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Manda Djinn and Roland Chammougom at the Al Salam Rotana Hotel for the 50th anniversary celebration of the Khartoum American School
American Singer Strikes Chord on Banks of the Nile
December 9, 2007
American jazz and gospel singer Manda Djinn visited Sudan December 3-9, accompanied by her accompanist, French pianist Roland Chammougom. Manda Djinn, who resides in Paris, performed three concerts and conducted two workshops in Khartoum and Omdurman. She sang with students at the Sudan University of Science and Technology's College of Art, Music and Drama, and at Ahfad University for Women. Singing live to over 1,000 people and reaching many more on Blue Nile TV and Radio Mango, Manda Djinn said she hoped her visit would mark the start of a new effort to improve cultural exchanges between the United States and Sudan.
The performances hailed several landmarks. A concert at St. Matthew's Catholic Cathedral on the banks of the White Nile in Khartoum was the first of its kind at the church. A performance at the Al Salam Rotana Hotel marked the Khartoum American School's 50th anniversary. And a show at Ahfad University for Women celebrated the institution's 100th year. Manda, who originally hails from New York City, and Roland, originally from Guadeloupe, fell for Khartoum. In turn, Khartoum fell for them.
Along the way, Manda and Roland took the opportunity to inform their audiences about jazz and gospel music. Jazz, an original American musical art form, originated around the beginning of the 20th century in African-American communities in the southern United States. It represents a mixture of African and European musical traditions. Likewise, gospel music is believed to have originated in African-American churches in the first quarter of the 20th century. Gospel music is characterized by dominant vocals (often with a strong use of harmony) referencing lyrics of a religious nature, usually Christian.
The week-long cultural program was organized by the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, in close collaboration with the Africa Regional Services office at the U.S. Embassy in Paris. In addition, the Embassy had the cooperation of Sudan University of Science and Technology, Ahfad University for Women, Khartoum American School, Al Salam Rotana Hotel, and St. Matthew's Catholic Cathedral.