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Ambassador Aubrey Hooks,
Mr. Zadi Guillaume, Professor Kouba Zohouri and the representative of the Ministry of Culture during the conference
(Photo: Yacouba Soro/US Embassy) |
Ivorian Voluntary Visitors Share Experience with Media and Ministry of Culture Officials
Two key Mission contacts and recently returned Ivorian voluntary visitors met with members of the press and Ministry of Culture officials at the American Embassy on May 30, 2007 to “share the news” about their two week program in the United States.
Mr. Zadi Guillaume and Professor Kouba Zohouri are founding members of Centre ivoirien pour la recherche et la documentation en musicologie africaine (CIRDMA), an NGO dedicated to preserving Côte d’Ivoire’s rich musical heritage by digitally documenting every Ivorian ethnic group’s traditional dances, special musical instruments, village songs and festivals.
U.S. Ambassador Aubrey Hooks impressed with the work and accomplishments of their NGO -- and convinced that American cultural institutions and musicologists would be as well -- encouraged Messrs. Zadi and Kouba to take advantage of the State Department’s Voluntary Visitors Division when they next traveled to the United States.
During their visit to the United States last April, they were able to visit some of America’s most prestigious cultural institutions and leading African Studies Centers in Washington DC, Los Angeles, and New York City. The meetings were exactly on target and with the right people. There were ample opportunities for vibrant cultural exchanges and demonstrations. Many of their hosts expressing serious interest in joining forces with the Ivorian NGO to work together on collaborative ethnomusicology projects in Côte d'Ivoire.
