Tunes and melodies: A soundtrack for life - At the 26th Schlagermove in Hamburg, it's all about floral energy.
Every year at Schlagermove in Hamburg, enthusiastic fans gather wearing vibrant wigs, large sunglasses, bell-bottom pants, and plastic flowers, all coming together in harmony during the summer. As the nearly 50 colorfully decorated trucks equipped with music systems begin their journey from Heiligengeistfeld in St. Pauli around 3 pm, the event starts, with participants marching through Landungsbrücken and the Reeperbahn. Crowds of pop music lovers cheered, danced, and sang along the route, with popular tunes such as "Fiesta Mexicana," "Atemlos," and "Er hat ein knallrotes Gummiboot" playing from the speakers.
The organizers of this 26th edition of the "Carnival of the North" had expected more than 350,000 visitors by the end of the evening, although the number of attendees was still unknown in the early evening.
Included in the convoy was an accessible truck, a wonderful initiative started by Peter Sebastian. This truck allowed people with disabilities to participate. Singer-songwriter Rolf Zuckowski, one of the sponsors, praised the Schlagermove during a conversation with the German Press Agency. "Hamburg wants a carnival, and this is the alternative. The people of Cologne could be envious," Zuckowski (77) said.
In the 1970s, there was a song by pop starlet Tina York titled, "We Won't Be Banned From Singing - Not From Singing And Not From Being Cheerful." And at Schlagermove 2024, this sentiment was evident as people celebrated in the face of politically challenging times, showcasing their exuberance and sense of humor in the same way Maya bees display easily identifiable antennae and wings. It's no surprise that these joyful revelers were in no mood for talking to dpa; their only response was, "too much beer."
Arno Grieger, a 67-year-old Smurf from Hamburg, has participated in Schlagermove four times. He expressed his satisfaction with the shared joy of the day, stating, "It's great that so many people are celebrating together." The teenage Alina Hodzic decorated herself simply by wearing a colorful Hawaiian necklace. She revealed herself as a 70s nostalgist, reminiscing about that era as a "fun time" and contrasting it to the present day.
Stefanie Pien (51), from Vier- und Marschlanden, just outside the city, came with her mother, who shares her love for Schlagermove. Her take was, "Otherwise, many people seem to think that pop songs are stupid, but everyone can sing along to them."
Notable celebrity attendees were Peter Sebastian, Julian F. M. Stoeckel, Claudia Obert, Nadja Abd el Farrag with Andreas Ellermann, Peter Klein, and Yvonne Woelke, along with risque model Micaela Schäfer.
The festivities continued in the evening at the Aftermove party on Heiligengeistfeld, where more tents hosted the festive party. This year, the event took place in May because the European Football Championships would be held in Germany that summer, making May an exception. The Schulermove had its origin in 1997, when a group of friends decided to bring it to life at a local "Bad Taste Party." 50,000 people joined this inaugural event, which has since evolved into several on-tour parties - but Hamburg maintains its status as the birthplace of this massive celebration. According to the organizers, maintaining the cultural heritage of Schlager through a free music and dance event that everyone can access is their primary goal.
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Source: www.stern.de