(MENAFNEditorial) The Sister City Music Ambassadors have announced that the band will embark on a musical mission to Havana Cuba in February on a specially designed people-to-people tour. Under the direction of Pittsfield Massachusetts guitarist and leader Andy Kelly the tour which is still one of the few types of travel which is allowed for U.S. Citizens was designed to include performances by the band in community centers and schools and to participate in specially arranged jam sessions with Cuban musicians.
Performances scheduled for Feb. 8-13 and the itinerary has time built-in for the musicians to participate fully in a cultural exchange attending concerts and jazz performances throughout Havana. Among the related activities will be a private lecture and discussion with internationally recognized musicologist Olavo Alen as well as playing in a public concert with saxophonist Michel Herrera.
"There is so much to learn and appreciate in the rich musical heritage of Cuban Jazz. I look forward to bringing this back to the students I work with and to the community of fine jazz musicians in the Berkshires" said Kelly. “We are fortunate to visit Cuba at this time as diplomatic relations continue to evolve. Of course sharing music is a time-honored means of building bridges focusing on musical riffs instead of the political rifts that have been in the news for the last half-century.”
Kelly added “As our partners at Sister City International say we believe in promoting peace through mutual respect understanding and cooperation - one individual one community at a time. Or more succinctly: Make Music Not War."
On this tour the Sister City Music Ambassadors will bring an acoustic quartet to perform Americana- acoustic harmony- rich versions of American and jazz classics. Members include
• band leader Andy Kelly jazz guitarist music educator and founding member of the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival committee of Berkshires Jazz Inc. as well as the Young Musicians Workshop "Rock On";
• Ben Jaffe a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter living in Los Angeles who was originally from the Berkshires. He and his band "honeyhoney" have recorded and toured in the U.S. and Europe;
• Christopher Parkinson bassist guitarist and songwriter; and
• Tessa Kelly guest vocalist. Christopher and Tessa live in New Haven Conn. where both are architects and musicians.
Susan Kelly Andy's wife will be on the tour helping with Spanish translation and visiting artist collectives. An Expressive Arts Therapist she will be bringing a donation of art supplies for children's programs.
Andy Kelly who also leads The Sister City Jazz Ambassadors is chairman of the city of Pittsfield Sister City Commission which is a member of Sister City International (www.sister-cities.org). The mission of Sister Cities International “is making friends/peace with people in the world via one on one personal contact” he said noting the both Sister City groups --the Music Ambassadors and the Jazz Ambassadors-- add the musical dimension to the cultural exchange.
The tour was organized with the assistance of Project Por Amor http://projectporamor.com an organization that harnesses the power of arts and culture to bring Cubans and Americans together through people- to- people cross-cultural exchanges. Pittsfield’s Sister City groups have previously taken part in musical exchanges in Turkey Nicaragua Ireland and Italy with a rotating slate of dedicated Berkshire County musicians. Members of the tour will be staying with Cuban host families in Havana during the visit.
Additional information on the groups is available on their Facebook page (Sister City Jazz Ambassadors).
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Contact: Andy Kelly 413-281-2784 (akelly@berkshire.rr.com)
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