Embassy Celebrates Daniel Pearl Music Days

October 4, 2011

Andras Lovasi of Budapest Bar sings at Daniel Pearl Commemoration Concert. (Embassy photo by Attila Németh)

On October 4, Budapest Bar dedicated their concert on A38 to the memory of Daniel Pearl. The concert was supported by the Embassy and was part of the Daniel Pearl Music Days.

Public Affairs Counselor Edward Loo emphasized in his opening remarks that "We, and thousands like us, are underlining a simple truth: that music is a universal language and an excellent way to bring different people together." He quoted President Obama saying that "As we participate in this month-long celebration of music, let us recommit to promoting tolerance and fellowship throughout the world."

Budapest Bar band is based on a unique cooperation between non-Roma and Roma musicians featuring both Roma and Hungarian musical traditions from the 30’s, 40’s with a jazzy instrumentation.

Embassy Budapest will highlight the messages of the Daniel Pearl Music Days at various concerts throughout the month. The October 9 concert of Jambalaya and the October 29 program of Athe Sam at Gödör Klub as well as other smaller-scale music events in Budapest will feature the messages of "Harmony for Humanity".

Daniel Pearl World Music Days was created in response to the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl at the hands of extremists in Karachi, Pakistan. Danny's family and friends came together to work towards a more humane world, forming the Daniel Pearl Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is to promote cross-cultural understanding through journalism, music, and innovative communications. Since 2002, Daniel Pearl World Music Days has grown to include the participation of more than 6,700 performances in 111 countries.