I often think that maybe the kindness in the eyes of children is the essence of the world, and maybe the simplest happiness is life.
Like Feng Zikai said—
"In the eyes of a child, this world, which is born of joy and sorrow, is the nature of the world.
This world is not the world of the rich, nor is it the world of the rich, it is the world of the people with hearts."
Music from violent neighborhoods
Medellín, a city full of magic, a city built by drug money. It has the most pleasant climate and the most modern facilities, but it is also full of rampant drug and violent disasters.
Between 1980 and 2012, 87,104 people were killed in Medellín.
Block 13 was once a neighborhood notorious for violence in Colombia.
Fifteen or more homicides a month made it once a black zone where the government was helpless.
But it is in such a city that we meet a group of young people who, in turbulent villages and slums, still hold fast to their dreams and hope to resist violence with music.
They use art to defuse violence, establish the son bota art district, and use music, dance, and drama to save more children from violence.
When we arrived, we saw a vibrant "art district".
Art allows these young people to regain the joy of youth, the motivation to struggle, and have more choices in life.
"When you find out that your neighbor is a lawyer, an engineer, and some of them are still on TV, you find that you actually have too many options to do and achieve, not just one (to become a killer)."
Cellist in ruins
Speaking of music, I am reminded of a friend we met in Baghdad. His name was Karim Vasfi, an Iraqi-American, and a well-known cellist.
That day, as soon as we returned to the hotel and sat down, we heard a loud "boom". Just about three kilometers away from us, thick black smoke rose in the air.
When we arrived at the scene of the explosion, we saw a middle-aged man in a dress above the ruins, found a flat place in the ruins to set up a chair, took out a cello, and played Bach's Aria on the G String.
Music sounded on the ruins, and everyone stood still, watching and listening quietly. People are immersed in the melody of the cellist, forgetting the explosion and death that just happened here, forgetting the crisis that cannot be encountered every day in life.
"War has been wreaking havoc, destroying houses, destroying lives; I want to rebuild people's lives through my music. For more than a decade, I would go to every post-explosion live performance, whether there was an audience or not, whether there was applause or not, I would go. I couldn't go to the negotiating table to fight for peace, so I wanted to use music to convey my belief in peace on top of the ruins. Let all Baghdadis and Iraqis, who have been devastated by the war, be able to stick to their lives and see the hope of tomorrow together. ”
Slum Orchestra
We came to Korogjo, the largest slum in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
Nearly 200,000 people live in less than 1.5 square kilometers of this area, and like other slums we have seen, it is chaotic, dilapidated, and full of drugs and violence.
But what envelops a place is never just darkness.
In this small land, we found a corner that belonged to music.
We arrived in time for the rehearsal. Violin, black pipe, trombone... Melodious music flows from between the children's fingers.
I couldn't believe what I saw: how could an orchestra be formed in a place where I couldn't afford to buy a violin for a house?
The guide told us that this is a community activity center established with the help of non-profit organizations, where children can learn dance and music.
Since its inception in 2008, the community has helped more than 650 children. Most of the instruments here are donated by music schools in other countries.
Music and dance have found the joy of childhood for them.
Coming out of the music classroom, we were still unsatisfied, and followed a group of children to the side of the football field.
The boys and girls gathered in a semicircle, ready to sing the chorus. Seeing us coming, their smiles became a little shy.
As soon as the children spoke, everyone present was silent.
I saw Liang Hong's eyes widen.
They sang Celine Dion's "A New Day Has Come" in Acapella.
Light up the light, the darkness is gone
Filled with joy, the pain dissipated
Find the strong, and the cowardice swing away
I saw the innocent eyes of the child, and there was silence
I saw a ray of light streak across the sky, almost snatching my gaze away
I couldn't believe it, the angel touched me and gave me love
Let the rain fall and wash away my tears
Let the rain fill my soul and drown my fears
Let the heavy rain crush the heart wall and wait for a new dawn
Because true love comes
The beautiful singing in the ears and the chaos in front of you form a wonderful contrast.
I'm a music lover.
In the past, when I was a little moody, I liked to light a cigar and listen to Yoshio Kimura's "Yanase Town" with the Hifi stereo at home.
Music is like a girl and a flower, each with its own beauty.
The music in front of me reminds me of the desert roseS I saw in Ethiopia. The bright flowers that bloom above a desolate place are particularly heartwarming.
Coming out of the slum, Liang Hong said she was somewhat touched.
The music is so beautiful, especially in such an environment.
For many people, learning an instrument and joining a choir is an easy task and a difficult thing to stick to.
But here, the rehearsal classroom has no soundproof walls, and the children do not have shiny new instruments that are wiped off.
We are still touched by the attentive look of the children picking up the instrument, still immersed in this acapella from the slums, which may not be professional...
Music brings joy to the children here, and it may also be a way for the children to get out of the slums.
We look forward to a few years from now, when any of them become a musician.
Perhaps, no matter in any corner of the world, whether it is experiencing happiness or injustice, there is always a personality who works hard and lives an upward life.