The Happy tribe

The Happy Tribe left town yesterday. Just like that. They packed up and left on their tall bicycles. It was as sudden as their arrival. They came in, and gave lots of colour in the life of this ugly city. Their nationality…. uncertain. Their age….mixed.
But their goal was certain. To show people that they can pursue an alternative lifestyle, outside the pure capitalist dogma. Certainly they where young at heart. And innovative. And something that did not seem to fit in our gray environment. But they where a shining light. A bunch of kids, hell-bent on advertising an eco-friendly way of moving around the city. Imagine a troupe of fifty people cycling among the cars in Nicosia, during heavy traphic, and blocking it . And them on the lead. Hard huh? And they made it seem so easy!

Well those guys were not only some crazy people in souped-up bikes making stupid manifestations. Most of them are excellent musicians, all of them are proficient comedians, and some of them are really good acrobats. They were a cross-breed between a street circus and a moving vaudeville. You could also see them in the central streets of the town performing shows with puppets, tricks, slapstick humor, and lots of ragtime-like tunes.

People from different background, countries and ages. Americans, Canadians, Italians, a German, and an Argentinean. Rocio was definitely of the ones with the most excitement, Piero was……the backbone of the rhythm section (with his floor-toms and mini-drums), and helped a lot of people build their own bikes. China was probably one of the greatest stand-up slapstick comedians I have ever seen (mind you he often refers to himself and the things he participates in as stupid) . Marie-Lys with her violin added a lot of irish flavour in the bands music (though she is Canadian). Simone is definitely the most athletic of them all, he could be playing in the NBA or something. And Jerry is A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y nuts.

Their shows where definitely fun, but a lot of times I think they had a morale. An anti-consumerist morale. Through the whole mockery, I think they were trying to pass the message that multinational companies, and capitalists cannot do any good to the people. Capitalists only care about profit, not about the welfare of simple people like you and me. They just want us to consume their products, and become stupid. And after they turn us into stupid people, then they shall take over.

Anyway the stay of the happy tribe showed, to the locals, that there are better, and more interesting, ways to live than living in a luxurius flat, having a really high-paying job, and driving an expensive (and gas consuming) SUV (or sports car) around town. I think some people understood that, while others did not….Well such is life….


Now they are on their way to spread their Evangelion to Russia and China….I can do nothing but wish them the best of luck….
We will miss you guys….