Another IMC Productions event: American Culture Ambassador Mary McBRide Concert Kiev Istanbul ART IN EMBASSIES connection...

Described on the HDI website: http://thehdi.org/cultural_diplomacy/mary_mcbride_azerbaijani_march_2014.html

The Humpty Dumpty Institute sponsored its fourth Music program of 2014 with The Mary McBride Band arriving in Baku, Azerbaijan on Monday, March 24. The group began its tour with a briefing by U.S. Embassy staff, a walk through the pedestrian areas and the waterfront in downtown Baku, and dinner at a traditional Azerbaijani restaurant, Firuza. ...

That evening, they performed their first concert at the Baku Jazz Center. The concert was attended by U.S. Ambassador Richard Morningstar and his wife Faith Morningstar, special guests and the general public. ..The following day the band traveled 200 miles from Baku to Sheki, a small city in northern Azerbaijan on the southern part of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, and performed at the Sheki State Drama Theater.

The band then traveled to Zaqatala, northwest of Sheki on the Tala River. The band and the Embassy staff drove through the mountains and cinematic scenes of trout farms and operating convents, which could be seen by the roadside. Upon their arrival at Zaqatala, they were met at the theater by the town's cultural director, who took them on a short walk through the 19th century town center, and through the ruins of an amazing 7th century Albanian church. The band played a concert to a sold-out, all-ages audience and was thrilled to be able to play music afterward with the Azeri musicians who were also in attendance. The following day the band drove to Barda, and played at a school in a village called Güloğlular.

The Embassy had learned about the school through Peace Corps volunteers who were working with students there, and arranged to have the group visit the school and play a short concert followed by tea prepared by the school staff. Kathy LaVista, one of the Peace Corps volunteers, wrote about the day in the AZLander, the Peace Corps-Azerbaijan publication:

"The band and PCVs jump into a van and we convoy to the village, following the cars with the education director, Excomm, secretaries and various other official looking people.There are a hundred schoolchildren in the yard holding signs and flowers and chanting,"Mareee, Mar-eee." The school director is there with her grown children who help us translate during our clubs, and all of the teachers are there along with parents, grandparents, and other villagers…After a short welcome speech by one of the children, a circle is formed and the Hokey Pokey finally happens. There is lots of laughter, especially when we "shake ourwhole selves all about." It's still a pretty conservative group out here, and it is fun to see the children loosen up a little and play with adults.The kids sing a couple of songs for the band, the band and the kids play Red Rover, and then the band sings a couple of songs for the kids. Afterwards, the children head home, and the adults sit at a beautifully set table outside near the trees, and we are graciously served samovar chai and cakes by the parents and faculty.A couple of reasonably short speeches are made commenting on the beauty of Mary McBride's voice and thanking the band for coming."

Following the tour, Mary McBride wrote to the school Director....

...On their final morning, the group had breakfast with U.S. Ambassador Morningstar and his wife Faith, who gave them a tour of their home and their art collection which they have assembled as part of their Art in Embassies Exhibition. In their exhibition catalogue, Ambassador and his wife wrote, "We chose Relationships as the theme of our Art in Embassies exhibition to recognize what is surely the most passionately felt issue in the hearts of Azerbaijanis today: the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the troubled relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijani.... We dedicate our exhibition to the Azerbaijani people, in support of the hopes, prayers and hard work we share as we join them in their search for a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."