abbracciava i nostri "perchè"......."perchè"
Il tempo che scivolava via...
trascinandosi i sogni e le bugie.
Un segnale, fra pace e guerra,
fra chi scelte più non ha, fra chi le mani nell'acqua immergerà....
Con il mare stretto in un abbraccio,
dietro quel gigante che
ignorava ogni coraggio..
La vita in ogni cosa così si rispecchierà..
Il tempo che scivolava via...
trascinandosi i sogni e le bugie.
Un segnale, fra pace e guerra,
fra chi scelte più non ha, fra chi le mani nell'acqua immergerà....
Ma-ni che raccolgono un abbraccio
Ma-ni stanche e fredde per raccontare un naufragio
Il mare che per sempre ci parlerà non lo scorderà

Songwriters: Justine Pelmelay, Ronald van Driel, Marcel Schimscheimer
Italian Lyrics: Antonello Tonna
Studio: Highland studios Loosdrecht
Mix music: Hans Bedeker
Video and Voices: HD Soundstudio Jody Koewé

I have not included a translation, it is always difficult to translate songs and I think it sometimes spoils it. There are plenty of online translators available, if you have the desire to have the English words, but sadly they are also not always very accurate. My advice is just listen and imagine as ‘Time Stood Still’

On Sunday as the Anniversary of the Costa Concordia disaster approached, time stood still all over Italy. On the island of Giglio and the nearby mainland sirens were sounded and lanterns were released into the sky in memory of the thirty two people that lost their lives in the disaster.  As dawn broke the massive rock that tore the 70 metre/230 foot hole in in the ship and became embedded in the hull, was lowered back onto the reef with a memorial plaque attached to it. Relatives of those that died in the disaster were there to take part in the ceremony.

The 32 people, included two whose bodies were never found included 12 Germans, seven Italians, six French nationals, two Americans, two Peruvian crew members, one Hungarian, one Spaniard and an Indian. 

The Concordia remains on its side,  off the island of Giglio. Officials now say it may take until September to prepare the ship to be rolled upright and towed from the rocks to a port to be dismantled, an operation on this scale has never before been attempted. The cost is expected to now exceed 400 million euros. 

 Courtesy of euronewsit

For those interested the full story is well documented in the press and I have included a few links below.

Victims of Costa shipwreck mark anniversary

Costa Concordia survivors return to Giglio one year anniversary

Costa Concordia Disaster remembered one year later.

Survivors mark a year since the Costa Concordia disaster

Please see my explanation in the sidebar as to why it is quiet here on  News From Italy at the moment as regards posting.