25 October 2005
New Orleans Musicians Embark on International Thank You Tour
Jazz groups to show United States' appreciation for hurricane aid
Washington -- Seven weeks ago, jazz trumpeter John Brunious, 65, lost everything he owned to Hurricane Katrina. Rescued by motorboat as floodwaters swallowed his New Orleans home, he spent four days hungry, thirsty and sleeping on the floor of the city's convention center before being bused to evacuation centers in Texas and Arkansas.
Now, Brunious, with borrowed trumpet in hand, has joined fellow members of the renowned Preservation Hall Jazz Band in a triumphant tour to thank countries and individual citizens that generously provided aid to the American people in the wake of the Katrina disaster.
The Preservation Hall Band is one of five groups of musicians affected by Katrina who are slated to perform in 15 countries that offered assistance to hurricane victims. The performances are part of New Orleans Jazz Heritage Tours, sponsored by the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and Jazz at Lincoln Center, a program associated with the Lincoln Center performing arts complex in New York City.
The Jazz Heritage Tours are among several programs the U.S. State Department is developing to support directly cultural institutions throughout the storm-affected region, according to Dina Powell, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs. (See “New Orleans: The City That Gave Us Jazz.”)
Preservation Hall inaugurated the jazz project with performances in Paris and Orleans, France, October 20 and October 21 to acknowledge the historically close ties between that country and the city of New Orleans, as well as France's support following the hurricane.
The French government has shipped more than 20 tons of food, shelters, supplies and emergency equipment to New Orleans and has sent military personnel with expertise in underwater engineering to help rehabilitate port facilities.
French nongovernmental organizations have dispatched firefighters, communications experts and health personnel to New Orleans, while private firms have contributed money, food, technicians and equipment. In addition, the University of Orleans has welcomed 50 displaced American students to its campus.
Additional tours in November and December will feature other New Orleans-based bands representing the great traditions that make up the uniquely American music known as jazz. The bands are expected to visit countries that have donated or pledged millions of dollars in aid and equipment to the hurricane-devastated region.
NEW ORLEANS MUSIC ALIVE AND WELL
In the midst of personal tragedy, the musicians say they are eager to tell the world that New Orleans music is alive and well. "We really want to bring the music to the people, especially right now when people can't come to New Orleans," said Brunious. "Our music is much too important to let a hurricane stop us."
The tour is also "an opportunity to show people the face of this disaster," said Preservation Hall director and bass player Ben Jaffe. "Of the seven musicians in the band, five have lost their homes, their instruments, their cars, their clothing, photographs of their children. Their lives are in flux.
“We've been devastated by this emotionally and financially, so it's going to take not just the aid of the government but also the kindness of strangers and private organizations to help New Orleans and to help New Orleans music return home," Jaffe added.
Preservation Hall has established a New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund with the goal of awarding grants to 100 of the key musicians in the local community who, because of their leadership, can "make New Orleans music happen again," Jaffe says.
Jazz at Lincoln Center has created the Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Fund, launched with a benefit concert and auction in September, to aid hurricane victims.
For information on the storm and its aftermath, see Hurricane Recovery.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
