A video has been going viral on social media in which a musical group is jamming Bella Ciao Qawwali version on the stage with tabla, harmonium, and manjira. Their rendition may not be perfect but the audience seems to be enjoying it a lot. The mixture of Spanish folk and Indian classical music is giving off multicultural music vibes.
The original Bella Ciao is an Italian folk song that translates to “Goodbye, Beautiful”. Netflix series La Casa De Papel (Money Heist) has also been inspired by this song. It uses a Spanish version of this song for its characters that are basically thieves resisting capture by authorities.
This song was famous among the Italian resistance during World War II as an anthem to defy the tyrannical Nazi regime. Throughout the years, many resistance forces have sung this song as a form of motivation in their fight.
What Does Bella Ciao Qawwali Version Mean?
Different versions of this song are already popular for being the Italian song of resistance. However, the TV show Money Heist has boosted its popularity to even those who do not have any knowledge of the resistance or history in general. Perhaps it is the catchy tune or some glorious moments in the show which feature this song, that attract the listeners. This leads some artists to create their own rendition just like this viral Bella Ciao Qawwali version.
The song has a special influence in India due to multiple reasons. One is about the farmers who have been suffering the new agricultural laws in the country. They created a Punjabi version of this song to bolster their resistance against the Indian government’s regulations.
It is so popular in India that many artists have recreated the song in the Hindi language like “wapis jao”, Jaldi aao, “vaccine lagane jao” etc. Even celebrities like Ayushman Khurrana and Kriti Kharbanda have attempted to play the song on instruments.
It is not confirmed if all these artists were concerned about the socio-political notion of this song but the popularity of Money Heist is visible in India, which may have led to so many versions in different languages and melodies. Reportedly, it has been recreated in Marathi and Telegu languages as well.
Resistance Against COVID-19 Pandemic
The song has also emerged as a hymn of resistance against the COVID-19 pandemic in India. A while ago another video went viral in which Mumbai police was performing the song on trumpets. Listeners applauded the gesture as a good initiative to relieve the public of stress and anxiety. Even Netflix India commented that the performance of police was very well coordinated.
The pandemic lockdown technically increased the popularity of the song even more as artists were looking for inspiration. Luckily there were hundreds of versions of Bela Ciao on the internet, which delivered that. This Bella Ciao Qawwali version might be inspired from somewhere but such attempts will continue to inspire a lot more renditions.
Inspiration Beyond Borders
As the viewers wait for Part 2 of Money Heist Season 5, which is coming to Netflix on December 5, the Bella Ciao Qawwali version is the best pastime. It also shows how art and music can easily pass the test of time and boundaries. For the very first time, seasonal mondina workers sang this song to protest against the harsh working conditions in rice fields in Italy. Over time the song was modified and adopted by different resistance groups between 1943 and 1945 against Nazi occupying forces in Italy.
However, the 19th-century folk song still echoes across the planet. The anti-fascist anthem is often reenacted for entertainment or sometimes for the same purposes as the 19th century. During the lockdown, many people shared how they created their own Bella Ciao version.
