El Sistema aims to be a Covid superspreader

El Sistema aims to be a Covid superspreader

News

norman lebrecht

November 11, 2021

In a country riddled with Covid, where few young people are vaccinated, El Sistema of Venezuela is aiming for a world-record attempt this weekend for largest ever orchestra.

Stupid, or worse?

 

Comments

  • Anon says:
    November 11, 2021 at 12:00 pm

    It’s the Donald Trump approach to scandal. Give the public a new one (Covid irresponsibility) and they’ll forget about the old one (sexual abuse).

    Reply
  • Frank says:
    November 11, 2021 at 12:04 pm

    However one looks at it, in the current climate and that location, this is astoundingly crazy. And let’s not even get into the question of whether participants will be vaxed, because in Brazil that’s a non-starter. Idiotic lunacy abounds – the organisers must have a death wish on the country.

    Reply
    • V. Lind says:
      November 11, 2021 at 3:27 pm

      It’s Venezuela. You remind me of the time, back in the day when there were still travel agents, when I wandered into a Thomas Cook on Charing Cross Road, inquired about flights to Caracas, and the glaikit, uninterested school leaver got up from her desk and went to the wall map and started pawing Africa.

      However, given the socio-economic problems in Venezuela, not to mention international sanctions that have affected medicines, among other essential supplies, and the collapsing infrastructure — plus a government that arrests anyone who ventures to point out any social deficiencies, including in hospitals (many of which do not have running water), and the absence of any government transparency or credibility, it is reasonable to assume that Caracas may not be quite ready for this.

      Reply
    • Bashh says:
      November 11, 2021 at 3:40 pm

      Possibly true about Brazil. but Sistema is Venezuelan and this event appears to be taking place in Caracas. The other clue should have been the language of the poster, which is Spanish. They use Portuguese in Brazil.

      Reply
    • Snark Shark says:
      November 11, 2021 at 7:53 pm

      Yeah! With a 0.2% death wish surely the Grim Reaper could do better.

      Reply
  • ken says:
    November 11, 2021 at 12:35 pm

    Get your shots, folks !

    Reply
  • Sam McElroy says:
    November 11, 2021 at 1:43 pm

    While Guinness is there, maybe they can add a category: Largest exile of civilians from a humanitarian crisis not induced by war.

    Reply
  • El Sistemic Abuse says:
    November 11, 2021 at 3:05 pm

    In the last two weeks, the Maduro regime has officially come under ICC investigation for crimes against humanity (article attached). A top regime mule, Alex Saab, has been extradited to the US on narcotrafficking and money laundering charges (article attached). Former military intel chief “El Pollo” Carvajal, is soon to follow from Spain. (article attached)

    That same regime owns El Sistema. When I say “owns” I mean owns. ES is its own regime ministry and the same criminals are on its board, criminals like Delcy Rodriguez (former Propaganda Minister, Foreign Minister and current VP, sister of Dudamel’s good pal Jorge, former VP under Chavez, current regime Consiglieri).

    So it’s hardly a surprise that they are turning to the tried and tested El Sistema propaganda machine to create the Guinness World Record of all distractions. It’s what they do! It’s what they did for 20 years in the great concert halls of the world. So why would they care about the musicians’ welfare now, when they’ve been using and abusing them for 2 decades? (article attached)

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/04/venezuela-faces-landmark-icc-investigation-over-alleged-crimes-against-humanity

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/alleged-hezbollah-money-launderer-close-to-venezuelan-leader-extradited-to-us/

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/spains-high-court-agrees-extradite-venezuelas-ex-spymaster-us-rcna3424

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/27/venezuela-me-too-yo-te-creo-sexual-abuse-el-sistema-youth-orchestra/

    Reply
  • bet says:
    November 11, 2021 at 3:50 pm

    I’m attempting the world’s largest gathering of conductors, just show up with a baton or toothpick (a la Gergiev) or nothing (a la Karajan), and a score or nothing (a la Karajan)…

    Umm, basically just show up waving your arms

    Reply
  • Gerald Brennan says:
    November 14, 2021 at 12:00 pm

    Vaxed people are the ones filling the hospitals. Vaxed nations have many more problems with Covid than unvaxed nations. But one would have to avoid the propaganda of the pop press to find this out. Your Covid obsession needs to be re-examined.

    Reply

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