The United States is looking forward to work with the newly-elected government of Pakistan and also welcomes the conduct of peaceful general election and transition of powers peacefully, said Richard E Hoagland, the Deputy Chief of US Mission in Islamabad.
"We are very happy on the peaceful general election and successful transition of powers in Pakistan. United States is looking forward to work with the new government," Ambassador Hoagland told media persons on the eve of a concert in which the American country rock band Blended 328 enthralled the audience with an outstanding performance.
The US diplomat, however, said that there were issues in Pakistan-US relations but expressed the optimism that the leaderships of the two countries would be able to overcome these issues.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Hoagland praised the band's work, saying: "In many ways, Blended's story reflects Pakistan's story. Pakistan is a country of great diversity, of many different types of people, all united under one flag. And it is this diversity, whether cultural, ethnic or religious, that helps make Pakistan great."
The rock band Blended 328 performed in four cities across the country as part of the US Embassy's music diplomacy program. The band's 15-day schedule included performances in Karachi, Lahore, Muzaffarabad, and Islamabad. In each city, the group showed their appreciation for Pakistani culture by performing alongside local musicians and incorporating local songs and instruments into their sets.
"We were very excited to come to Pakistan, but never expected such a warm and open reception from everyone," said Gabe Jordan, one of the band's guitarists. "Working alongside Pakistani musicians has been the opportunity of a lifetime," chimed in lead vocalist Kimberly Phillips.
The band includes three female singers and three male instrumentalists from various ethnic backgrounds, emphasising the importance of cross-cultural diversity and gender equality during their tour.
In each city of the country, the band performed a blend of country western and rock music, many times performing with singers from the area to add a local flare to the music. "We always strive to live up to our namesake and create a cultural blend of music wherever we go," vocalist Fran Hart explained.
Brian Gibel, the US Embassy's Cultural Attaché, underscored this message: "We play music to bring Americans and Pakistanis together."
One of the highlights of Blended 328's trip to Pakistan was in Muzafarrabad, where the US Embassy worked alongside the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Sports to host a concert in Jalalabad Park for 1,000 people.
This concert was the Embassy's first large-scale cultural event in the Azad Kashmir. While in Muzafarrabad, band members also met with 150 recent graduates of the Embassy-funded English Access Micro-scholarship Program, which provides free English-language training to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
In addition to bringing musicians from the United States to Pakistan, the US government also sponsors several music exchange programs, including Center Stage and One Beat, which offer opportunities for Pakistani musicians to promote their country's rich cultural heritage through concerts in the United States. These artists become cultural ambassadors, sharing Pakistan's music with audiences world-wide.
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