United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken launched the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative on Wednesday, September 27. The initiative has been launched as an effort to elevate music as a diplomatic tool for promoting peace and democracy as well as to support the broader foreign policy goals of the United States, according to an official statement of the US Department of State.

Sharing about the launch event, the US Secretary of State posted a video of him singing and playing the guitar.

“I couldn’t pass up tonight’s opportunity to combine music and diplomacy. Was a pleasure to launch the State Department’s new Global Music Diplomacy Initiative,” Secretary of State Blinken tweeted.

I couldn’t pass up tonight’s opportunity to combine music and diplomacy. Was a pleasure to launch @StateDept’s new Global Music Diplomacy Initiative. pic.twitter.com/6MUfTXO9xK

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 28, 2023

In the three-minute and 57-second video, Blinken was seen singing the 1954 song Hoochie Coochie Man, which was written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Muddy Waters. The song is primarily a reference to the hoodoo folk magic elements.

Meanwhile, the launch event which was organised at the Department of State in Washington DC was joined by the CEO of Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr.; the global head of music for YouTube and Google, Lyor Cohen; and the chairman of the board at The John F Kennedy Center, David M Rubenstein.

Besides the US Secretary of State Blinken, the event also featured live performances by Jamie Barton, Gayle, Aimee Mann, DJ 2-Tone, LADAMA and Herbie Hancock among many others.

As per the official statement, this initiative targets to leverage public-private partnerships for creating a music ecosystem that can expand on economic equity and also on the grounds of creativity. This initiative will ensure societal opportunities as well.

The Global Music Diplomacy Initiative also included the American Music Mentorship Programme, which is a partnership between the US Department of State and the Recording Academy. It aims to bring international mid-career music professionals including musical artists, to the US for mentorship and networking opportunities. This mentorship will primarily aim to create support for creative talent and strengthen the creative economy globally.

In addition to the mentorship programme, the initiative also includes the Fulbright Programme which is a US flagship international academic exchange initiative. This has been established in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts to offer new fellowship opportunities for foreign scholars.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)

First Published:Sept 28, 2023 11:38 AM IST