Name: Michael Orlove
Job: Program Director, for the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs
Years: 8
Q. You’d originally planned on bringing hundreds of foreign musicians to Chicago for the World Music Festival. How did the [Sept. 11] terrorist attacks change things?
A. Until [Sept. 13] we were not really sure that we were going to have it. We decided as a committee unanimously that it’s an event that should take place and a lot of people might need uplifting. Once we made that adjustment to move forward on things, it’s becoming very real that the festival stands at the fate of every hour’s event. We might have a great festival, we might have a smaller festival than we planned.
Q. Are you going to lose performers because of air travel restrictions?
A. We’ve already lost seven groups, and the number could grow. There are some groups that are in the United States already and are within driving distance, but we can’t tell how many we’ll get in here. It’s impossible to tell how badly we’re going to be affected by a complete shutdown of flights for two and a half days. Some groups are scared to come to the festival, out of fear of what will happen when the United States decides to retaliate. Some don’t have visas, and they’re not processing visas at this time.
Q. What kind of extra work do you now have to do to make the festival happen?
A. There’s the regular work that we have to do if this horrific event hadn’t happened. [Program associate] Michelle Collopy and I have to put together a master transportation schedule. Once the artists arrive here, someone’s got to pick them up, take them to the hotel, hotel to the venue, back to the hotel, back to the airport. Now we’re trying to get people on different flights, we’re trying to fax letters to embassies to speed up the process of people getting their exit visas, changing hotels around because people are going to be coming in at different times now, having to deal with having a put-together festival.
Q. At a time like this, how important is the festival as a means of promoting understanding and respect of different cultures?
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A. I think it is more emphasized. Especially with what’s going on in the aftermath, when we have Americans beating on Americans because of their racial or ethnic identity. One of the reasons we started the festival was giving Chicagoans a better understanding of their neighbors, not just music around the world but cultures around the world and the meaning of those cultures. We have a very big problem of people not understanding people that might look different or sound different or wear different clothes. Maybe our festival can minimize it a fraction, so that you don’t feel uncomfortable when you see someone on the street who looks different from you and you can relate to that person and vice versa, as well as people having a good time and being able to pick themselves up a little.
Q. Are increased security precautions going to cause problems for the festival’s musicians?
A. We don’t know yet. I don’t know what travel restrictions are yet. I don’t know how different it’s going to be to bring your guitar or your drums through the airport. Before this madness took place, musicians from Arab countries and from African countries were definitely treated with a higher level of security than somebody like you or I, and now that’s going to be increased. I think we’re kidding ourselves if we didn’t think that the groups from Algeria and Egypt didn’t experience a greater level of suspicion.
Q. You’re referring to your closing night acts, Khaled and Hakim. Will they still be able to perform?
A. Until they are sitting at their hotel in Chicago, I’m not counting on anything happening. [Khaled and Hakim later canceled their appearances at the Festival.]
Q. Have you been in touch with the performers?
A. I’ve spoken with almost everybody. Everybody’s completely shocked. The first question is usually, are you OK, is everybody you know OK. The second question is, are you going to go ahead with the festival? I would say the majority of people want to come and want to play and want to make Americans feel good.
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World Music Festival Chicago 2001 is scheduled to take place through Sept. 30. For more information, call 312-742-1938 or visit online at www.cityofchicago.org/WorldMusic/