ORIENT(S)
The 19th edition of the 38e Rugissants sets its eyes on the Near and Middle East, from North Africa to Mashriq, through artistic and musical dialogs and creations, along with gatherings and forums for sharing. These meetings, albeit small in scale, bear stark contrast to the total breakdown in communication between West and East, illustrated daily in media reports on current world events.
They illustrate diverse themes ranging from the myth of Gilgamesh to the invasion of Iraq, from Jewish, Christian and Muslim tales to the war in Lebanon, from the Sufi dance and music of music of today to the memory of Armenia. In these unique meetings between the Near and Middle East, Africa and India, each song, composition and performance brings a current perspective to a piece of the East, through artists rooted and active in today’s world.
Whether drawing heavily upon tradition or contemporary writing and technology, or a blend of the two, their musical language illustrates an irrepressible desire to bear witness to and understand the Near and Middle East, both real and imagined, rich and complex, that is at the very heart of current world affairs.
Benoit Thiebergien |
