Embassy News

Pécs American Corner Celebrates Black History Month with a Week of Activities

Mr. Fekete and his band (photo courtesy of American Corner Pécs - full size photo)

U.S. Embassy Cultural Officer Mark Tauber opened the African American Week festivities organized by the American Corner in Pécs on February 25, 2008 at Café Dante. To an audience of 60 students and blues aficionados, Hungarian blues pianist and singer Kálmán Fekete presented his collection of photographs of African American blues legends. Mr. Fekete also screened his documentary on performance styles of African American blues musicians filmed during a recent trip to Chicago. Fekete closed the evening with a live performance joined by his award-winning PMD Blues Band.

After "Blues Monday," the American Corner continued with Tuesday’s theme -- Hip Hop -- with dance performances, a movie screening, and a hip hop party where rappers plus audio and video disk jockeys performed. Wednesday and Thursday brought the roots of African American culture into spotlight. Audiences attended a translation seminar on the work of black authors, a lecture on the civil rights movement, a soul food dinner, and an English conversation club on the topic of the African Americans electorate in U.S. elections that included analyses by prominent Hungarian guest speakers. There was also a live delta blues and gospel performance by U.S. singer Jeanne Carroll. The week concluded with a performance of "African Tale," the by award-winning dance group Fonti-Five and a jazz concert by Ferenc Snétberger’s jazz ensemble.