Turkish Orchestra Transforms 'Bella Ciao' Anthem Into #StayAtHome Song

Members of an orchestra in Turkey have not let the coronavirus pandemic get in the way of creativity.

The Istanbul Metropolitan Muncipality Orchestra have transformed an Italian anti-fascist anthem into a Turkish song urging listeners to stay at home due to the coronavirus threat.

The orchestra replaced the refrain of "Bella Ciao", an Italian protest song that has become an anthem for anti-fascist movement worldwide, with "Evde kal" or "Stay at home".

"Wash your hands, don't go outside," the song starts. "Stay at home, you! Stay at home."

It continues: "For you and for your loved ones, don't forget to stay safe."

"Quiet corona. Don't [test] positive. Stay at home, you! Stay at home. Protection is in your hands."

The orchestra also squeezes in a reference to Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's electoral slogan, "Everything is going to be alright".

The orchestra members all performed their parts from their own homes, with each part later combined together in a Zoom-style video.

Istanbul is not the only city where municipality officials have adopted music to persuade residents to stay at home.

A band of municipality workers in Bornova, Izmir, took to the streets last week to serenade residents watching from their balconies and windows.

Turkey has reported more than 9,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 131 fatalities.

Government officials have urged residents to stay at home in a "voluntary" quarantine, while opposition lawmakers have called for the imposition of a nationwide curfew to control the spread of the virus.

Authorities have limited inter-city travel and cancelled international flights, as well as quarantining a dozen towns and villages in areas across the country.

This article has been adapted from its original source.