A special musical will be performed on Saturday, November 14, at 7 p.m. in the Fredenberg Auditorium—“Baha and the Wild Seventies.” In the 65th anniversary year of the labor recruitment agreement between Germany and Turkey—which paved the way for many so-called “guest workers” to move abroad and into an uncertain, yet hopeful future, the Sanat Ensemble brings “Baha and the Wild Seventies” to the stage in Salzgitter, presenting a significant chapter of German migration and labor history. With 22 performers on stage—actors and actresses, eyewitnesses, a women’s choir, and a live band—the Sanat Ensemble brings an almost forgotten chapter of German history back into the spotlight.
The event is organized by the City of Salzgitter’s Cultural Services Department in cooperation with IG Metall Salzgitter-Peine and the works council of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH.
The plot is based on a true story:
In late August 1973, around 10,000 Ford workers in Cologne spontaneously and “wildly” went on strike. They demanded equal pay for equal work under humane conditions and protested against difficult working conditions, discrimination against foreign workers, and a lack of worker participation. The strikers occupied the factory grounds. During the day they protested; at night they danced. It was a dance on the back of the tiger. The strike was violently broken up. However, the charismatic spokesperson Baha Targün—described by many as the “Cohn-Bendit of the guest workers”—became a cult figure. Later, though, he came under massive legal pressure because of it.
Based on the memories of former activists, Nedim Hazar wrote a musical about this once-legendary event. It is intended as a musical tribute to the first generation of Turkish immigrants. *Baha and the Wild ’70s* tells the story of these people’s dream of a better life, their longing for the homeland they left behind, and their struggle for recognition. In the process, the audience is taken on a journey back in time to a decade of social upheaval. A journey through hot pants, flower children, the Ford Transit, “Blauer Bock,” and the Mao Bible.
Performed live by a rock band, a string trio, and Turkish instrumentalists, the songs are inspired by international musicals of the era, such as “Hair,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and the rock opera “Tommy.” Director Tony Dunham is English, and Nedim Hazar grew up in Sydney in the ’70s. The title song, “One Mark More for Everyone!” was contributed by Hazar’s son, the rapper Eko Fresh. In it, he captures the spirit of life for many guest workers in the 1970s in the lines: “You’re a nobody, just keep going, always on the assembly line, guest worker.”
Ticket sales
Tickets are available online at www.salzgitter.de/kulturvomamt (opens in a new tab) and at all major ticket outlets. For more information about the musical, visit www.sanat-ensemble.de (opens in a new tab).
Musical “Baha and the Wild Seventies”
Location: Fredenberg Auditorium in Salzgitter-Fredenberg
Organizer: City of Salzgitter Cultural Services Department in cooperation with IG Metall Salzgitter-Peine and the works council of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH.
Advance ticket sales: www.salzgitter.de/kulturvomamt (opens in a new tab)