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Ammon News -

The U.S. Embassy in Amman Wednesday said that it had organised a musical tour for jazz artist Herbie Hancock who started a series of musical performances and workshops across Jordan.

The musical tour, which will be performed by Herbie Hancock, the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Ensemble at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Don Braden, celebrates U.S.-Jordanian cultural ties through arts and music.

Chargé d'Affaires Mike Hankey welcomed the musical tour, emphasising its importance to diplomacy: "The language of great art needs no translation because it speaks to all of us. Diplomats and political leaders have much to learn from the collaboration inherent in jazz..."

Hankey highlighted the long tradition of American jazz ambassadors, noting the 1963 visit by American composer Duke Ellington to Amman at the Roman Theater as part of a global tour supported by the U.S. Department of State.

Hancock, in turn, expressed his delight to perform in Jordan, noting that while jazz originated in the U.S., "it now belongs to the entire world." He added, "In addition to its artistic significance, jazz is music that promotes peace, freedom, and democratic values. It is an art form with real applications to our world today."

Herbie Hancock is a 14-time GRAMMY Award winner and Academy Award winner. He is an internationally renowned pianist and composer who has been an integral part of every jazz movement since the 1960s.

Hancock’s itinerary in Jordan includes performances in Irbid, Jerash and Amman, as well as engagement with Jordanian artists and youth.

The tour is supported by the Arts Envoy Programme of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and developed in partnership with the Jordan Ministry of Tourism, Department of Antiquities, National Music Conservatory, National Center for the Culture and Arts, the University of Jordan, King Hussein Foundation and Princess Taghreed Institute.