Since 2005, the world star has been a dedicated supporter of the Foundation that helps people with disabilities lead independent lives, and this year, for the fifth time, he will take the lead role in its charity concert. The concert on December 3 will feature the Hungarian premiere of his guitar concerto, and he will also sing with the Parafónia Orchestra, made up of musicians with moderate intellectual disabilities.
The relationship between Salva Vita and José Cura began almost two decades ago. The roots go back to 2003, when at an outdoor concert in Margitsziget, Cura invited all the children from the audience to the stage so that they could listen to the show together with the children in wheelchairs who participated in the event courtesy of the Pető Institute. With this gesture, the artist wanted to draw attention to the fact that all children have equal opportunities, regardless of their physical abilities.
Among the audience was Nóra Czoboly, member of the board of trustees of the Salva Vita Foundation, who was already a big fan of the singer at the time. He got in touch with the artist, and the rest is history: Cura performed at the Foundation’s charity concert in 2008, and this year he is on stage for the fifth time in this capacity on December 3, at the National Theatre. The relationship between the artist and the Foundation does not end here: on Tuesday, Cura visited the Szeglet community space operated by Salva Vita, where he talked with dozens of clients with disabilities about their lives, work, and his own career.
“Personally, the mission undertaken by the Salva Vita Foundation means a lot to me: my godson, who lives in Argentina, is also disabled, and I see how much a stable job and independent income can mean in the life of a disabled person – said the artist at the meeting. – Unfortunately, back home, in Argentina, people with disabilities rarely find employment for more than a year, so it is a pleasure to see that there are people in Hungary who have been doing valuable work for decades.”
Cura has met many workers who have been “sleepers” for many years or even decades. There were those who dealt with packaging, others with postal administration or checking the expiration date of foodstuffs, and there were also those who worked with securities in the financial field. What binds them together is that their relationship with the Foundation has remained even after their placement: thanks to the regular programs, they form a real community, where valuable networks of relationships, friendships and loves are interwoven.
“The XXI one of the biggest problems of the 20th century is loneliness. In this community, however, they build not only jobs, but also decades-long relationships. And this is often a missing item among non-disabled people as well”
– noted the Argentine artist.
“José Cura’s visit is always an inspiration for us – added Katalin Vég, executive director of Salva Vita. – For more than three decades, the foundation has been working to ensure that people with altered working abilities can also experience what a safe workplace and the feeling of independence mean. We help them with administration, writing resumes, we prepare them with test interviews, and in addition to job search, we provide support in developing an independent lifestyle. The fact that José is returning to us for the fifth time testifies not only to his support, but also to his commitment.”
The December 3rd concert, where the backbone of the program will be Argentinian music, will help the realization of Salva Vita’s goals. Among other things, Cura’s own guitar concerto, written under COVID, will be performed – for the first time in our country – in other words, the artist takes on a role not only as a singer and conductor, but also as a composer. Another special feature of the concert will be that Cura will sing together with the Parafónia Orchestra, which consists of musicians with moderate intellectual disabilities. More details:
Source: www.technokrata.hu
