VZCZCXRO7232
RR RUEHBZ RUEHGI
DE RUEHGI #0013/01 0251655
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251655Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BANGUI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1140
INFO RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 0005
RUEHPC/AMEMBASSY LOME 0010
RUEHBZ/AMEMBASSY BRAZZAVILLE 0273
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0572
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 1439

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGUI 000013 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C, AF/PD, AND ECA 
PARIS FOR ARS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL CT
SUBJECT: CAR: BIG HILLBILLY BLUEGRASS BAND TAKES BANGUI 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: The visit of "Bob Perilla's Big Hillbilly Bluegrass 
Band" (BHBB) to the Central African Republic from January 16 to 
21 was a resounding success that enabled post to build good will 
with the Central African Government and populace and provide an 
exchange of traditional American and Central African art forms. 
The highlights of the tour were the normally reserved President 
Francois Bozize dancing to bluegrass at the Ambassador's 
residence, a joint concert with local groups at the national 
stadium that played to a crowd of 4,000,a performance with the 
Ba'Aka (Pygmies) of the Lobaye rainforest, and a performance 
for Bangui street children at Voie du Coeur (Voice of the Heart) 
orphanage.  END SUMMARY. 
HIGHLIGHTS 
¶2. After arriving in Bangui from Brazzaville on January 16, the 
Big Hillbilly Bluegrass Band traveled to Mongoumba in the Lobaye 
rainforest to perform with the Ba'Aka dance troupe on January 18 
at the Ba'Aka cultural center. The Ambassador delivered an 
impromptu and well received speech in Sango, the national 
language (and typically the only foreign language understood by 
the Ba'Aka), before giving the stage to the dance troupe and 
then the BHBB.  The grand finale saw the band play with the 
troupe.  The event ended with a formal donation of soap (highly 
prized) to the Ba'Aka and books to the other residents of 
Mongoumba. 
¶3. On January 19, the Band performed for a large group of street 
children at Bangui's Voie du Coeur orphanage.  This orphanage, 
sponsored by Minister of Commerce Biatrice Epaye, is the main 
gathering place for orphans, children from abusive homes, and 
children displaced by violence in northern CAR.  It is the only 
place in Bangui for street children to receive free medical 
treatment for diseases such as malaria and AIDS.  After a tour 
of the orphanage lead by Minister Epaye, the Hillbilly Band were 
welcomed with songs in English, composed and conducted by a Voie 
du Coeur resident now a student at the University of Bangui. The 
Band then played to an enthusiastic crowd - the most popular 
numbers were sing-alongs and up tempo tunes that brought the 
crowd to its feet. 
¶4. During the evening of the 19 January, the Ambassador hosted a 
formal reception for senior CARG officials, Central African 
artists, the diplomatic corps, and all resident American 
citizens.  In attendance were President Bozize, the President of 
the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, the Minister of 
Culture, and many other ministers, senior government officials, 
heads of diplomatic missions, and other notables.  Again, the 
music brought the crowd to their feet. The highlight of the 
evening was Mrs. Cook's invitation to President Bozize to join a 
lively dance, which he did with a smile. 
¶5. In cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of 
Education, post offered a free concert at the national stadium 
in Bangui on January 20.  The program included performances by 
the National Ballet, traditional music group Zouy Neti, and the 
University of Bangui Choir.  The Hillbilly Band energized the 
crowd of 4,000 mostly secondary school and university students 
(the largest audience in the Band's history) and concluded with 
a rousing, multi-lingual rendition of "Down the Road."  The 
lyrics, improvised in Sango, stressed themes of peace, 
reconciliation, and common national identity, major Embassy 
Public Diplomacy themes in this violence-torn country. 
RESULTS 
¶6. The Hillbilly Band tour created the opportunity for post to 
connect with its largest Central African audience since the 
reopening of the Embassy in 2005.  The events not only showcased 
American culture, but also allowed us to build and reinforce 
ties with the Ministries of Culture and Education, the 
University of Bangui, and the media, and the reception gave us 
the opportunity to host the President and senior government 
officials in a more relaxed atmosphere. 
¶7. The television, radio, and print media covered all of the 
major events noted in this cable.  The Band was interviewed by 
major media outlets upon arrival.  They played on live on Radio 
Ndeke Luka, the largest independent broadcaster, to give 
listeners a taste of Bluegrass music.  The BHBB was also 
featured on Radio Centrafrique, the government station.  Major 
newspaper reviews branded the reception at the residence and the 
concert at the stadium as a "true cross cultural success" and 
described the Ambassador's Sango address to the stadium crowd as 
"marvelous" and "fascinating."  The television station is 
preparing to air a special program on the BHBB tour in Central 
Africa in the next few days. The showcasing of American folk 
music again allowed the Embassy to differentiate itself from the 
other, larger, and more formal diplomatic missions in Bangui. 
¶8. The Central African Republic is an extremely poor country at 
the bottom of the Human Development Index and our relations with 
the host government are sometimes challenged and strained due to 
a number of issues.  The Hillbilly Band tour gave us an 
opportunity to engage with people from all levels of Central 
African society in a relaxed and fun way, allowing us to improve 
 
BANGUI 00000013  002 OF 002 
 
 
those interpersonal connections that are so important to the 
successful exercise of diplomacy. 
¶9. Embassy Bangui would like to thank ECA, AF/PD, and Embassies 
Nouakchott, Lome, and Brazzaville for their generous assistance 
with this major cultural event. 
COOK