Remarks by Ambassador Lawrence R Silverman on Chelsey Green and the Green Project Performance
Assalamu Aleykum. Mesa Al-Khayr. Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome, ahlan wa sahlan. It’s a pleasure for me to join you here in this beautiful theater-in-the-round in what must be one of the most unique architectural structures in the entire region.
The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center is an important national institution for the State of Kuwait. It has put Kuwait on the cultural map in this region, and is a symbol of cultural interaction from which Kuwaitis and others will benefit for generations to come. I applaud the vision that made this center possible and I hope will continue to inspire its use. The Center says its mission is “to become a leading social and creative hub for Kuwait and the region.” It is an exciting, unique venue, and we wish it great success.
I am delighted to be the first US Ambassador to introduce the first American performers to take the stage here. This is the group’s second stop on a multi-nation tour that started in Egypt. And it’s their first stop in the Gulf. You will be taken on a true musical journey tonight. The group that will play here tonight, Chelsey Green and the Green Project, is a four-person contemporary jazz ensemble. In fact, the ensemble’s music is as diverse as America is, drawing from multiple musical traditions and styles.
The Project plays jazz, funk, classical, R&B, soul, hip hop, and gospel - and I’m probably leaving out a couple of their styles. I understand that Dr. Green herself has described the Project’s music as ‘classical, shaken and stirred.’
Chelsey Green and the Green Project is here thanks to a partnership between the U.S. Government and an organization called the Association of American Voices. Together, they send American musicians around the world to give performances and conduct master classes with music students of all ages. In fact, the Chelsey Green Project has long dedicated itself to conducting performances and musical workshops for youth and seniors alike.
The US Government has been sending American musicians to the Middle East for decades; some of you may be old enough to remember that in 1963, jazz great Duke Ellington performed in the region with his orchestra, on a similar tour. The musicians we sponsor not only perform, but educate and inform, in part to raise awareness about the importance of protecting intellectual property rights, or “IPR.”
The protection of intellectual property concerns musicians’; the illegal piracy of music damages the entire recording industry, potentially denying all of us the benefits of genuine creativity and stealing the fruits of artists’ and entrepreneurs’ creative property. This is an issue that concerns Kuwaiti musicians, other artists, and software developers.
Programs like the visit of the Chelsey Green Project not only bring great entertainment to new audiences; they help us explain to young people how making a copy or a recording of someone else’s work may legally equate to theft and discourages the entertainment and innovation they seek.
Having said that, you are free to take photographs and short videos of the band, and of course, we encourage you to share them on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. And you can continue to connect with us in the Embassy; “@usembassyq8.”
And now it’s my honor to introduce our performers to you: D. Chelsey Green, who comes from a truly musical family, on the violin; Kevin Powe Jr, on the bass guitar; Ignatius Perry, Jr on the piano; and Mr. Brian “Spyda” Wheatley on the drums. Together, they are Chelsey Green and the Green Project.