POLISH PUNK LEGENDS TO PLAY IN THE HAGUE ON THE KRISTALLNACHT ANNIVERSARY
3 November 2024
The renowned band Dezerter will perform in the Netherlands under the motto of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association’s campaign ‘Music Against Racism’. The concert will take place on 9 November, the International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism. It commemorates the victims of the first mass pogrom of Jews in the Third Reich, which took place in 1938 during the so-called Kristallnacht.
Dezerter are considered the pioneers of the Polish punk rock scene. The band was formed in Warsaw in 1981. It has been playing continuously for over 40 years, and their concerts are attended by successive generations of fans. Dezerter has performed in many European countries (Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Finland, Switzerland), in the United States, and in Japan.
Arkadiusz Zacheja from the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association emphasizes: - ‘Dezerter has been demonstrating support for the idea of peace and diversity since its creation, and also opposes hatred towards minorities.’ In 1997, the song ‘You are building fascism through intolerance’ was released on the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association’s compilation album ‘Music Against Racism.’ The simple lyrics of this song capture the mechanism of prejudice: ‘This one is from here, and that one is from there / So this one is good, so that one is bad.’
Dezerter’s concert will take place in The Hague, known for its history and multiculturalism. In this city, a significant part of the population has roots from Suriname (a former Dutch colony in the northeastern part of South America), Turkey and Morocco. The Hague also has the largest concentration of Poles in the Netherlands.
The ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign was initiated in 1996 by the founder of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association, Marcin Kornak. He was an activist as well as a poet and songwriter who collaborated with independent rock bands. Marcin passed away in 2014 at the age of 46, but his legacy lives on. Over the years, numerous musicians and bands of different genres have supported the ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign.
Today, ‘Music Against Racism’ is supplemented by the ‘Music Against War’ campaign. By participating in it, artists can express solidarity with refugees from Ukraine and other war-torn countries.
‘NEVER AGAIN’ is an independent anti-racist organization founded in Warsaw in 1996, which has campaigned against antisemitism, racism and xenophobia, and for peace, intercultural dialogue and human rights both in Poland and internationally.
The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association invites musicians, record labels and promoters across the world who are interested in releasing music or videos as well as organizing shows with the promotional support of ‘Music Against Racism’ / ‘Music Against War’ to get in touch via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
More information:
www.NeverAgainAssociation.org
www.facebook.com/Respect.Diversity
www.twitter.com/StowNIGDYWIECEJ
www.linkedin.com/company/never-again-association
https://www.dezerter.com/english/Bio