DUSHANBE, May 30, 2013, Asia-Plus — The U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe, with the support of the U.S. State Department Bureau on Educational and Cultural Affairs, welcomed the American musical group
Stooges Brass Band
of New Orleans, Louisiana to Tajikistan on May 25, 2013.
The U.S. Embassy is sponsoring a free concert in Dushanbe at VEFA Hotel Concert Hall today, at 6:30 pm.
The
Stooges Brass Band
is the premier brass band in New Orleans. Their blend of traditional New Orleans brass with contemporary urban beats has gained them attention from around the USA and the world.
The group was formed in 1996 after band leader Walter Ramsey saw a performance by the Rebirth Brass Band. The
Stooges Brass Band
is known for incorporating elements of hip hop, funk and R&B into a more traditional brass band framework.
In October 2010, the
Stooges Brass Band
won the Red Bull Street Kings competition. The event featured four prominent brass bands in an elimination-style competition. Red Bull flew the band out to their L.A. studios to record an EP and video music series with hip hop producer Mannie Fresh. The event was covered by the Documentary Channel, who released a documentary in 2011.
In April 2011, the
Stooges Brass Band
won the Best Contemporary Brass Band award from the Big Easy Music Awards. The band began touring more aggressively in 2012, playing Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Edinburgh Jazz Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, Essence Music Festival, Lincoln Center Out Of Doors Series, South by Southwest, and others.
In June 2012, the band was selected by the U.S. State Department to serve as cultural ambassadors on a tour to Pakistan. They performed in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, and Hyderabad. They became the first American brass band to tour Pakistan, and the first American band to play Hyderabad.
