Just last week I had the pleasure of having a work interview with hallowed musician/producer Emil Montgomery. Montgomery is a legendary figure that managed to gather the largest crowd in any show in Uruguay ever – over 300,000 people attended his “Concert for Tolerance and the Environment” in 1995.
At the end of the conversation, I was invited by him to join his current project, FAROSUR. Acting as a biographer for now on, my job is to set down the story of this project in words for all to read.
Emil (who is a UNESCO and UNICEF ambassador) defines the whole initiative as “the project of his life”. FAROSUR is a collective of artists that convey ethical values such as peace, tolerance and respect via live performances that combine music and visual arts, along with many different workshops. The first performance (or “pulse”) was held about this time last year, and the next one is happening in a couple of months.
Personally, to be involved in a project of this scope is the ultimate distinction. All the people who are part of FAROSUR subscribe to the very same belief, that of art being a catalyst for positive change, and a medium which brings out the best in people. As someone who believes in the therapeutic qualities of art in general (and music in particular), having the chance to chronicle such a project is nothing short of a blessing.
Artists involved in FAROSUR include Japanese composer Kitaro, and American composer Suzanne Ciani, along with countless Uruguayan and Argentinean performers of renown.
I’ll keep you posted on the evolution of this project both on MusicKO, and on my personal blog (emilioperezmiguel.com). There is a fascinating story unfolding here, and I’ll make sure to tell it as vividly and faithfully as it deserves to be told.
