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Eastern lutes

As the instrument-king of Arab music, the ud preserves a long tradition that reaches right back to Babylon. For a long time, the delicate sounding, short-necked lute was restricted to the role of vocal accompaniment, before it became a full-blown solo instrument. Since the start of the twentieth century, a number of great performers have contributed to the development of its full range of expressive possibilities. This ud festival presents some of the best contemporary players, women and men. Through the diversity of their styles and repertoires, these inspired artists invite us to discover the thousand perfumes of an East that is constantly reinvented.

Laurent Aubert