U.S. Relations with Algeria are Strong and Important, Ambassador Elizabeth Moore Aubin Says

Relations between Algeria and the United States of America are strong and important, and we will continue to strengthen and deepen them through the upcoming bilateral strategic dialogue, the U.S. ambassador to Algeria, Elizabeth Moore Aubin, said Saturday in Taghit, Bechar (southern Algeria).

“The joint work to organize and succeed the One Beat Sahara is evidence of the quality of the deep and broad relationships that the two countries share. We’ll continue to work to strengthen and deepen these relations, which are very important for the United States…”, the U.S. ambassador added on the sidelines of her visit to Taghit Palace within the framework of the cultural event “One Beat Sahara”.

Ambassador Elizabeth Moore Aubin considered that the establishment of this “joint diplomatic cultural program” in Taghit in the Algerian desert “confirms that Algeria and the Algerian Sahara, in particular, is a tourist destination par excellence, for Algerian or foreign tourists…”.

The US ambassador explained that her visit to Taghit and Bechar, as her first outing to an Algerian city after the capital, Algiers, since her appointment as ambassador a month ago, is because “the south is very important”, and that “the holding of this cultural event in the south due to the geographical location that includes many musical genres that are the roots of some American music and also for the beauty and importance of this part of Algeria…”.

Aubin expressed her “great happiness” to visit Taghit, which she described as “a piece of heaven, treasure, and a magical and picturesque place that she fell in love with…”, praising the cooperation and efforts made between the two governments to make this cultural program a success that “brings together musicians and mixes musical styles from the United States, Algeria and African countries neighbouring Algeria in this wonderful and unique event…”.

OneBeat Sahara, from February 21 to March 13, 2022, brings together 25 genre-bending musicians from seven countries in the Saharan Region and the United States to create original work collaboratively and to develop a global network of civically engaged artists.

The 25 musicians from Algeria, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia, and the United States gather in the oasis town of Taghit in southern Algeria for two weeks of workshops, songwriting, recording sessions and social engagement, followed by a week in Algiers.

Inspired by the world’s largest desert, OneBeat Sahara Fellows explore black diasporic musical traditions that travelled from Africa to the Americas, and back to Africa again, from experimental hip hop to gnawa, jazz to Maghrebi electronic, and more.

During OneBeat Sahara’s 12-day residency in Taghit, Fellows form new ensembles and compose original music alongside OneBeat staff and collaborating artists. On March 5, OneBeat presented a full-day outdoor festival near the ancient rock carvings outside Taghit featuring music written during the residency. For the final week of programming, OneBeat will travel north to Algiers where they will work in residence at the Dar Abdellatif cultural centre and record their final material. On March 11, the program will culminate in a final OneBeat marathon show open to the public at the Algiers Opera House.

OneBeat is a constellation of music diplomacy programs that began in 2012 and has worked with over 370 socially engaged musicians from over 50 countries. OneBeat Sahara is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Educational and Cultural Affairs program. It will be produced by Bang On A Can’s Found Sound Nation, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Algeria and the Algerian Ministry of Culture, with additional support from the U.S. embassies in Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger and Tunisia. The program will be Artistic Directed by OneBeat alumni including Domenica Fossati (U.S.), Haile Supreme (U.S.), and Chakib Bouzidi (Algeria), with support from OneBeat staff.