Who has stolen the month of April?

By Clea House

Madrid, 30 Apr (efe-epa).- Who has stolen the month of April, a set of Spanish artists sing in a viral video which sees the group interpret a Spanish classic by singer-songwriter Joaquin Sabina.

Recorded by more than 20 artists to raise funds for Doctors Without Borders to fight the coronavirus, Conciertos Yo Me Quedo en Casa (I will stay at home concerts) released the video on Thursday.

The track by Sabina is an anthem in Spain and its lyrics have taken on a new meaning as the country has been under a strict lockdown since 14 March.

It is the most iconic track on one of Sabina’s most important albums El Hombre del Traje Gris (The Man in the Gray Suit) released in 1988.

The artist (71) suffered a serious fall during his last gig on 13 February after which he was rushed to the hospital.

Amid the shock of some 15,000 spectators, Sabina lost his footing and fell off the stage two metres to the ground.

The melancholic lyrics of the song that has become part of the nation’s soundtrack paint a dreary and desolate city that are eerily reminiscent of the empty streets witnessed during the pandemic.

The song presents a set of imaginary characters who each wonder who has stolen the month April, each of them musing why they have been cursed with such bad luck.

The chorus, who has stolen the month of April?, could have been written during the pandemic as Spaniards have spent the month locked up indoors as the country grappled with a health and economic crisis.

The song contrasts hugely with another anthem that has become emblematic of the times, Resistiré (I will resist) by the Dúo Dinámico, an upbeat pop song on overcoming adversity which was released in the late 80s.

As Spaniards take to their balconies every evening at 8 pm to clap for health care workers the community event often descends into an impromptu street party with neighbours playing the song and singing it together.

From their terraced flat in the Catalan capital Barcelona (northeast), the Stay Homas, a group of three young musicians who live together have become a viral hit during the lockdown.

Rai Benet, Guillem Boltó and Klaus Stroink on 14 March decided to do a live performance on Instagram with their first #confinationsongs (songs of confinement) track.

Since then views of their music have rocketed.

With tongue in cheek tracks about the realities of being confined and an optimistic outlook over all the fun things the group intend to do as soon measures are lifted, their reggae, summery vibe has seduced Spaniards.

Using a mash-up of languages including Catalan, Spanish, English and Portuguese the group told Efe they were keen to use “a touch of humor, which these days is scarce”.

“What we are trying to do is make people see something good about being locked up at home or being alone,” they added.

“If we had known we were going to be in lockdown until May we perhaps wouldn’t have said we were going to release a track a day,” the group jokes.

They have gathered so many followers during the lockdown that in an April live show on Instagram, tickets to their first gig on 31 July at the Sala Apolo in Barcelona sold out in just 10 minutes.