SALUTE TO THE COSTA

There has been no sadder sight in Italy today than the righted Costa Concordia and I am sure that everyone is thinking of those who were lost, the two passengers who are still missing and their loved ones. At 4 am when completion of the operation was announced, ships' sirens sounded in homage, the people of Giglio understandably breathed a collective sigh of relief and the salvage team were, deservedly, congratulated. It is worth noting that senior salvage master Nick Sloane has said that few countries other than Italy would have been able to put together the resources for such a massive rotation operation.

Tomorrow the search for the two missing passengers begins again and, in tribute to them and all affected by this tragedy, I am posting, for the third time on this blog, the song written by Costa Concordia survivors Antonello Tonna [from Catania] and Justine Pelmalay:

WHEN TIME STOOD STILL

One year after the Costa Concordia disaster, I am reposting this song by Antonello Tonna, the catanese pianist who survived the tragedy, and the Dutch singer Justine Pelmelay.

Mr Tonna, who immediately after the disaster said that he had felt as if he were living scenes from Titanic, wrote on his facebook page yesterday that the events of that terrible night still seem to him like a sequence from a film. He says that his thoughts are with those who were lost and their loved ones and that he is particularly thinking of his drummer friend Giuseppe Girolamo, who didn't have the strength to throw himself into the sea.

After the disaster it was several days before Mr Tonna was told that Justine Pelmelay had survived and in March the two recorded the song.  Since then Mr Tonna has slowly taken up his musical career again and writes that his family, friends and music have helped him through the many sad moments of the past year.

Antonello Tonna e Justine Pelmelay - Il tempo si è fermato [Time Stood Still]

Time stood still again all over Italy last night as the anniversary of the moment of the disaster approached.  On Giglio and along the nearby mainland coastline sirens were sounded in tribute and 32  lanterns were released into the sky in memory of those who lost their lives and the missing.

Costa Concordia - un anno dopo

COSTA CONCORDIA - THE SONG

In January I wrote about Antonello Tonna, the catanese pianist who survived the Costa Concordia disaster.  Well, now Mr Tonna and another survivor, the Dutch singer Justine Pelmelay, have written a song about the tragedy, Il tempo si è fermato - Time Stood Still and here it is:

Antonello Tonna e Justine Pelmelay - Il tempo si è fermato

Mr Tonna told lasiciliaweb that all proceeds from the song will be made over to the Island of Giglio shopkeepers who helped passengers on the night of the disaster. 

SURVIVING A NIGHTMARE

The video shows part of a performance, in happier times, by Antonello Tonna, the talented catanese pianist who survived the Costa Concordia disaster.  Signor Tonna told BlogSicilia that he had been working as an entertainer on cruise ships for many years but that, although he had previously survived a force 10 storm at sea, he had never witnessed anything like what happened off the Isola del Giglio last Friday night.  Clearly, he thought his last moment had come and he said he thought he was actually living scenes from Titanic.

I am sure that you will join me in sending good wishes to signor Tonna and all the survivors and that your hearts, like mine, go out to those who were lost or injured and their loved ones.

Antonello Tonna - Baia Taormina Hotel