25 years ago today Josep Carreras was back from Seattle: he had won his battle against leukaemia!!
Il grande numero di quest'anno sembra proprio essere il 25, un 25 che rimanda al 1988 e a tutti gli eventi straordinari che quell'anno ha potuto offrire, non solo artisticamente ma anche e soprattutto a livello personale: per cominciare, il giorno 27 febbraio Josep Carreras faceva il suo ritorno a Barcellona, dopo quattro mesi di terapie presso il Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center di Seattle, presso cui si era sottoposto ad un autotrapianto di midollo osseo, non potendo contare su un donatore compatibile. L'aereo, proveniente da Londra dove era stato effettuato lo scalo, portava a casa un coraggioso vincitore: Josep Carreras aveva vinto la sua battaglia contro la leucemia, una malattia all'epoca molto più oscura di quanto non lo sia ancora oggi, contro la quale aveva strenuamente lottato per 11 mesi.
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| Josep Carreras warmely welcomed outside Barcelona Airport |
Questa ricorrenza così speciale e commovente mi rimanda ad un progetto che nel 2011 ho realizzato insieme ad alcuni di voi, i quali hanno dato vita alla memoria con le loro emozioni più intime e personali. Grazie a voi la raccolta "Ritorna Vincitor" è divenuta una realtà.
La notizia era già stata diffusa con un giorno di anticipo da Montserrat Caballé, che appunto accennava al ritorno a casa di Josep, previsto per l'indomani, nonostante l'intenzione iniziale di Carreras fosse quella di un ritorno a sorpresa, soprattutto per i suoi figli. Alle 14:15 Josep Carreras riabbracciava la sua patria e veniva accolto dai suoi fratelli, da alcuni amici tra cui Montserrat e Carlos Caballé, e da tantissime persone comuni profondamente colpite dalla sua vicenda e che semplicemente desideravano dargli il benvenuto a casa con lacrime di commozione, sorrisi, applausi, grida gioiose e striscioni, come quello che vedete nella foto qui sopra. Un altro, se non ricordo male riportava la scritta "Josep sempre nostre", e ancora "Carreras n°1". Pochi minuti dopo l'atterraggio è stata improvvisata una conferenza stampa per i giornalisti accorsi all'Aeroporto del Prat: Josep Carreras, con i capelli corti ma con lo sguardo illuminato dalla voglia di vivere, affermava di sentirsi magnificamente bene fisicamente e di ottimo umore tanto che, fosse stato per lui avrebbe giocato al frontón la settimana successiva: era certamente in condizione di trascorrere la sua convalescenza in casa, sottoponendosi a controlli settimanali in qualità di paziente esterno del Hospital Clinic, come normalmente avviene per chi ha subito un'operazione e un trattamento così aggressivo.
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| Josep Carreras back to Barcelona. Source: LA VANGUARDIA |
In modo particolare ha manifestato profonda gratitudine per la quantità smisurata di affetto ricevuto in tutti quei mesi, sia dalle più alte autorità dello stato alla gente comune, e ha mostrato un atteggiamento incredibilmente positivo, d'esempio per tutti i pazienti che stavano o stanno affrontando la stessa malattia, ma per tutti in generale anche per la sua grande umanità. Perché è in queste vesti che la gente lo ha visto tornare, quelle di essere umano: sono stati in tanti a dirmi che la sua lotta l'avevano vissuta insieme a lui tutti quelli che lo amavano, fossero o meno amanti dell'opera o ammiratori. Sono state sensazioni di gioia, di sollievo, una commozione che chi l'ha provate in questa circostanza non potrà mai dimenticare. Se è indubbio che Josep Carreras ha trionfato come artista, altrettanto è riuscito a fare come persona: come tantissime persone hanno fatto propria la sua lotta, Josep Carreras in tutti questi anni ha fatto propria quella di chi ha vissuto e sta vivendo un'esperienza analoga alla sua. 25 anni fa gli è stata ridata la vita, e da allora ha fatto tutto quanto nelle sue possibilità per ridarla a tantissime altre persone attraverso una fondazione che porta il suo nome, e che quest'anno festeggia 25 anni di lotta contro la leucemia e le altre malattie del sangue. È così che il numero 25 si ripete e assume un valore realmente inestimabile.
VISCA JOSEP CARRERAS!!!
Key facts:
◦ The most representative number of this year seems to be 25, as it refers to 1988 and to all the extraordinary events that took place, not only artistically but more especially on a personal level: above all, on 27th February, Josep Carreras came back to Barcelona, after a four month - treatment at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, where he had undergone an autologous bone marrow transplant, as no compatible donor was available. The private jet, from London brought a brave winner back home: Josep Carreras had won his battle against leukemia, a disease at the time was actually much more obscure than today, against which he had been valiantly fighting for 11 months.
◦ Such special and thrilling anniversary reminds me of a project that I could create in 2011 with some of you, who gave life to the memory of their most intimate and personal emotions. Thanks to them, the memoirs collection titled "Ritorna Vincitor" has turned into reality.
◦ The news had been spread by Montserrat Caballé, who just mentioned that Josep's arrival was scheduled for the following day, despite Carreras' real intention was a surprise return, especially for his kids. At 14:15, Josep Carreras could hug again his homeland, and was welcomed by his brothers, by some friends including Montserrat and Carlos Caballé, and many ordinary people deeply affected by his experience who just wanted to show him their affection with tears of emotion , smiles, applauses, shouts of joy, and banners, as you can see in the picture above. Another one, if I remember correctly, reported "Josep forever ours," and moreover "Carreras No. 1." A few minutes after landing, a press conference for journalists took place at the Prat Airport: Josep Carreras, with short hair, but with his eyes lit up by his strong will to live, said he was feeling good physically and in a good mood, so that he would have played fronton the following week, if it had been up to him: he could certainly spend his convalescence at home, undergoing weekly checks as an out-patient of the Hospital Clinic, as normally happened to those who had undergone such aggressive surgery and treatment.
◦ In particular, he expressed deep gratitude for the immense amount of affection received in all those months, by the highest authorities of the state as well as by common people, and showed an overwhelmingly positive attitude that was to be a real example to all those patients who were or are fighting against the same disease, but also to everyone for his great humanity. It is actually in these terms that people conceived him in that moment: as a human being. So many people told me that his battle had been shared by all people loving him, admirers or not . They were feelings of joy, relief, an emotion those who have experienced in that moment will never forget. There is no doubt that Josep Carreras has triumphed as an artist, and as a person as well, since many people have his struggle theirs, Josep Carreras, all these years, has made his struggle the one of those who have been suffering from the same disease. 25 years ago he was given life back, and since then he has done everything in his power to give it back to many other people too, through a foundation that bears his name, which is right now celebrating 25 years of fight against leukemia and other blood diseases. Thus number 25 is repeated so to become really priceless.
VISCA JOSEP CARRERAS!!!
Key facts:
◦ The most representative number of this year seems to be 25, as it refers to 1988 and to all the extraordinary events that took place, not only artistically but more especially on a personal level: above all, on 27th February, Josep Carreras came back to Barcelona, after a four month - treatment at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, where he had undergone an autologous bone marrow transplant, as no compatible donor was available. The private jet, from London brought a brave winner back home: Josep Carreras had won his battle against leukemia, a disease at the time was actually much more obscure than today, against which he had been valiantly fighting for 11 months.
◦ Such special and thrilling anniversary reminds me of a project that I could create in 2011 with some of you, who gave life to the memory of their most intimate and personal emotions. Thanks to them, the memoirs collection titled "Ritorna Vincitor" has turned into reality.
◦ The news had been spread by Montserrat Caballé, who just mentioned that Josep's arrival was scheduled for the following day, despite Carreras' real intention was a surprise return, especially for his kids. At 14:15, Josep Carreras could hug again his homeland, and was welcomed by his brothers, by some friends including Montserrat and Carlos Caballé, and many ordinary people deeply affected by his experience who just wanted to show him their affection with tears of emotion , smiles, applauses, shouts of joy, and banners, as you can see in the picture above. Another one, if I remember correctly, reported "Josep forever ours," and moreover "Carreras No. 1." A few minutes after landing, a press conference for journalists took place at the Prat Airport: Josep Carreras, with short hair, but with his eyes lit up by his strong will to live, said he was feeling good physically and in a good mood, so that he would have played fronton the following week, if it had been up to him: he could certainly spend his convalescence at home, undergoing weekly checks as an out-patient of the Hospital Clinic, as normally happened to those who had undergone such aggressive surgery and treatment.
◦ In particular, he expressed deep gratitude for the immense amount of affection received in all those months, by the highest authorities of the state as well as by common people, and showed an overwhelmingly positive attitude that was to be a real example to all those patients who were or are fighting against the same disease, but also to everyone for his great humanity. It is actually in these terms that people conceived him in that moment: as a human being. So many people told me that his battle had been shared by all people loving him, admirers or not . They were feelings of joy, relief, an emotion those who have experienced in that moment will never forget. There is no doubt that Josep Carreras has triumphed as an artist, and as a person as well, since many people have his struggle theirs, Josep Carreras, all these years, has made his struggle the one of those who have been suffering from the same disease. 25 years ago he was given life back, and since then he has done everything in his power to give it back to many other people too, through a foundation that bears his name, which is right now celebrating 25 years of fight against leukemia and other blood diseases. Thus number 25 is repeated so to become really priceless.
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