This section is about culture and has different articles about heritage, castellers, a TV show called ‘The Voice’ and the birth of Rome to read about. We have also included articles about songs that represent Poland, Germany, Estonia, Italy and Spain in Eurovision. There’s also a film review of The Intouchables.This section was compiled by Lakshmi Kapshai, ElenaMoroni, Wiktoria Kasperczyk, Vanessa Marie Scheidemannand Johanna Maria Randma.

 

 

 

 

Heritage

 

Talking about cultural heritage it is good to ask yourself the question”what does itreally mean?”. What comes to my mindfirst is something like achievement, ownership of a country or generally everythingthat a community has inherited from their ancestors. Every corner of the Earth hasits own cultural heritage which makes the world so diverse and not monotonous allowing all the inhabitants to experience it and suit everyone’s taste. Environments differ from each other almost in every matter: tradition, language, history, basically everything that forms “a culture”. Cultural heritage can also be understood as a piece of the history, a given fragment of the world and an integral part of humanity. It is a record as well as averbal message of a culture, created and still being created in time. This concept is very important because it links the past, the present and the future.Every city, a state has its monuments, works of art, places, legends that are worth visiting and learning about them, so when you travel to any new place it is highly advisable to get acquainted with the local heritage sites to find out more about these places.Speaking about cultural heritage one should also associate it with UNESCO, an organization of the United Nations whose main purpose is to protect and maintain all that contribute to cultural, to giv epeace to the world and preserve cultural diversity. It has developed certain concepts to protect the cultural heritage so that we can admire beautiful monuments and keep our intercultural dialogue on. I am convinced that culture will be around us as it has been so far. Each of us is a part of it and create cultural heritage even by protecting it. I can’t imagine a human, who doesn’t careand learn about his cultural heritage. It is always good to know about some important historical things from your environment and find out about the life of our ancestors and even compare them with nowadays trends.

 

 

Eurovision

The 2018 Eurovision Song Contest was in Portugal, Lisbon and it was the 63rd time this great event took place.

 
Poland

This year Poland was represented by Gromee and Lukas Meijer. They sang asong called Light me up . Although it was written in English, recorded in Spain andsung by a man of Swedish origin, it did not catch people’s attention. They ended up inthe 14th place in the second semi finals and they got 81 points. Maybe it would be worth considering promoting your own language and music more next time…

 

Spain

This year 2018, Amaia and Alfred of Spain participated in Eurovision. They sang acute duet called “Tu canción”, in English “Your song”. Spain came twenty-third out of the 26 participating countries with 61points.

 

Estonia

This year Estonia was represented in Eurovision by Elina Nechayeva with asong called “La Forza”v, which translatesas ‘The Force’. This song was written by Timo Vendt, Mihkel Mattisen, Ksenia Kuchukova and the singer herself contributed to the writing of ‘La Forza’. Thesong is a dramatic operatic piece which is quite different from the usual EurovisionPhoto by: Thomas Hansesgenres. Estonia came 8th out of the 26 participating countries with 245 points.

 

Germany

This year Germany was represented in Eurovision by Michael Schulte from Buxtehude with a song called You let me walk alone. The song is a ballade with a lot of emotions. The song was written by Michael Schulte himself, Thomas Stengaard, Nisse Ingwersen and Nina Müller. Germany got from the Jury 204 and fromthe audience 136 points. So altogether Germany got 340 points and came fourth.

 

Italy

What concerns Italy, Ermal Meta andFabrizio Moro represented the country with their song “Non mi avete fattoniente” (translation: You didn’t do meany thing), ranking fifth among twenty-three participants. With this song Moro and Meta tried to convey their message to as many people as possible, in fact the song is an plea to every country and every population notto get paralyzed because of fear sown by terrorist attacks (that in the last years have taken place all over the world, from London to Nice, from Barcelona to Paris), but to react and not suffocate the will tolive.

Also, the lyrics of the song were translated into sixteen different languages that were projected on the screens of the Altice arena during the show, so this helped the two singers to get their idea across even more.

 

 

 

Interview with a participant of “The Voice Kids”,

 

Keti Tsiklauri

What is the Voice Kids?

The Voice Kids is a well-known, annualmusic casting show in which the best children singers of Germany – aged between7-15 years – are determined. The children are singing their song in front of a live audience. The show exists since 2013.

 

The Interview Reporters: “What was it like in The Voice Kids?”

Keti: “It was very cool, you had a lot of experience, but it was different than you expected.”

Reporters: “In what way different?”

Keti: “It was not shot all at once, but over several days - getting day after day - shot.

Reporters: “How did you get on to join The Voice Kids?”

Keti: “Through my parents, and I was generally interested in it myself.”

Reporters: “What did you have to do to get to The Voice Kids?”

Keti: “First I had to write an application and then gradually go to several auditions.”

Reporters: “Okay, that’s it. Thanks a lot!”

Keti: “You’re welcome.”

 

The interview was conducted by Leilani, Renée and Mila in April 2018. We go to class 7.22 of the Carl-Zeiss-Oberschule Berlin, which we really like.

 

 

 

 

Moovie

 

The Intouchables

The Intouchables, also known as “1+1”, is a French comedy movie released in2011. The movie was directed by OlivierNakache and Eric Toledano and the main characters of the movie were Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy.The movie is about a handicapped millionaire Philippe (Francois Cluzet) and his young caretaker Driss (Omar Sy). Two people who have nothing in common, become quickly friends and Driss makes Philippe feel young and happy again.

The Intouchables has received only good feedback from the critics. It is said that this is one of the most unique, beautiful and honest friendships ever committed to film. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry... a delightful celebration of everything in life that makes it worthwhile.

I recommend this movie to everyone who wants to experience a full range of emotional rollercoaster with a happy ending.

 

 

 

 

Happy birthday Rome!

The Caput Mundi city evokes ancient Roman traditions with Natale di Roma.

 

The capital has celebrated its 2,771st birthday on Saturday 21 April, but the events took place during the week that surrounded the day. Known as Natale di Roma, the annual birthday celebrationis based on the legendary founding of Rome by Romulus in 753 BC, also written by many famous authors from that era. The birthday celebrations were centred in the Circus Maximus and include thetrench-digging ritual, known as the tracciatodel solco. This tradition recalls the founding of ancient Roman towns when a trench or mundus was dug and offerings thrown into it to encourage the gods to watch over the town’s inhabitants.The Circus Maximus, during the celebrations, has also hosted historicalre-enactments including gladiator fights and horse races.The main event was a costumed parade, featuring more than 2,000 gladiators, senators, vestal virgins and priestesses, which began and ended at the Circus Maximus. All the biggest celebrations were organised by the Gruppo Storico Romano, an historical dramatic society which, for more than 20 years, has brought history to life by re-enacting battles, historic events,and displays of ancient theatre and dance in the city centre. From ancient Rome to now, Rome’s birthday celebration changed a lot. During the medieval era for example, people stopped to celebrate it and so, the celebration was forgotten for years. In the Renaissancethe Natale di Roma was brought back tolife, even if in a smaller version of whatit used tobe. During the Fascism age the dictator of Italy, Benito Mussolini, made the Nataledi Roma a national holiday and he made it coincide with the Worker’s Day. In the1945 when the Fascism was defeated, Worker’s Day turned back to its original day, the first of May.The 21th of April became no longer a national holiday, but it’s still today celebrated in the capital.

 

 


Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons /“Tarragona, Skulptur -Castellers- -- 2006 -- 3” / CC BY-SA 4.0

 

Castellers
Castellers are human towers and they are part of the Cultural Heritage of Catalonia.

Castells have been constructed since the XVIIIth century. In 2010 Unesco approved the inscription of human towers on the Representative List Of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, giving an universal recognition to this Catalan tradition. A Castell is a human tower built traditionally at festivals in Catalonia and theValencian Community.

 

The phases of “Castells”

The “castell” is built in two phases. First, the “pinya”, the base of the tower,is formed. Then bands begin to play the traditional “Toc de Castells” music as a hush comes over spectators of the event. The upper layers of the tower are built as quickly as possible in order to put minimal strain on the lower “castellers”, who bear most of the weight of the “castell”. It is completed once all castellers have climbed into their designated places, and the “enxaneta” (a child) climbs at the top and raises one open hand.The “enxaneta” then climbs down theother side of the “castell”,  after which the remaining levels of castellers descend in highest to lowest order until all have reached safety. They are usually built in local festivities, but sometimes there are competitions of “castells”.

 

The Music

The music of “castells” is played before and after a “castell” performance. These melodies are played by “grallers and gralles”. They play this music by the gralla (wind instruments) and the tabal (drum).

 

The Uniforms

Castellers wear a special uniform. “Castellers” wear a shirt of the colour oft he group (called “colla castellera”) with the shield of the group on a pocket that is situated on the chest.

The trousers that they wear are always white, tight and high waisted. They also wear a “faixa” (sash), it is often black, but the length and the width often change. It is used to protect the low back and also to help them to climb up and down.

The people who form the core of the “castell” don’t wear shoes. The other people wear normal shoes.

They wear a kerchief that is big, triangular and red with white points. Some people tie it around their right wrist or calf to help the others. The children on the upper floors wear a helmet for safety, both in rehearsals and in the competitions.