If anyone is found in northern Evia a year after last summer’s devastating fire, if he sees the charred trees for the first time from the safe press bus bound for Mantoudi, he will probably see everything with an inquisitive eye, aided by the already pleasantly green earth. and a curious look, though not aloof.

Sadness and anger over 500,000 acres that have been reduced to ashes can coexist with tepid optimism, and the same mental mix is ​​sure to be present in many locals. Like Mrs. Vahelio, who runs a hotel in Rovies and who a little earlier, after she remembered the first days of the fire, after she remembered those who helped voluntarily (from her Israeli guests to the Orthodox bishopric of America), after she appreciated Evia Pass but not compensation for damaged houses, he finally said with a little snort, “I’m one of the optimistic people. I saw blue skies through black pines.”

Luckily, Mantoudi Primary School is surrounded by green trees. A multi-ethnic orchestra of children and teenagers has taken seats in his courtyard, which in turn are watched by village children. Some play the C major scale, others listen with the curiosity of their age, participating last Saturday afternoon in educational activities music hall in the north of Evia “Musical Bridges”, which aims to revive the culture in the areas affected by the fires.

This time he does it with the help of the El Sistema orchestra: his conductor, José Ángel Salazar Marin, calls the village children to the podium, and they, hesitantly holding a baguette in their hands, force the orchestra to tune in with a movement of their hands. . Then the exercise changes: the children show the children how to hold the violin and play with open strings. Do they do it? “It was amazing! I was very happy that I played so well!” Panagiotis, 8, tells us, while his grandmother, Ms. Alexandra, reminds us that “this is a village and we don’t have such opportunities.” Conductor José Marin notes that “this is what we do: we respond with music and education to social problems”, while the music teacher for children, Ms. Maria, emphasizes that it is true that the action – and the concert that followed it – is a form of support in fire-affected areas, however, “kids haven’t had opportunities like this before. It’s an unprecedented experience for them, I mean it. And it’s more than worth it.”

“May the song always have this simplicity and this truth, be useful,” said Alkinoi Ioannidis.

The initial idea was proposed by Stavros Benu, head of the Committee for the Reconstruction of Northern Evia: a cultural program that would contribute to the overall regeneration of the region. At the moment, the film project “Evia” of the Thessaloniki Film Festival has already taken place, the National Opera is in preparation with its own participation, and the Concert Hall has been implementing actions since July. The funding comes from the YPPOA, and according to Dimitris Maragopoulos, Artistic Director of the Bridges series of Megaros, such projects can appear in the area, but “the secret is not to do it just once.”

They fought and won

In addition to repetition, of course, specificity is also important. “I don’t want to do another summer concert,” Alkinoos Ioannidis Maragopoulos told Maragopoulos beforehand and assured him that if he took part in the program, he would meet – what else – “people who fought fire and won.” Many of them gathered on Saturday evening in the square of the village of Kourkuulis, and Alkinoos Ioannidis meets them, shakes hands with them, says through the microphone that he came here to see their faces, hear their stories, not to forget northern Evia. “which will be paradise again, which is paradise, because you are here.”

His own or not, some of the songs he sings, such as “Panda tha da ximereoni”, “To nero ton Stagiaton”, “Neoohellinas”, today have an additional meaning that does not escape the attention of the locals. “This has never happened here before. It puts us at the center,” says Vangelis, a resin collector, at the end of the evening. “The fact that he came to our village, what he said about the fire, means a lot,” adds Dimitris, a military man And another Dimitris, this teacher, will say that “the problem in northern Evia is solved by stimulating production, but such actions raise the soul and give strength to people.”

The next day, Sunday, Alkinoos Ioannidis played in the village of Papades. Nikos Portokaloglou will travel to Gouves (October 29) and Nikos Stamulos to Milies (October 30). “May the song,” said Ioannidis Kurokouli, “always have this simplicity and this truth, be useful.”