Abu Dhabi, UAE, 19 May 2010: The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) today announced it is bringing one of America's most celebrated jazz bands, the Duke Ellington Big Band, to Abu Dhabi to hold student workshops which will help build bridges between cultures, and inspire the future generation of UAE musicians with two inimitable performances.
ADMAF is bringing the band to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as part of its continued efforts to promote cross-cultural artistic exchange, and support the development of all creative expression in the Emirate. The band will host two workshops in the UAE for students at the UAE University in Al Ain and the American Community School in Abu Dhabi on the 23rd and 25th May. These will be followed by two concerts on the same days for the students and invited guests, which will offer a chance to get the full taste of an authentic big band performance. The workshops and performances at the UAE University are part of the Seminars in Mastering the Arts (SMART) program, an educational initiative supported by ADMAF which uses the arts as a tool and catalyst for learning. This initiative is designed to enhance the academic and cultural standing of the institution.
Big band jazz music is said to connect the hearts, minds and souls across distances and cultural barriers, and the workshops will give students an opportunity to actively engage with this soulful music genre during the Duke Ellington Big Band's first visit to the Arabian Peninsula. Duke Ellington believed that jazz can build bridges between people, and this is a belief shared by ADMAF. The Foundation's year round activities are rooted in the approach that exposure to different genres of expression is vital to developing creative talent at the national level.
Her Excellency Hoda Al-Khamis Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, explained: "Art and culture are constantly evolving. To nurture our creative youth, we must support them by providing opportunities to experience different influences, cultures and expressions. This is a topic that is close to my heart and part of the raison d'être for the foundation. The Duke Ellington Big Band is known for its educational initiatives in its native New York, and it will play an important role in the artistic education of our youth as it brings the legacy of a true musical master to Abu Dhabi."
The late Duke Ellington has been credited with taking big band jazz music from the dance halls and elevating it to an art form. His career, which spanned more than 50 years, won him a posthumous honour from the Pulitzer Prize board in 1999, which shows how his music continues to resonate with people decades after his death.
The Duke Ellington Big Band is a jazz collective with Duke's granddaughter Mercedes Ellington at its helm, which aims to keep alive the legacy he left behind and the music that has spoken to so many people. Mercedes Ellington, a choreographer, producer and theatrical composer, is also the founder and president of the Duke Ellington centre for Arts and the torchbearer of the Ellington sound. She ensures the authenticity of the performance of the 15-piece band, which features some of the respected Duke Ellington band alumni.