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Karachi, June 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): The U.S. Consulate General in Karachi joined the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in hosting a special musical performance in honour of World Music Day. Students joined performing artists and American diplomats in celebrating the unique contribution that American jazz has made to world music. The Consul General also inaugurated the opening of the “Duke Ellington Remembered” poster exhibition which will be on display at NAPA through June 28.
“Jazz is a universal, living art form that can bring people and cultures together,” said U.S. Consul General Michael Dodman. “We are happy to have a chance to come together today to celebrate the contributions of Duke Ellington and enjoy jazz interpretations by local musicians,” he added.
Since the 1950s, the U.S. Department of State has promoted understanding of American culture by dispatching jazz musicians around the world. The first group toured the Middle East and Southern Europe in 1956. It was a hit with local audiences who, for the first time, saw the democratic style of jazz music in America that pulled from America’s diversity.
Throughout the Cold War, jazz was a major component of America’s cultural diplomacy abroad. World Music Day began in France in 1982 as “Fête de la Musique.” Today it is celebrated globally and in many different languages and musical forms. It is an opportunity for people from around the world to come together to appreciate each other’s musical traditions.
To learn more about the early history of America’s Jazz Ambassadors in the 1950s, please visit: http://www.meridian.org/jazzambassadors/
For additional information about cultural events organized in partnership with the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, please join our community at www.facebook.com/karachi.usconsulate.
For more information, contact:
Mushtaque A. Rajpar
Information Specialist
Office of Public Affairs
Plot No 3-5, TPX Area, Mai Kolachi Road
Consulate General of United Sates of America
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Phone 021-35275453
Fax: 021-35275985
Cell Phone: 92-300-2022-462
Email: rajparma@state.gov