Abu Dhabi: A Chicago-based bluegrass band, HenHouse Prowlers, are meeting university students across the Emirates this week to introduce them to their unique sound and instruments as part of a cultural programme organised by the US embassy.
The four-piece band are meeting students in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah and holding workshops and talks that aim to introduce bluegrass music and instruments that are not often seen in the Middle East such as the banjo and dobro. They will also be performing to the larger student body at each location. The band started their tour by performing an upbeat show in Abu Dhabi’s Beach Rotana Hotel this week to an invitation-only audience of around 200 people.
This is the second cultural event the US embassy has organised in the last month. Naajmat, an all-women group that blended East and West music, were also introduced to UAE audiences by the US embassy in early March.
Speaking to Gulf News about why the embassy is organising these events, Ali Lejlic, Counsellor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, said, “One of our goals is to bring to the UAE cultural manifestations that you don’t really find in the UAE. UAE has a huge cultural menu going out all the time and we would like to add to that menu and one area where we can add, which isn’t already here, are events like bluegrass and these kinds of cultural programmes directly from the US.”
“It’s a cultural exchange to increase mutual understanding between our two countries.”
Lejlic went on to explain that it was also an opportunity to introduce young people to instruments such as banjo and dobro, which are heavily used in American music. “The other forefront of this programme is to introduce the Emirati audience and young people to these types of instruments that aren’t often seen here in the UAE...They are definitely unique but you can see the relationship they have with the oud in the region or the qanoon.”
The founder of the HenHouse Prowlers, Ben Wright, said the band were very excited to be in the UAE for the first time and to have the opportunity to exchange ideas with music students.
“We are going to several schools and we get to sit down with music students and connect with people who are learning and are passionate about music…We talk about each instrument, the history of the instrument and how the instrument was created down to why I play it the way I do,” said Wright.
“These performances are not just about our music, it’s about trying to form connections between two cultures,” he added.
