Jordan: Amman Brings African-American History to Life

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 000380

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STATE FOR ECA/P/PE/CU; NEA/PPD AGNEW; NEA/PPD JACZYNKA; NEA/ELA
GREGONIS

E.O. 12958, as amended: N/A
TAGS: SCUL KPAO JO OEXC OIIP SOCI
SUBJECT: Jordan: Amman Brings African-American History to Life
Through Acclaimed Concert Series


1. Summary: Juilliard-trained, award-winning soprano Nicole Taylor
opened PA Amman's celebration of African-American History Month with
a highly-acclaimed series of concerts and workshops February 2-3.
Explaining how "beautiful things come out of ugliness," Taylor
performed African-American spirituals and folk songs for a variety
of audiences, weaving in history and culture while introducing music
new to most of her listeners. The highlight of her program was a
spell-binding performance to almost 600 people at Amman's King
Hussein Cultural Center, an event extensively and favorably covered
in the local English- and Arabic-language press. Outgoing PDO Daniel
Ernst, trained as a concert pianist, accompanied Ms. Taylor to great
acclaim. End Summary.

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This Little Light of Mine . . .
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2. To open African-American History Month, Juilliard-trained,
award-winning soprano Nicole Taylor visited Amman, Jordan, from
February 2-3 for a series of concerts and workshops. Taylor's
program of African-American spiritual music was a new addition to
the cultural menu of the Jordanian capital. During each of her
performances, she described how slavery was an ugly period during
American history, but noted that sometimes "beautiful things can
come out of ugliness." At workshops for 300 private and public high
school students at the King Hussein Cultural Center (KHCC) in Amman
and 400 students at the private King's Academy in Madaba, Taylor
gave background on slavery in the United States and explained how
modern hip-hop and other American genres were rooted in
African-American spirituals. She also gave a soulful performance of
classical opera and African-American spirituals for a high-level
audience at the Ambassador's residence, laden with enough emotion to
reduce the Jordanian Minister of Tourism to tears. On February 3
she gave a master class to voice students at the National Musical
Conservatory.

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. . . She Let it Shine
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3. The highlight of Taylor's short tour was her February 2
performance at the KHCC. PA extensively publicized the event
through its Facebook site; advertisements in local print and radio
outlets; a text message campaign; and a conference call with local
media in the days prior to the concert. A crowd of nearly 600
(capacity is 530) filled KHCC's seats, balcony and aisles to hear
Taylor sing "Joshua Fit De Battle of Jericho," "Lord, How Come Me
Here?" and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hand." Taylor also
surprised the crowd - to thunderous applause - with a selection of
three traditional Arabic songs she had prepared prior to her
arrival. Following the performance, veteran VOA/Radio Sawa
correspondent Mahmoud Zawawi told us the program "was the best you
ever organized and that I have ever attended," thanking PA Amman for
bringing this "spot of American culture to Jordan."

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Swan Song
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4. In his final program before departing for his next assignment,
outgoing PDO Daniel Ernst accompanied Ms. Taylor throughout the
program. Trained as a concert pianist, he wowed audiences with his
masterful playing.

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Media Reaction
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5. Jordanian Arabic- and English-language press extensively and
favorably covered Taylor's KHCC performance. Al-Ghad, Jordan's
leading independent Arabic-language daily, ran a February 4 article
with the headline "Nicole Taylor Ignites the Audience at Al-Hussein
Cultural Center with African Spiritual Songs." One audience member,
quoted on the Arabic-language news web site ammonnews.net, said "her
performance of African-American spirituals relayed a greatness of a
people, a culture, and a struggle that merits respect and
appreciation. Her performance was phenomenal." Jordan's official
Petra News Agency covered the event and online news site
Jordandays.tv uploaded segments of the concert during which Taylor
sang Arabic songs. International news outlets Yahoo! News and AP
also picked up the event. Following the performance, Taylor gave
exclusive interviews to Al-Arab al-Yawm, Al-Rai and Al-Ghad Arabic
dailies, and to the Star English Weekly.


6. Taylor's performance, photographically documented on the
Embassy's Facebook page, was only the beginning of a full schedule
of African-American History Month programs offered by PA Amman.
These include a discussion, in Arabic, of the works of Toni
Morrison; readings of the children's book "Black Women Freedom
Fighters" to underprivileged and refugee schoolchildren in East
Amman; performances in Amman and Irbid of the American hip-hop group

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Havikoro; a film screening at the Royal Film Commission; and a DVC
with civil rights lawyer and professor Michael Meltsner.

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