Fundação Oriente recently organised the 16th edition of the Monte Music Festival – from
February 2 to 4, 2018 – at the Capela da Nossa Senhora do Monte, Old Goa. The
festival presents Indian and Western Classical concerts over the span of three
days. Though the curtains have come down on this year’s event, the preparations
for the next annual extravaganza have already started. One of the most
anticipated music festivals, the expectation of the audience is upped every
year with outstanding performances.
Maria Inês Figueira, Director of Fundação
Oriente – India, has just returned from Mumbai after accompanying Pedro
Moutinho and musicians for their performance there, as part of the 30th
anniversary celebrations of Fundação Oriente. “We strive to get at least one
act from Portugal to perform at the Monte Music Festival as the Fundação
Oriente in Lisbon is working closely with Portuguese artistes. All the
performances that have come from Portugal have performed only once in Goa, most
of them for the first time in India,” says Inês.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Prior to her work with Fundação Oriente,
Inês, whose from Lisbon, Portugal, has worked as a cultural programmer in
Europe, organising shows, festivals and exhibitions. She has been living in Goa
for the last seven years. She has witnessed the festival as part of the
audience and was part of organising it for the first time in 2015, when she
took over as the Director of Fundação Oriente – India.
“We start planning the next annual event
as soon as this year’s concert is over. We have to send in our proposal to the
board in Lisbon by August and after receiving their approval, we start
contacting the artistes on their arrangements and dates. The budget is also an
important part of the planning; the overall concert should be feasible while
deciding on the performances. We select groups for both Indian and Western
classical music and we give importance to local, national and international
musicians to showcase their talent at the festival,” she explains.
The audience is also given equal weightage when it comes to putting
the program together. “We receive feedback from the audience in the form of
calls and messages, which is outstanding and very rewarding. The Fado concert
on Sunday was a full house and a lot of people didn’t mind standing for the
concert. Their expectations are high and the quality of Western classical music
has also increased through the years,” she adds.
Speaking
about how the festival takes a lead among the other musical festivals that are
held in February, Inês says, “Since we have been organising the Monte Music
Festival for the last 16 years, we are well established and the audience from
Delhi and Mumbai come down especially for the festival. It is very interesting
to see so many music festivals and people can choose what festivals they would like
to attend and are more exposed to music and its experience. We are not in any
competition as the festivals are well planned and timed, without overlapping
each other. It is an advantage to the public.”
