The head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken launched this week a “ Music Diplomacy Initiative » with the aim of promoting United States foreign policy through music.
As part of this original initiative, the United States will send renowned artists to the Middle East in the fall, as well as a major classical orchestra to China. Thus, pianist and keyboardist Herbie Hancock, accompanied by jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Jazz Ensemble of the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), will perform in Jordan in October, in memory of the historic concert that Duke Ellington’s orchestra gave in 1963 at the Roman Theater in Amman.
Herbie Hancock’s tour will continue in Saudi Arabia for 4 days of concerts. A first as the United States supports the Saudi ally in an attempt at historic rapprochement with Israel despite differences.
The Philadelphia Orchestra, the first American orchestra to play in China
At the same time, around fifteen musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra, the group directed by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, will perform in several Chinese cities (Beijing, Tianjin, Suzhou and Shanghai) from November 9 to 18, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its historic tour in 1973, the first in China for an American orchestra, a year after a trip by Richard Nixon to Beijing. Davyd Booth A violinist who took part in this tour will be there.
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Everything fits into this new “ Music Diplomacy Initiative » launched by the head of American diplomacy, himself an amateur guitarist and who had fun playing a few notes of Muddy Waters during a ceremony Wednesday evening at the State Department.
The objective: to put music at the service of the ambitions of American diplomacy and to promote cultural exchanges. This initiative plans other series of exchanges and musical collaborations, including the sending of hip hop artists to Nigeria in September.
Philippe Gault (with AFP)
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2023-09-29 05:00:00
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