Busar Escribano
Busar Escribano | |
|---|---|
 Escribano in 1955 | |
| Born | April 22, 1898 Sobanda, Knichus |
| Died | November 16, 1961 (aged 63) Nycero, Knichus |
| Nationality | Knichan |
| Occupation | Singer, actor, public speaker, activist |
| Known for | Public advocate for the Common Axis |
Busar Escribano was a Knichan bass-baritone singer, theater and film actor, public speaker, civil rights activist, and wrestler who became famous for his public speaking and performances for the Common Axis during the Siduri War.
Escribano was born in Sobanda in southern Knichus on 22 April, 1898. He had distant Condottiero ancestry through his fathers side from where he got his surname, but he was raised in a largely Sidi community. According to his biography, Escribano was taught to sing at a young age by his grandmother, and would entertain his family on some nights with songs he had either rehearsed or invented himself. Escribanos' family moved to the outskirts of Nycero when he was 10 after his father got a job as a construction worker for the shipyards in the city. The modest income earned was enough to get Escribano through secondary schooling and into university, where Escribano thrived as a wrestler after being identified by the coaching staff as a potential athlete. Although Escribano had been described as scrawny and small as a child, he grew rapidly in his teens until he stood 1.9 meters tall and had bulked up considerably.
Escribano described wrestling as the highlight of his time at Nycero, and would later state he did not do well with his classes, although he graduated with a higher than average GPA. In 1921 however Escribano was injured while horseback riding with friends, severely damaging two of his vertebrae. The injury put an end to wrestling and would cause health problems for Escribano for the remainder of his life. Having dabbled in theater and acting during college, Escribano took up several small roles and performances in the local Nycero community to which he proved exceptionally popular, with critics and audiences praising his stage presence and oratory skills. Escribano gradually became a regular in the theater community across Knichus, appearing in several high profile productions of classic Symmerian and Sabrian plays.
During the 1920s Escribano became an outspoken supporter of the plight of the working class and commoners. He refrained from overt political alignment, an act he defended by arguing he "didn't understand the complexity of ideology" and declined to identify himself as a socialist, Marxist, or anarchist. He nevertheless was a prominent critic of wealth disparity and affluence, often filling in times between theater showings by appearing at rallies and giving public speeches extolling the plight of the common factory worker and farmer. In 1923 Escribano met Noa Monedero, an actress and singer during a production of In the Company of Myself by Erasmios of Zilde. The two quickly became a couple and remained together for six years until Monedero's death to tuberculosis in 1929, which deeply impacted Escribano; he would not hold a committed relationship for the remainder of his life.
Escribano had traveled to Ruvelka in 1931 and grew found of the country, especially of the vast mountain ranges. He was especially sympathetic to the plight of the Ruvelkan common folk and the nations' recovery from the Ruvelkan Civil War, and he dedicated several performances to the "humble Ruvelkan worker" in the years afterward. The invasion of Ruvelka in 1934 by the Inner Sphere deeply troubled Escribano, who began preceeding plays and musical appearances with requests that the audience pray for the plight of the Ruvelkan people. Following the outbreak of hostilities between the Inner Sphere and the Common Axis, Escribano attempted to enlist into the Cacertian Empire (as Knichus was part of the Empire at the time) but was turned away due to his back injury, which rendered him unable to carry a pack. Dejected, Escribano traveled to Cacerta itself hoping to pass off as a volunteer for the armed services. He failed the physical required for service and was once more frustrated by his inability to contribute to the war effort.
Escribano moved to Fumicino where he joined a local theater group that had transitioned to raising private funds for the war effort. Escribano took up the role of street caller, extolling passerby's to purchase war bonds and contribute to charity drives to raise money, often standing by a collection bin with a bell in hand. With his tall stature and baritone voice Escribano attracted much attention, especially after he began passing the time during the day by singing a mixture of traditional Sidi ballads and popular Cacertian songs. By December 1934 his actions had caught the attention of the Cacertian armed forces, who approached Escribano and offered a contract of service as a public speaker and broadcaster. Eager to do more for the war effort Escribano agreed and began doing readings over Cacertian radio. Many of these messages were general statements extolling the fighting spirit of the Common Axis forces, but as months went by Escribano began incorporating more personal touches; he would open broadcasts with a song and relay stories of his childhood interwoven into the text. Due to his tall and broad stature Escribano was often asked to pose for photographs and his likeness began appearing on propaganda posters and public awareness campaigns across the Empire and the other states of the Common Axis.
Hoping to do more, Escribano lobbied to visit the front lines and speak with troops fighting directly against the Syaran and Shirvani armies. Escribano was eventually allowed to travel to Tennai, where he visited troops fighting alongside the Tennaiite Front in November 1935. In March 1936 he visited the Quenminese Front, delighting local soldiers and civilians by reciting several traditional Quenminese songs and poems in his distinct baritone. Although initially denied owing to the fluid nature of the Mansuri Front, Escribano was eventually allowed to fly to Mansuriyyah where he met with Mansuri leaders and soldiers. Escribanos' charisma, talent, and friendly smile won many fans across Siduri, and by 1937 he was widely considered one of the public faces of the Common Axis alliance despite being neither soldier nor politician. He once more toured the front lines prior to the Liberation of Ruvelka and helped transmit news of the Treaty of Debrecen following the wars' ending before returning to Nycero to care for his mother, who passed away two years later.
Escribano declined encouragements to run for public office but remained vocally supportive of labor rights and the working class. Following the outbreak of the Liberation War in Gylias Escribano publicly supported the Free Territories and eventually traveled to Gylias to sing and speak for assemblies of the People's Army. During the second phase of the conflict he wrote several letters to Lidia Leone in an unsuccessful attempt to convince her to join the People's Army. He remained a prominent foreign supporter of the Free Territories and eventually helped to bring the Knichan government to support the People's Army with medicine, food, and eventually ammunition in their fight against Tymzar–Nalo regime.
Escribano hoped to travel to Gylias following the conclusion of the conflict in 1958, but health problems that began in 1956 persisted and prevented him from leaving Nycero. He wrote several letters to Darnan Cyras congratulating him on the victory of the People's Army and encouraging the new Gylian republic to "always place the people first". After a long battle with various ailments, Escribano died on 16 November, 1963. He was buried alongside Monedero and per his wishes most of his estate was sold off with the proceeds going to various charities and public functions. Escribano remains one of the most famous Knichans of the 20th Century; in 2008 he was voted #3 in a "Top Citizens" poll conducted by the Knichan News Agency, and several public places, schools, and parks have been named after him.