Manama Requests Participation in the 2009 Rhythm Road

UNCLAS MANAMA 000641 SIPDIS STATE FOR ECA/PE/C/CU/N (C. Barrosse; R. Keith); NEA/PPD (P. Agnew); R; NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OEXC SCUL KPAO BA SUBJECT: Manama Requests Participation in the 2009 Rhythm Road American Music Abroad Program REF: STATE 090853 ¶1. (U) Summary. Embassy Manama requests participation in the Rhythm Road American Music Abroad Program. Preferred dates are between mid-March to early-April 2009, to coincide with the annual cultural festival hosted by the Bahraini Directorate of Culture and National Heritage. Preferred music style is Bluegrass, Cajun, or Zydeco. In addition to a national performance at the Cultural Hall (the national theater),PAS will program the group with a variety of key mission contacts, including youth organizations, USG program alumni, universities and public/private schools, and local musicians. The priority objective of the program is to promote post's MSP goal of promoting mutual understanding through U.S. culture. End Summary ¶2. Embassy Manama requests participation in the Rhythm Road program. Below are the program details, per reftel instructions: -- Preferred Music Style: Bluegrass. Alternatively Cajun or Zydeco. -- Preferred Time Frame: Mid-March to early-April. Program length will be 3 days. -- Priority Objectives: The program will contribute to post's efforts to reach out to young Bahraini audiences and promote mutual understanding. If the program occurs in the mid-March to mid-April timeframe, it would complement other PAS programming during Bahrain's annual "Spring of Culture" festival. -- Audiences: The program will focus on several different types of audiences, including Sunni and Shi'a youth populations. Linking the program to Bahrain's annual cultural festival will afford it wide exposure in local and regional media. -- Possible Venues: Post will program the Rhythm Road musicians into the Cultural Hall for a national performance. Other potential venues include the University of Bahrain, Shaikh Ebrahim Cultural Center in Muharraq, and workshops/performances at public/private schools. Possible local program partners include the Directorate of Culture and National Heritage, the Bahrain-U.S. Exchange Alumni Association, the Bahrain Youth Forum Society, and Al-Muntada Cultural Society. -- Possible Venue Cities: The group will be programmed throughout the capital city of Manama and its surrounding areas. ¶3. Post is interested in jointly programming the group with other posts in the region and prefers the mid-March to early-April timeframe referenced in para. 2, as it coincides with Bahrain's annual cultural festival. Post has been approached by the Directorate of Cultural and National Heritage with a specific request to bring a musical group to Bahrain during the festival. The timeframe also allows post to program the group into various youth organizations, universities and schools during the academic year, complementing their music and American society curriculum. ¶4. Post requests relevant specifics on the group selected at the earliest possible date. Information requested includes group size and composition (with biographical information),performance specifications and equipment requirements, artwork for promotional posters, a sample CD, print-ready photographs, and any other information that is available. ¶5. Post's POC for this program is: David Edginton, Deputy Public Affairs Officer +973-3996-5017 edgintondc@state.gov HENZEL