The 66th Grammy Awards ceremony that took place tonight (between Sunday and Monday) in the USA also included a direct reference by a senior member of the American music industry to the October 7th massacre and the war in Gaza.
Towards the end of the event, Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the US National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the body behind the Grammys), took the stage and eulogized the victims of the Nova Festival against the background of the playing of a string quartet that included musicians of Israeli and Arab origin.
In his speech, Mason (55) said the following: "Tonight we cherish the world of music. We are all, no matter where we are, united in a common musical experience. It brings us closer than anything else, and that is why music must be our safe place. When this thing creates , the basic veins of our identity are damaged."
Harvey Mason Jr.'s full speech
Mason went on to list terrorist attacks that have occurred in the past decade at other music events: the 2015 Bataclan theater massacre in Paris where more than 80 spectators were murdered;
The 2017 Manchester suicide bombing where 22 people were killed after an Ariana Grande concert and the 2017 Las Vegas Strip massacre where 60 people were shot dead during a country music festival.
Then came the CEO's reference to the terrorist attack by Hamas: "On October 7 we felt it again, when we heard the tragic news from the 'Nova' festival, where more than 360 music lovers lost their lives and another 40 were kidnapped," according to Mason "That day, and all the tragic days that followed, were terrible, as we mourned the loss of the lives of all the innocent.
Harvey Mason Jr.'s speech at the 66th Grammy Awards, photo: Reuters
"We live in a very divided world, and maybe music can't solve everything. But let's agree that music must remain the common denominator on which we all stand together in peace and harmony - because music has always brought humanity together. Think about it: every song we hear and honor tonight, moved people No matter where they are from or what they believe - the song connected them to other people who were moved in the same way.
"Take this string quartet for example. As individuals, they sound really good. But together they achieve something beautiful, which they could never achieve separately. These musicians, of Palestinian, Israeli and Arab descent, play here together. Now is the time for us - for humanity - to play together, and unite with empathy and love. Thank you."
The 66th Grammy ceremony was broadcast live on yes and the edited and translated version will be broadcast today at 21:00 on yes VOD and +STING.
Were we wrong?
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us