THE NIGHT OF THE MUSTACHES

In addition to bringing together technical skills, any work team, to be strong and reliable, benefits from the sharing of human values among its members. Mutual respect is essential, but extensions of that respect – such as friendship or camaraderie – have the potential to help solidify the group spirit. And thus, naturally, space arises for jokes and symbolic gestures that, rather than diverting workers’ focus, make the machine even more well-oiled and finely tuned.

One such gesture took place within the technical team of Casa da Música, set against the backdrop of the 2010 São João Concert. The stage manager of our Symphony Orchestra, which stepped onto the esplanade’s proscenium to open the night before a packed square of excited people, was Mr. Luís Faria – the longest-serving professional in his role in the country. Admired by all, he was about thirty years older than his department colleagues and, in some way, the standard- bearer of a work ethic where responsibility and a sense of humor blended synergistically, as they still do today.

Luís Faria’s trademark was his mustache. So, one of the technicians came up with the idea of paying him a tribute. He challenged the others to shave their beards and appear that evening – all of them, both those on duty and those off duty – wearing mustaches. That night, which also featured performances by Trabalhadores do Comércio and Blind Zero, everyone showed up with mustaches. And so it happened, to the genuine delight of the veteran, who did not want the trace of this playful moment to fade with time and ensured its posterity with a photograph.

A man of many talents – one of those who seem skilled at everything and are always ready to help their friends – Luís Faria is remembered with deep fondness. Two years after retiring, after leaving a gap in the team, he passed away. He was never forgotten, as this small text attests, and the legendary “Night of the Mustaches” went down in Casa da Música’s history. A simple episode, a mere fait divers, one might say, yet one that encapsulates the human essence of a true team.