Guy Ben Shimon, a 24-year-old singer and composer from Oranit, who survived the massacre at the Nova music party, composed a song called ‘Despite All,’ which he dedicates to the memory of the late Inbar Haiman, who was kidnapped from the party and murdered by Hamas.
Guy met Inbar at around four o'clock in the morning at the Nova music party and there was an immediate connection between them. They had a very intense and interesting conversation, which lasted for several hours, until the rockets started falling and they had to separate and look for a place to hide.
The last thing Inbar said to Guy was: “Guy’chuk, don't forget that despite everything, life is beautiful.” This phrase kept running through his mind until he started writing this song. When he finished writing it, together with Rom Sopravski, it was clear to him that the song would be called "Despite All" and that it was written in memory of Inbar Haiman.
On that terrible morning, Guy was at the party and when the commotion started, he also ran away. He was driving on Route 232 and was almost murdered. The vehicle he was traveling in exploded, and he saw people shot, wounded falling next to him, and as he continued to run the bullets screeched over his head.
He experienced his own personal miracle, when he hid behind a bush and heard gunshots from everywhere. With an inexplicable inner feeling he decided to lower his head and at that very moment a bullet passed 15 centimeters above his forehead. If he hadn't moved his head, the bullet would probably have hit him. Somehow, he managed to escape from there physically, but a large part of him has mentally and emotionally remained there.
The song is accompanied by a powerful music video directed by Maor Benezri, that conveys the storm of emotions Guy has suffered from since that tragic Saturday. The video also contains clips of selfies taken that morning and voice recordings of other survivors from the party.
"In the last three months my life has been turned upside down," he says. "Several times a day I hold my head and try to understand how I stayed alive, and others didn't. I know it's a privilege and I want to use it to do good things and touch people with my music.”
“In 'Despite All,’ I exposed my heart as bare as possible and I want to commemorate Inbar in it. The last sentence she said to me is a testament that I have to fulfill. I want to thank all the people who took part in this project, so that the song reaches and touches as many hearts as possible. And ‘despite all, remember that life is beautiful ... look for the beauty in everything.’”
Inbar Haiman was kidnapped from the Nova music party and murdered after a few months. There is no doubt that if she had stayed alive, she and Guy would have become good friends. May her memory be a blessing.