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PAO Scott Rauland (1st from left), Minister Counselor for Public Affairs Anne Chermak (2nd) and Afghanistan's Ambassador to Germany Maliha Zulfacar (4th) with the musicians
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February 6, 2007. The Orient Palace in Frankfurt was the scene of a unique concert February 6 that brought together some of Afghanistan's top musicians to perform with American and British jazz musicians. The event was attended by Afghanistan's Ambassador to Germany, Maliha Zulfacar, who called the concert "an excellent way to create a positive image of Afghan culture."
Since the fall of the Taliban, arts and culture in Afghanistan have undergone a major revival. The Ghulam Hussain Ensemble returned to Kabul from exile in Pakistan in early 2002, where they have been able to reclaim their mantle as the foremost exponents of Afghan classical and traditional music in the country. The Ensemble was chosen to collaborate in 'Jazz Bridges Afghanistan', an innovative project combining traditional Afghan musicians with American and British jazz musicians, by Kabul’s Foundation for Culture and Civil Society.
This unique cross-cultural collaboration was the brainchild of American Voices' John Ferguson who describes the project as "a groundbreaking moment in the recent history of Afghan music." Continuing a series of performance and recording projects begun in Burma, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, the project brought together American Voices Pianist and Executive Director, John Ferguson, Mike Del Ferro Jazz Trio and vocalist CoCo York, a recording technician and two groups of Afghan traditional musicians (playing the Tabla, Dilruba, Rhubab, Tablas and Harmonium) and pop musicians for three concerts broadcast on national television and recorded for release in January 2006. These were the first concerts by American artists for the Afghan public in over twenty-five years.
Audio Features: Listen to excerpts of the concert! | Song 2 | Song 3 | Song 4 | Download as podcast
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