JAZZ QUARTET "THE SOUND MERCHANTS" THRILL JORDANIAN

UNCLAS AMMAN 001335 SIPDIS STATE FOR ECA/PE/C/CU (KEITH); NEA/PPD (ZAIBACK); NEA/ELA (RANA) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO OEXC SCUL JO SUBJECT: JAZZ QUARTET "THE SOUND MERCHANTS" THRILL JORDANIAN AUDIENCES IN AND OUTSIDE THE CAPITAL ¶1. SUMMARY: THE AMERICAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE "ALVIN ATKINSON AND THE SOUND MERCHANTS" PERFORMED THREE CONCERTS TO FULL-CAPACITY CROWDS DURING A VISIT TO JORDAN LAST WEEK, ENTHRALLING MORE THAN 1350 YOUNG JORDANIANS AT EACH PERFORMANCE. FROM MARCH 13 TO MARCH 18, THE JAZZ QUARTET COMPLETED A FAR-REACHING PROGRAM THAT INCLUDED EVENTS IN THREE DIFFERENT CITIES DURING SOME OF THE WORST WEATHER CONDITIONS IN RECENT MEMORY. THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM UNDERSCORED EMBASSY AMMAN'S COMMITMENT TO REACHING DIVERSE, YOUNG AUDIENCES, CONTRIBUTING TO JORDANS EXPANDING CULTURAL LIFE, SUPPORTING MPP GOALS OF PROMOTING MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND COMBATING EXTREMISM, AND EVEN CONTRIBUTING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. END SUMMARY. -------------- NEW INITIATIVES ATTRACT LARGE AUDIENCES -------------- ¶2. THE SOUND MERCHANTS, PARTICIPANTS IN THE ECA-SPONSORED "RHYTHM ROAD, AMERICAN MUSIC ABROAD," VISITED JORDAN ON A SIX DAY VISIT MARCH 13 - 18 AS PART OF THEIR MIDDLE EAST TOUR. THEIR FIRST EVENT, AN AFTERNOON CONCERT FOR STUDENTS AT THE CONSERVATIVE, SOUTHERN MU'TAH UNIVERSITY, ATTRACTED MORE THAN 400 STUDENTS AND FACULTY. THE STUDENTS, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM HAD NEVER BEEN EXPOSED TO JAZZ OR ANY LIVE WESTERN MUSIC BEFORE, APPEARED PERPLEXED INITIALLY, BUT MR. ATKINSON'S WARMTH AND SHOWMANSHIP QUICKLY WON THEM OVER. BY THE END OF THE CONCERT, STUDENTS WERE OBSERVED SWAYING TO THE MUSIC, TAKING PHOTOS, LIGHTING LIGHTERS, AND CROWDING THE STAGE AFTERWARD TO SHAKE HANDS AND OBTAIN AUTOGRAPHS FROM MUSICIANS. UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS INFORMED PA STAFF THAT THIS WAS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE STUDENTS. ¶3. THE FOLLOWING DAY, AMMAN EXPERIENCED A RARE AND HEAVY SNOWSTORM THAT CRIPPLED THE CITY, CLOSING SCHOOLS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND THE U.S. EMBASSY. UNDER THE ADVISEMENT OF THE NATIONAL MUSIC CONSERVATORY, WITH WHOM WE HAD PLANNED A WORKSHOP FOR STUDENTS THAT AFTERNOON, PA CANCELLED A SCHEDULED MASTER CLASS. HOWEVER, PA AND THE SOUND MERCHANTS DECIDED THAT "THE SHOW MUST GO ON" AND MOVED FORWARD WITH PLANS FOR AN EVENING PERFORMANCE AT AMMAN'S ZARA EXPO CENTER. TO OUR SURPRISE, NOT ONLY DID JORDAN'S HANDFUL OF COMMITTED JAZZ ENTHUSIASTS SHOW UP FOR THE EVENT, BUT A DIVERSE AUDIENCE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS ATTENDED, FILLING EVERY SEAT IN THE 350 SEAT AUDITORIUM. (NOTE: AFTER THE PAO HAD INTRODUCED THE GROUP, STATING THEY WERE SPONSORED BY THE U.S. EMBASSY, A HECKLER SEATED TOWARD THE FRONT ROSE AND DELIVERED A LOUD DIATRIBE AGAINST THE USG AND ITS POLICIES IN THE REGION, CALLING FOR THE CROWD TO BOYCOTT THE EVENT. HE WAS SOON SHOUTED DOWN BY OTHER SPECTATORS WHO CALLED FOR HIM TO BE QUIET AND LET THE SHOW BEGIN. ONCE THE HECKLER HAD BEEN ESCORTED OUT, ATKINSON PROCLAIMED THAT THE GROUP WAS THERE SIMPLY TO BUILD BRIDGES OF UNDERSTANDING THROUGH MUSIC. THE AUDIENCE GREETED THIS DECLARATION WITH A RESOUNDING OVATION. END NOTE) INDEED, THE AMMAN CROWD WAS NEARLY RAUCOUS IN ITS ENTHUSIASM AND APPLAUSE FOR THE QUARTET. ¶4. FOR THE SOUND MERCHANTS' FINAL PROGRAM DAY, PA UNDERTOOK A NEW PROGRAMMING INITIATIVE BY PARTNERING WITH USAID TO HOST A JAZZ FESTIVAL IN THE TOWN OF MADABA. APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES SOUTH OF AMMAN NEAR MOUNT NEBO, MADABA HAS BEEN TARGETED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ITS TOURISM INDUSTRY BY USAID. THE MADABA JAZZ FESTIVAL BROUGHT THE SOUND MERCHANTS TOGETHER WITH POPULAR LOCAL JORDANIAN MUSICAL GROUPS FOR A FIVE-HOUR LONG CONCERT ATTRACTING MORE THAN 600 PEOPLE AND CULMINATING IN A MOVING AND IMPROMPTU JOINT PERFORMANCE OF DUKE ELLINGTONS "CARAVAN" BY ALL THREE GROUPS. THE FESTIVAL WAS A BOON TO THE MERCHANTS AND RESTAURATEURS OF MADABA, AND MANY ATTENDEES APPROACHED AFTERWARD TO PLEAD WITH THE MUSICIANS TO RETURN NEXT YEAR FOR A "SECOND" ANNUAL MADABA JAZZ FESTIVAL. -------------- AUDIENCES UNITED BY MUSIC -------------- ¶5. AT EVERY PERFORMANCE, THE SOUND MERCHANTS SUCCEEDED AT MAKING STRONG CONNECTIONS WITH THE AUDIENCE. DESPITE THE LARGELY HOSTILE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE U.S. GOVERNMENT LOCALLY, MANY JORDANIANS WHO HAD NEVER ATTENDED AN EMBASSY-SPONSORED EVENT OR EVEN HEARD JAZZ BEFORE THANKED PA STAFF FOR BRINGING IN THE GROUP AND REACHING OUT TO THEM THROUGH CULTURAL PROGRAMS. THE VIRTUOSITY, HARMONY, PROFESSIONALISM AND STAGE PRESENCE OF THE MUSICIANS CAPTURED THE HEARTS OF ALL WHO ATTENDED THEIR CONCERTS, AND REMINDED US OF WHY CULTURAL EXCHANGE IS STILL IMPORTANT. -------------- PRESS COVERAGE -------------- ¶6. AL GHAD, AN INDEPENDENT DAILY ARABIC-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER WITH INCREASING POPULARITY, DEDICATED HALF OF THE FRONT PAGE OF ITS LIFESTYLE SUPPLEMENT TO A REPORT ABOUT THE BAND'S PERFORMANCES IN BOTH AMMAN AND MADABA. UNDER A LARGE COLOR PHOTO, THE ARTICLE WAS FEATURED WITH THE HEADLINE: "A JAZZ EVENING FOR THE AMERICAN SOUND MERCHANTS: THE SOUL OF MUSIC SUPPORTED BY THE PRAYERS OF OUR ANCESTORS." A FEW DAYS LATER, AL GHAD RAN ANOTHER ARTICLE WITH A LARGE COLOR PHOTO ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE LIFESTYLE SUPPLEMENT, BASED ON THE REPORTER'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ALVIN ATKINSON. AL RAI, THE DAILY ARABIC-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER WITH THE HIGHEST CIRCULATION IN JORDAN, FEATURED A FAVORABLE REPORT IN ITS CULTURAL NEWS PAGE WITH A COLOR PHOTO OF ATKINSON, ABOUT THE FESTIVAL IN MADABA UNDER THE HEADLINE "A JAZZ MUSIC FESTIVAL IN MADABA." AD-DUSTOUR, JORDAN'S OLDEST ARABIC DAILY NEWSPAPER WITH A WIDE NATIONAL CIRCULATION, FEATURED A REPORT ON ITS CULTURAL NEWS PAGE, WITH A COLOR PHOTO OF ATKINSON, FOCUSING ON BOTH JAZZ EVENTS. THE HEADLINE READ: "THE AMERICAN ALVIN ATKINSON BAND TAKES MUSIC TOWARD THE MAGIC OF THE EAST." -------------- IMPACT -------------- ¶7. THE SOUND MERCHANTS' VISIT TO JORDAN DEMONSTRATED EMBASSY AMMAN'S ONGOING COMMITMENT TO BRINGING AMERICAN CULTURAL EVENTS TO CULTURALLY-NEGLECTED REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY AND TO REACHING YOUNGER AND MORE DIVERSE AUDIENCES. MORE THAN 1350 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE THREE PERFORMANCES, THE MAJORITY OF THEM UNDER AGE 25. IN ADDITION TO REACHING UNUSUAL AUDIENCES, THE MADABA JAZZ FESTIVAL ALLOWED PA AND USAID TO MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH LEADERS IN THE JORDANIAN MUSIC AND EVENT-MANAGEMENT COMMUNITY AND, IN PARTNERING WITH THEM, DEMONSTRATED OUR SUPPORT FOR THEIR INITIATIVES. OVERALL, THE PROGRAM SUPPORTED MPP GOALS OF EXPANDING MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND COMBATING RADICALISM THROUGH OUTREACH. ¶8. COST-SHARE: THE SOUND MERCHANTS TRAVELED TO JORDAN AS A PART OF THEIR "RHYTHM ROAD, AMERICAN MUSIC ABROAD" TOUR, FUNDED BY AN ECA GRANT. POST SPENT USD 10,300 ON HOTELS/PER DIEM, MARKETING, PROMOTION AND RENTING FACILITIES. ¶9. AMMAN STRONGLY ENDORSES ALVIN ATKINSON AND THE SOUND MERCHANTS AND ECA'S PARTNER ORGANIZATION, JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER (JALC). JALC PROVIDED EXCELLENT GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT PRIOR TO THE SOUND MERCHANTS' ARRIVAL IN JORDAN. ADDITIONALLY, THEY SENT AN EVALUATOR TO POST, MR. BILLY BANKS, WHO SERVED IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY AND WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL. EACH MEMBER OF THE SOUND MERCHANTS, ALVIN ATKINSON, PAUL BEAUDRY, SEAN HIGGINS AND STACY DILLARD, DEMONSTRATED THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF MUSICAL TALENT. ADDITIONALLY, THEY WERE PROFESSIONAL, TIRELESS, AND FLEXIBLE WITH REGARD TO PROGRAMMING. THEY WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND TO BE SENSITIVE TO THEIR JORDANIAN HOSTS, WHILE ALSO DELIVERING WORLD-CLASS MUSICAL PERFORMANCES TIME AFTER TIME. HALE