VZCZCXRO2562
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHBW #0872 2261206
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141205Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS BELGRADE 000872 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE (P. PETERSON) 
EUR/PPD (J. 
RAHIMI) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPAO SR
SUBJECT: TRIUMPH OVER NEGATIVE IMAGES IN ULTRA- NATIONALIST HEARTLAND 
OF SERBIA 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) In a "tactical strike" on anti-American 
sentiment, the Embassy brought in a U.S. Navy 
band to play at the annual brass band festival 
in Guca, in Serbia?s nationalist-leaning 
heartland.  While the appearance of the band in 
the rowdy, beer-lubricated environment of this 
festival of traditional Serbian music was a 
risk, the band was welcomed by officials, event 
organizers, and, most importantly, the people. 
There was a low spot during a late-night concert 
when the drunken crowd booed the band (and other 
international bands); but the positive reaction 
during the rest of six-day festival, and the 
almost jubilant support from national media, 
showed that the risk paid off.  The band's 
impact shows that Serbs are ready for a change 
in tone, but Serbia's senior leadership must 
come up with more courageous language stressing 
the new phase in our relations.  End Summary. 
 
Trumpet Diplomacy in the Heart of Serbia 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) The small Serbian village of Guca hosted 
the 49th annual brass band festival, which 
gathered the best brass bands, or trubaci, from 
Serbia and abroad (http://www.saborguca.com). 
While there are only about 2,000 permanent 
residents in Guca, more than half a million 
revelers pour in during the festival every year. 
Our Public Diplomacy, Defense Attache Office and 
RSO worked together to arrange for the Naval 
Forces Europe and Africa Allied Forces Band to 
perform at the Guca festival this year from 
August 5-10.  The band, known as the Diplomats, 
is based in Naples, Italy. 
 
Potential Risk, Overwhelmingly Positive Response 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) The band's appearance could potentially 
have backfired, due to anti-U.S. views typical 
among participants at the event.  Guca lies in 
Serbia?s central Sumadija region, where strong 
nationalist sentiment still rules and most 
people associate the United States with the NATO 
bombing campaign of 1999.  The festival attracts 
individuals with similar leanings, together with 
foreigners, putting them into a raucous 
environment of loud music, traditional Serbian 
food grilled over hot fires, and free-flowing 
beer.  The appearance of a U.S. military band in 
white Navy uniform in the heartland of Serbia 
could have invited a negative reaction from 
participants and the press. 
 
¶4. (U) To set a positive tone before the 
festival, the band performed live on Serbia?s 
most popular morning show, and the PAO was 
interviewed explaining how the visit came about. 
Embassy organizers worked closely with the RSO, 
a Serbian Interior Ministry protection team, and 
local police to balance security concerns with 
public diplomacy objectives. 
 
¶5. (U) The reaction was enthusiastic.  Whether 
on stage or walking through the festival crowds 
at Guca, band members and Embassy officers were 
greeted with enthusiasm and respect.  Festival- 
goers responded to the Diplomats' down-to-earth 
demeanor.  Press reported that the U.S. Embassy 
was in Guca "for the music," seeing our presence 
as a sign of respect for Serbian traditional 
culture.  Every day during the festival, 
national and local press wrote articles 
exclusively about the U.S. Navy band and U.S. 
Embassy support for the festival.  Even rabidly 
anti-U.S. tabloid "Kurir" wrote a positive 
article featuring a photo of the band with the 
Cultural Attache.  Prominent national daily 
"Politika" carried photos of the band on its 
front page.  Municipality mayor and festival 
chairman Slobodan Jolovic was an enthusiastic 
host.  Jolovic appeared with the Charge in a 
press conference August 8 and thanked her for 
fulfilling her promise from the prior year to 
bring an American band in 2009. 
 
¶6. (U) The Diplomats hit just the right tone in 
all their public statements:  modest and 
complimentary.  Navy band trumpeter Antonio Rice 
said members of a local orchestra had "lips of 
steel" from playing their fast trubaci-style 
music.  Following the August 8 press conference, 
the Diplomats took to the stage with the local 
band for an impromptu joint concert, which was 
again replayed nationally.  The Charge told the 
media that the band had come to the Guca 
festival to enjoy the atmosphere as musicians 
and to play, listen, and learn from Serbia's 
greatest talents. 
 
One Flat Note 
------------- 
 
¶7. (U) There was only one low point in an 
otherwise perfect week.  During the late-night 
Friday (August 7) Radio-Television Serbia (RTS)' 
televised concert, the U.S. Navy band joined 
international groups from Slovenia, Switzerland, 
Romania, France, Sweden, Greece, Montenegro, 
Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Macedonia in a concert 
following the locally famous Balkanika and Boban 
and Marko Markovic Orchestras.  Partially due to 
the RTS team's poor choice of timing but also 
because the huge, popular orchestras and easily 
accessible beer had the crowd whipped into a 
frenzy, the Diplomats were greeted with boos, 
and a few bottles were thrown on the stage. 
However, once the Diplomats started their 
rendition of a traditional and popular Serbian 
song "Svilen Konac," the mood of the crowd 
shifted, and when they moved to American popular 
music, James Brown's "I Feel Good," the 
spectators danced along.  The next morning's 
press said that the professional attitude, 
bravery, and musical talent of the U.S. military 
band won the day, and the "hooligans" and 
"drunks" did not take away from the atmosphere 
and goodwill of the celebration. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Friday night jeers and a similar 
reaction to the U.S. athletic team at the 
opening ceremony of the Universiade games in 
July show that there is much work to be done to 
change perceptions in Serbia.  Public opinion 
polls continue to show an unfavorable rating for 
the United States at 93%.  Anger at the United 
States has been built up and sustained by many 
years of anti-U.S. rhetoric.  While most of this 
rhetoric now comes from the ultra-nationalist 
opposition, ordinary people still know little 
about the positive sides of the relationship 
between Serbia and the United States, despite 
our constant, upbeat public profile.  The 
leadership has failed to explain that the 
negative events of the 1990s were the fault of 
the Milosevic regime, leaving people to fixate 
on the United States.  Negative views have been 
aggravated in the wake of Kosovo's independence. 
While only the Serbian leadership can bring 
about a decisive shift in thinking, the warm 
response nationwide to the U.S. Navy's 
appearance in Guca shows that the Serbian public 
is ready to move forward in our relationship. 
End Comment. 
BRUSH