Programs and Events 2009
The Pine Leaf Boys" Bring Cajun Culture to the UAE
Two-time Grammy Award-nominated Cajun musicians “The Pine Leaf Boys" performed at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation on April 12, 2009. The program, attended by an audience of nearly 300 people including ambassadors from over twenty countries, was sponsored by the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH). After a brief solo by Ahmed Shamma, director of Beit al Oud, and an introduction from Ambassador Richard Olson, The Pine Leaf Boys captivated the audience with high-spirited Cajun music and classic Country and Rock songs.
On April 13, The Pine Leaf Boys held a joint workshop with ADACH’s Beit Al Oud (“House of the Oud”) in Abu Dhabi. About 40 prominent music professors from Beit Al Oud, led by Iraqi oud artist Ahmed Shamma, students, and audience members from the previous night enjoyed an intimate acoustic concert. Music and conversation flowed freely, with discussions ranging from the history of Cajun music to the meaning of the band’s unusual name. After a break with tea and snacks, members of the The Pine Leaf Boys taught the audience how to play the blues, and the whole group attempted an impromptu rendition of the classic country waltz, “She Thinks I Still Care.”
Following the concerts in Abu Dhabi, the band moved north. On April 15th, they held a series of three concerts at Sharjah Higher Colleges of Technology, which boasts a state-of-the-art auditorium that seats 900. The band played a one hour set for 900 Emirati students from the Women's College, and received a rousing reception. When the concert concluded, the band was inundated with requests for autographs and photos. After a short break, they played a second one hour set for 400 students from the Men's College, who gave them an equally warm and enthusiastic reception. The finale for the day was an abbreviated 30 minute set for 40 Emirati high school students. These students are participants in the U.S. Mission sponsored English Access Micro-Scholarship program, and they were brought in various schools in Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain to attend the concert. Dubai Consul General Paul Sutphin opened the concerts with remarks focusing on the history of Cajun music and the Louisiana region.
The Pine Leaf Boys' appearance in the UAE is part of a regional tour that started in Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and that moves on to performances in Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories. Their appearance is supported by the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi, through a Performing Arts Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. We are also very grateful for the superb partnership of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Cultural and Heritage (ADACH), Beit al Oud, and both the Women's College and the Men's College of the Sharjah Higher Colleges of Technology.