USIA Photo Gallery: Jazz Ambassadors

USIA - KENNEDY CENTER JAZZ AMBASSADORS TOUR OVERSEAS

Melba Joyce
(Washington, D.C.)

Brief descriptions of
tour stops in:
Angola
Cameroon
Nigeria

September 22-27 Angola
THE VISIT TO LUANDA BY VOCALIST MELBA JOYCE AND GUITARIST GEARY MOORE DEMONSTRATED IN THREE PERFORMANCES FOR THREE UNIQUE AUDIENCES AT THREE DIFFERENT SITES THAT THEY ARE EXTREMELY TALENTED INTERPRETERS OF AMERICAN JAZZ. THEIR RENDITIONS OF MANY OF THE STANDARDS WERE ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECEIVED BY AUDIENCES, WHO ALSO RESPONDED WARMLY TO THE DUO'S FRIENDLY AND WINNING CHARM. THE TWO PROFESSIONALS PUT THE BEST OF AMERICAN MUSIC AND HUMANITY ON FULL DISPLAY. NOT ONLY ARE THEY SUPERB MUSICIANS, THEY ARE WONDERFUL HUMAN BEINGS. THEIR ENTHUSIASTIC EMBRACE OF ANGOLAN CULTURE, ITS ARTISTIC TRADITIONS AND ITS PEOPLE WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE, AND LEFT A VERY POSITIVE IMPRESSION. THEIR OBVIOUS LOVE FOR THEIR MUSIC ALSO SHOWED THROUGH THEIR PRESENTATIONS, AS DID THEIR SENSE OF HUMOR, THEIR EASY MANNER AND THEIR EASY-GOING WAY. THEY TRULY EMBODY THE SPIRIT OF AMBASSADORS FOR THE UNITED STATES.

September 27 - October 2 Cameroon
CAPACITY AUDIENCES ATTENDED SHOWS IN CAMEROON'S THREE MAJOR CITIES, BAMENDA, YAOUNDE AND DOUALA, PERFORMANCES LABELED "THRILLING" AND "SMASHING." ON MELBA'S BIRTHDAY, AN AUDIENCE SANG "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" TO HER TWICE -- BEFORE HER PERFORMANCE AND AT THE POST CONCERT RECEPTION WHERE SHE CUT HER BIRTHDAY CAKE. THE DUO WORKED HARD TO ILLUSTRATE THE DIVERSITY OF THE AMERICAN CULTURE, SHARE WHAT THEY CALLED "MODERN AFRICAN MUSIC" WITH CAMEROONIAN PEOPLE, CONVEY THE MESSAGE OF LOVE AND PEACE TO AFRICA, AND TAKE BACK TO THE U.S. THE EXPERIENCE THEY SHARED WITH OTHER AFRICAN ARTISTS.

October 2-14 Nigeria
THE DUO PERFORMED IN LAGOS AND IBADAN IN THE SOUTHWEST, PORT HARCOURT AND ENUGU IN THE SOUTHEAST, AND ABUJA, ZARIA, AND KADUNA IN THE NORTH. MELBA JOYCE AND GEARY MOORE PROVED CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONALS, EXCITED TO BE IN NIGERIA AT SUCH A MOMENTOUS TIME, PROJECTING THE HONESTY, ENTHUSIASM, AND TALENT.

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(Washington, D.C.)	Brief descriptions of tour stops in: Angola Cameroon Nigeria
September 22-27 Angola THE VISIT TO LUANDA BY VOCALIST MELBA JOYCE AND GUITARIST GEARY MOORE DEMONSTRATED IN THREE PERFORMANCES FOR THREE UNIQUE AUDIENCES AT THREE DIFFERENT SITES THAT THEY ARE EXTREMELY TALENTED INTERPRETERS OF AMERICAN JAZZ. THEIR RENDITIONS OF MANY OF THE STANDARDS WERE ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECEIVED BY AUDIENCES, WHO ALSO RESPONDED WARMLY TO THE DUO'S FRIENDLY AND WINNING CHARM. THE TWO PROFESSIONALS PUT THE BEST OF AMERICAN MUSIC AND HUMANITY ON FULL DISPLAY. NOT ONLY ARE THEY SUPERB MUSICIANS, THEY ARE WONDERFUL HUMAN BEINGS. THEIR ENTHUSIASTIC EMBRACE OF ANGOLAN CULTURE, ITS ARTISTIC TRADITIONS AND ITS PEOPLE WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE, AND LEFT A VERY POSITIVE IMPRESSION. THEIR OBVIOUS LOVE FOR THEIR MUSIC ALSO SHOWED THROUGH THEIR PRESENTATIONS, AS DID THEIR SENSE OF HUMOR, THEIR EASY MANNER AND THEIR EASY-GOING WAY. THEY TRULY EMBODY THE SPIRIT OF AMBASSADORS FOR THE UNITED STATES. September 27 - October 2 Cameroon CAPACITY AUDIENCES ATTENDED SHOWS IN CAMEROON'S THREE MAJOR CITIES, BAMENDA, YAOUNDE AND DOUALA, PERFORMANCES LABELED "THRILLING" AND "SMASHING." ON MELBA'S BIRTHDAY, AN AUDIENCE SANG "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" TO HER TWICE -- BEFORE HER PERFORMANCE AND AT THE POST CONCERT RECEPTION WHERE SHE CUT HER BIRTHDAY CAKE. THE DUO WORKED HARD TO ILLUSTRATE THE DIVERSITY OF THE AMERICAN CULTURE, SHARE WHAT THEY CALLED "MODERN AFRICAN MUSIC" WITH CAMEROONIAN PEOPLE, CONVEY THE MESSAGE OF LOVE AND PEACE TO AFRICA, AND TAKE BACK TO THE U.S. THE EXPERIENCE THEY SHARED WITH OTHER AFRICAN ARTISTS. October 2-14 Nigeria THE DUO PERFORMED IN LAGOS AND IBADAN IN THE SOUTHWEST, PORT HARCOURT AND ENUGU IN THE SOUTHEAST, AND ABUJA, ZARIA, AND KADUNA IN THE NORTH. MELBA JOYCE AND GEARY MOORE PROVED CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONALS, EXCITED TO BE IN NIGERIA AT SUCH A MOMENTOUS TIME, PROJECTING THE HONESTY, ENTHUSIASM, AND TALENT.

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