BERBICE students last Friday had the opportunity to ‘feel the vibes’ of a live jazz performance when the Phil Dunlap Jazz Trio performed at the New Amsterdam Multilateral School

auditorium.
The Phil Dunlap Jazz Trio wowed the packed auditorium of students from primary and secondary schools in the New Amsterdam/Canje education district with their electrifying performance  as they featured popular lyrics and theme songs from cartoon series such as The Flintstones.
The performance of the American group was facilitated by the United States Embassy in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. The September 8th-14th visit to Guyana by the trio was made possible through a grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Cultural Affairs.
Addressing the students prior to the jazz performance, Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy, Ms. Tabby Fairclough highlighted the importance of cultural exchanges and having an opportunity to mingle with Guyanese students.
“Coming up to Berbice is a very special part of our programme and this is the furthest the trio has come. Jazz programme is a tradition of the U.S. embassies around the world and is a special part of American culture. What is interesting about this is that the Phil Dunlap Trio is showing you what jazz is like today in America,” she said.
Event Co-ordinator of the Ministry of Culture, Mr. Terrence Moore noted that the jazz programme is part of an effort to forge cultural ties with the U.S.
“What we also find is that the younger generation is not acquainted with jazz, so it is a case of promoting it and getting our older folks to take a closer look at what jazz performance is in the developed world,” he noted.

IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE
Regional Chairman of East Berbice/Corentyne (Region 6), Permaul Armogan in his remarks to the gathering pointed out that culture is very important to Guyanese and it is a prized possession of a nation.
“When you begin to lose your culture, you begin to lose your identity and therefore the art form of music is part of our culture and it is something that we must upkeep,”

Armogan stressed.
He also said that there must be an intermingling of cultures so that people of different countries can understand and appreciate each other.
“In Guyana, we have a rich tradition of culture and a multiplicity of cultures among the six ethnic groups and we must help our global friends to understand who we are. We have a long friendly relationship with the United States and we hold that country in very high esteem; that country has been assisting us over the years in every aspect of our lives, whether political, economic, social and now cultural,” Armogan emphasised.
The Jazz Ambassadors programme was established in 1961 to encourage cultural exchanges between Americans and citizens of other countries.
The Phil Dunlap Trio performed in a series of jazz concerts and educational workshops during their visit and concluded with a free concert last Friday evening at the Theatre Guild in Georgetown.
The trio consists of Phil Dunlap, who plays the keyboard and is also an adjunct Professor of Music at the University of Missouri. Nick Jost, a bassist/composer and an educator in New York City and Marty Morrison, a drummer and Professor of Jazz Studies at the Missouri State University.