Tag: Spain

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Barcelona: Impromptu Balcony Jam Goes Viral During Coronavirus Quarantine

L-R Alberto Gestoso, Alex Lebron Torrent
With much of the world staying at home and/or practicing ‘social distancing,’ folks are finding ways to not only remain upbeat but in touch with their communities. A viral video from Spain (over 9.3 million views on Facebook in just two days) demonstrates the power music has to bring people together. Facebook user Pedrito Miguel shared the clip featuring out musician Alberto Gestoso playing the Céline Dion hit, “My Heart Will Go On,” on his piano out on his balcony in the Sagrada Familia neighborhood of Barcelona this past Sunday. As he plays for his neighbors, saxophone player Alexander Lebron Torrent joins in for the impromptu concert.

In the video, you can see Gestoso’s neighbors leaning on their balconies taking in the open-air serenade. “This made me cry with emotion,” wrote Miguel. “The video is from Barcelona, which is in Quarantine like the rest of Spain. Courage and strength to all.” Gestoso shared a post on his Instagram regarding the afternoon’s musical moment writing, “Thanks to all of you who are staying at home for the good of all,” He also encouraged others “who are going through everything” to think of others because “this is everyone’s responsibility.” The original video appears to have been recorded by his boyfriend, Roman Santana, who shared the clip on his Instagram which has been viewed over 1.4 million times. Saxophonist Alex Lebron Torrent shared the moment from his perspective as well.  

 

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❤❤Stay safe people and listen to some nice live TITANIC balcony music❤❤ . . A magic moment with the amazing @albertogestoso with his balcony piano… thank you man! . . #coronavirus #quarantine #quarantineactivities #stayinthehouse #stayhome #balconymusic #balconymusicclub #pianoplayer #saxophoneplayer #alexlebrontorrent #alwaysmakethemrememberyou #avingudagaudi #musicianship #timeofcrisis #musicbringspeopletogether #tenorsaxophone #tenorsax #balconyband #staysafe #balconyshow #impromptushow #nonoisecomplaintstoday #nonoisecomplaints #neighbourhood #neighborhoodbalconyentertainment #quedateacasa #quédateacasa #quarantinechallenge #stopcovid19 #stopcovid19⛔️

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If you’ve been to Barcelona (easily one of my favorite cities in Europe), you know exactly where this is with the world-famous Basilica de la Sagrada Familia in the background. Check out a few posts from the two musician’s Instagram accounts. Definitely worth perusing.  

 

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YO ME QUEDO EN CASA 🏠 ⬇️⬇️ Hoy toca leer un poco⬇️⬇️ Responsabilidad individual y empatía. Todas las medidas que se están tomando no serán eficaces si no somos una sociedad madura y procuramos reducir nuestras salidas y vida social al máximo posible. No solo para no infectarnos, sino para no infectar a nuestros grupos de riesgo: nuestros mayores, pluripatologias, inmunodeprimidos… además de por todos nuestros profesionales sanitarios, que se están entregando al máximo para poder atajar esto cuanto antes. El sistema sanitario colapsará si no nos concienciamos a tiempo y cambiamos nuestra actitud. Cuanto antes nos demos cuenta de la situación, menos tiempo permanecerán las medidas y antes controlaremos el COVID-19. #yomequedoencasa

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VIERNES I’M IN LOVE 💙

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El postureo no descansa ni en Navidad 😜

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JUBILADO MODE ON: Controlando las obras 👨‍🦳🏗

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Nueva etapa! Y con más ilusión que el primer día 🤪

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📸📸📸📸📸📸📸📸📸📸📸📸📸📸 . . #Repost @flowportraits with @make_repost ・・・ I’ve been always photoshooting women. This is something way different 🙃. Thanks Alex for having a great time on this photo session 🙌. Model: @alexlebrontorrent Location: park near @basilicasagradafamilia . . . #saxman #columbian #blackmodel #malemodel #afro #afrohairstyles #redshirt #sax #jeans #maleportrait #placadegaudi #sagradafamilia #barcelona #spain #modelsbarcelona #barcelonamodels #musiciansbarcelona #barcelonamusicians #tenorsaxophone #saxophone #tenorsax #saxophoneplayer #ilovesax #forestonesaxophone #afromodel #barcelona2019 #alexlebrontorrent #alwaysmakethemrememberyou #modelingchocolate

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Spanish Police Officers Marry In Full Dress Uniform To Cheers

One of the first nations to embrace marriage equality back in 2005, Spain continues to do the LGBT community proud.

Madrid Pride is an enormously successful celebration, and the country is very accepting of same-sex marriage.

However, I still get a tingle seeing the wedding of two Catalan police officers, Chema and Jonathan, see such an embrace. And could they be any more handsome?

(Full dress uniform. Swoon….)

Speaking with Spanish radio station Canal Sur, Chema said they have many gay friends on the police force, adding:

“If it helps someone who is being bullied in school for their sexual orientation to see it as something normal, then that’s great.”

“It’s not something that should be hidden just because you belong to a particular institution.”

Congrats to a happy, beautiful couple!

(h/t Gay Star News)

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Spain’s top court will rule on marriage equality

Spain’s Constitutional Court is expected to rule on an appeal against the country’s gay marriage law, seven years after the legislation was approved.

The conservative Popular Party filed the appeal in 2005 on the grounds that “marriage” in the Spanish constitution meant the union of a man and a woman in matrimony.

A court spokesman said the tribunal will meet later Tuesday to study the appeal and is expected to vote.

Spain’s Parliament passed the gay marriage bill in June 2005 when it was Socialist-controlled, with only Popular Party deputies opposing. The Popular Party has since come to power.

(source)

UPDATE: The verdict is in and it’s GOOD news!

Spain’s Constitutional Court upheld the legality of the country’s gay marriage law on Tuesday, rejecting an appeal contending that marriage in the Spanish constitution means only the union of a man and woman.

The county’s top court voted 8-3 to dismiss the appeal of the conservative Popular Party filed shortly after Spain became the world’s third country to approve gay marriage.

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Threat to repeal marriage equality in Spain

Next month’s general elections threaten to undo Spain’s 6-year-old gay marriage law.

The Socialist government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, which swept into office in 2004, looks to be on the outs. Polling shows the conservative Popular Party (PP) with a 15-point lead over Socialists.

Zapatero’s government legalized gay marriage over the objections of the Catholic Church and the PP, which filed a legal challenged to the law based on technical grounds.

Mariano Rajoy, the leader of the PP, has previously said he believes the law is unconstitutional and that he would “change” it even if the nation’s highest court ruled it constitutional.

“I will listen to the court, but I don’t like the fact that there is gay marriage and I don’t think it is constitutional,” he told daily El Pais. “What I don’t like is the word ‘marriage.’”

While repeal of the law seems doubtful, gay and lesbian couples in the country are taking the threat seriously. In the past several months, a sharp uptick in the number of couples marrying has been reported in the Spanish press.
(via OnTopMagazine)