New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Seventeen U.S. bands representing the diversity of American music have been chosen through competitive auditions to embark on two-week international tours in 2019-2020 as part of the American
Music Abroad (AMA) international cultural exchange. AMA, created in 1957, is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, implemented by the Association of American Voices.
AMA fosters cross-cultural connections while showcasing America's rich and diverse musical traditions to a global audience. During their tours, bands will collaborate with local musicians, hold workshops and classes, and perform at community events.
The selected bands represent a wide range of genres, backgrounds and geographical regions. The groups include Farewell Angelina (Country, Nashville, TN); Buyepongo (Afro-Latin Fusion, Los Angeles, CA); ReVoiced (A Capella, New York, NY); Kazual (R&B/Pop, Atlanta, GA); Hot Buttered Rum (Bluegrass, San Francisco, CA); Seth Glier Trio (Folk-Pop, East Hampton, MA); Paul Jost (Jazz, Vineland, NJ);
Daniel Ho (Hawaiian, Honolulu, HI); Violet Bell (Americana, Chapel Hill, NC); JaciCaprice and Audieux(sy) (Hip Hop, Detroit, MI); Derik
Nelson and Family (Pop/Folk, Olympia, WA); Nobody's Girl (Folk, Austin, TX); Nelly's Echo (Folk/Soul, Baltimore, MD); Laurin Talese & a Novel Idea (Jazz/Soul, Philadelphia, PA); Sam Reider and the Human Hands (American
Roots Music, Brooklyn, NY); Huntertones (Jazz Fusion, Brooklyn, NY); and Rappalachia (Folk/Soul, Brooklyn, NY). To find out more about each group, visit amvoices.org/ama.
Final bands were chosen through a rigorous application and audition process. The AMA judging panel selected 45 bands to audition live from an application pool of nearly 250 bands representing 34 states. The finalists were evaluated for musical talent and their commitment to outreach and education, which will be significant elements of their programming overseas.
AMA tours will begin in the fall of 2019 and continue into spring of 2020, with programming in more than 40 countries in all six continents. AMA bands have performed in 140 countries to date, organized in conjunction with U.S. embassies and consulates and local partners. Stay updated on AMA tours on Facebook (facebook.com/americanmusicabroad), Instagram (www.instagram.com/americanmusicabroad/) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/cultureatstate), and by using the hashtag #AmericanMusicAbroad.
American Voices has been conducting cross-cultural engagement with audiences in more than 110 nations worldwide since 1993. Serving as a cultural bridge, American Voices has introduced American music and culture the world over, showcasing a wide variety of genres ranging from jazz to classical symphony to hip hop in countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan. Meanwhile, our Youth
Excellence on Stage (YES) Performance Academies have brought Broadway theatrical education programs to places such as Thailand, Pakistan and Lebanon. American Voices programming provides much-needed expertise and support to aspiring musicians, dancers and actors, as well as enhancing cultural understanding and communications among peoples and nations. For its cultural diplomacy work, the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD) selected American Voices as a "Best Practice Organization" in 2010. In October 2011, American Voices was chosen by the U.S. Department of
State to administer the American
Music Abroad program.
