“SERBIA, STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS. PUMP IT UP!”: Gala Opens EXIT with Song That Became Student Protest Anthem! (VIDEO)

Italian singer Gala performed at the celebratory 25th edition of the EXIT Festival.

Gala sang her biggest hit, “Freed from Desire,” a song that has become a symbol of student protests in Serbia.

At the end of her performance, she spoke in Serbian, declaring, “Srbijo, ustani za svoja prava. Pumpaj, bre” (“Serbia, stand up for your rights. Pump it up!”).

@jelena.kotlajic Gala pumpa na Exitu na srpskom: Srbijo, ustani za svoja prava i pokaži svetu da narod ima moć! ⛽️🇷🇸 #exit #pumpaj #gala #freedfromdesire ♬ original sound – Jelena Kotlajić

Following her performance, Gala took ample time to speak with media representatives.

“The Serbian audience tonight completely matches my energy. My audience is usually either very warm or completely cold. This audience is warm, but at the same time, it has a ‘fight the power’ moment. That’s usually my energy when I go on stage, so it was a powerful feeling,” Gala said.

“I feel great in Belgrade, and I felt great on stage. It was a bit frustrating that I only sang one song,” she said with a laugh.