THE ORIENTALS

• “Willingly subversive amongst his own and rebelling against every traditional custom, the ethnographer appears respectful to the point of conservatism, as soon as the envisaged society is deemed to be different to his own”.

This reflection from Claude Lévi-Strauss, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday, is far from being devoid of sense. After the calling into question of a society deemed fixed in its social, moral and religious conventions, this fascination appeared for societies that attempt to preserve an oral heritage of identity when faced with the tidal wave of globalisation.

Antagonism and schizophrenia inhabit those passionate about the Orient, fascinated as much by the coarse monotonous chants of a vielle from the desert as by the feats of their iPhone.

Despite all of this nobody is deceived; the traditional world marginalised by ours, a consuming idolatry, first and foremost fuels, from the desert of Rajasthan to the shores of the Mediterranean, the imagery of the tourism industry and travel agents.

Festival Évora Classica, – THE ORIENTALS - always on the lookout for other worlds proposes another way of hearing and comprehending the world of music.

Music for many cultures is more than just entertainment and carries in it the deep roots of emotion and spirituality, of rituals and of the everyday.

The music we present to you in our festival is indeed festive and jovial but it also gives an account of the great oral civilisation, of the diversity of human artistic expression and of the authenticity of a way of life where nature still has a meaning.

As such Festival Évora Classica – THE ORIENTALS- is one of these rare festivals in Portugal to offer shows that, like this city, are part of the world’s heritage; artistic expression, which soon may have disappeared entirely.

Once again this year the festival, in its warm and traditional role, will invite the public on a journey from the heart of Asia all the way to the Mediterranean.