Alain Weber | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation(s) | artistic director, musical advisor, producer |
Alain Weber is a French artistic director, musical advisor, producer and stage director. He is the artistic director of several festivals including, Sacred Spirit Festival of Jodhpur and Nagaur, the Fez World Sacred Music Festival,[1][2] Les Orientales d’Anjou Festival in Saint-Florent le Vieil and Angers and the Al Kamandjati Festival.[3] He is also the artistic director of Zaman Productions, which he set up in 2001 to promote artists and projects.[4] Alain Weber is currently the world music advisor to the Philharmonie de Paris.[5]
Weber began his career in the late 70s with the discovery of the music of Upper Egypt, where he decided to create, with the help of the Ministry of Culture (Egypt), the group, Musicians of the Nile, one of the first traditional Arab music ensembles to tour the world led by Metqal Qenawi Metqal.[6][7][8]
He has produced shows and creations in historic venues such as the Opéra Garnier in Paris, the Jardin des Tuileries, Mont Saint Michel, Bâb Makina in Fez,[9] the Mehrangargh Fort in Jodhpur, the Palais de Bettedine in Lebanon, the Carthage Festival, the Palais Hicham in Jericho, the Church of Saint Anne in Jerusalem and the Almaty Opera House in Kazakhstan.[4][10][11]
After working as a program producer for Radio France (France-Culture and France Inter) and as a music critic, he turned his attention to discovering other Eastern musical ensembles. After discovering the Roma origins of the musicians of Upper Egypt, he set off on a quest for the origins of "Gypsy" or "Roma" music, which led him to Rajasthan, where he created the Divana ensemble with Gazi Khan Barna and Anwar Khan Manganiyar.[12]
He later initiated the "Les Tsiganes du Monde" project at the Florence Festival (1991) and at the Opéra Garnier as part of the Paris Quartier d'été festival (1992), bringing together Gypsy and Roma ensembles from the Orient to Spain. This project led him to work as a musical advisor on Tony Gatlif's film "Latcho Drom" and other projects.[12][13] From 2006 to 2013, he was in charge of the programming of live shows at the musée du quai Branly.[14]
Alain Weber is also the Artistic Director of the Sacred Spirit Festival created by Maharajah Gaj Singh of Jodhpur in 2013,[15][16] and directed by his daughter, Princess Baijilal Shivranjani Rajye of Marwar and Alexandra de Cadaval.[17]
Since 2010, Alain Weber has been the artistic director of the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, where he has introduced works such as "Nuits de la médina". Based on the theme of each year's festival, these Bab Al Makina creations, in a series of scenes illustrated by mapping, put into context the diversity and richness of the world's great traditions.[18] In 2001, The festival has already been recognized by the United Nations as a major cultural event.[19]
In 1999, at the instigation of Hervé de Charette, mayor of Saint Florent-le Viel and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alain Weber created the Festival des Orientales, dedicated to the great popular traditions of the Orient and Asia.[20][21][22]
In 1994, together with Armand Amar he founded Long Distance recording label.[23]
In 2014, he produced the album "From Another World" for Buda Musique, in which traditional artists from all over the world cover Bob Dylan songs.[24]
In 1993, he was the musical advisor on Tony Gatlif's Latcho Drom.[25][26] In 1997, Tony Gatlif drew inspiration from his life, travels and professional life for his film Gadjo Dilo.[27][28]
In 2006, he directed a documentary entitled Au coeur du Nil soufi on Sufi music in Egypt.[29]
In 2016, Weber participated as a musical director on the music documentary series "Ethnopholia" for the Lebanese channel "Al Mayadeen" with Abeer Nehme.[30]