Parting the Iron Curtain
Filed Under Shower Curtain | Posted on August 31, 2008
Mistrust and fear of a foreign power half a world away tainted everyday life, hanging over people like a dark storm cloud.
While politicians worked behind the scenes to both lessen tensions and get the upper hand on the Soviets, jazz musicians were spreading Americana throughout more than 35 countries in the former Soviet Union, Northern Africa, Europe and Latin America through a cultural ambassadorship program sponsored by the U.S. State Department.
Jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Sarah Vaughn toured the globe, trying to bring understanding through their music.
“We’re always looking for shows that can really open a dialogue across a lot of subjects and this show certainly meets that kind of parameter,” she said. “It speaks to history and music and cultural ambassadors and politics and government. It really shows that art can open doors in many, many different subjects.”
Jazz legends black and white went over to these foreign hot spots and tried to portray America and Americans as a good country and a good people, while protecting the country’s Achilles’ heel by promoting racial equality, according to the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy’s Web site.
“These folks went into all of those kinds of political hot spots and they brought a true concept of Americana,” she said. “Jazz is homegrown in America. It’s as homegrown as apple pie and ice cream on the Fourth of July.
And they were “extremely successful” in doing so, according to Landis.
“We know that the arts can be used in social realms,” she said. “It can be used in educational realms. It’s definitely an economic driver. This show is really special to the people of this county. There’s a very, very rich musical history here and I think that the show - even though it doesn’t feature musicians from this county it features the fact that music plays such a huge role in this county.”
Landis said she also believes the exhibit will serve as an economic catalyst as people from across the state and perhaps even from out of state come to Kinston.
“We know by state statistics that the arts traveler spends more money in a community and spends an average of one more night overnight in a community,” Landis said.
This could translate into extra dollars for local businesses, which is why Landis has encouraged them to create coupons that could be given out to tourists at the show.
For those closer to home, Landis said the exhibit serves as something of quality for locals to do that doesn’t cost a lot of money and doesn’t require a long drive to get to. The show itself is free.
“That should send a huge positive message to folks not only in this county but this region about the level and quality of arts.”
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