Alèmu Aga em Lisboa e Porto

"But there is one instrument which is unique to Ethiopia it is the begena. The begena is a big lyre, something like one-and-a-half meters. This instrument used to be played by the nobility, by priests and learned people. It was high society. You could not say that a begena player was an azmari. This was an instrument related to religion and nobility. Nowadays the nobility has disappeared, but the begena continues to be played. It was almost destroyed during the revolutionary period because precisely it was related to the nobility which the revolution had abolished, and related to the church, which the Stalinest government did not encourage. So , it has come back slowly through brilliant exponents like Alèmu Aga for instance. And nowadays, for the most important religious period of the year, like Christmas, Easter, the radio plays extensively this type of music. But it is not the kind of music you can play during the mass at the church. It is not the type of music you can play in the church. It is played in religious contexts, but it is not an instrument of the church."
(Francis Falceto, o criador da série de discos "Ethiopiques", na editora Buda Musique)

O Maria Matos, em Lisboa, e a Culturgest, no Porto, vão receber nas próximas quinta e sexta-feira, respectivamente, Alèmu Aga, mestre na interpretação da begena, uma lira etíope que, no folclore local, se acredita ser a famosa harpa do Rei David. Vêm aí, pela mão da Filho Único, dois serões imperdíveis de música de celebração popular cristã, meditativa até mesmo para ateus. Ambos os espectáculos começam às 22h e a entrada custa 10€ no Maria Matos (5€ para os sub-30) e 5€ na Culturgest do Porto (NOTA: Foram repostos os valores originalmente publibicados aqui, desfazendo-se assim a correcção desnecessária. ESTES SÃO OS VALORES DEFINITIVOS).

(Para quem quiser saber mais da colecção "Ethiopiques" e da música e história da Etiópia, fica aqui o link para a magnífica entrevista a Francis Falceto, que também estará por cá nos próximos dias, da qual se cita as palavras no início desta postagem. Obrigado, Pedro!)