The U.S. State Department, in a rare stroke of wisdom, chose Bob Perilla and His Hillbilly Bluegrass Band, the D.C. house bluegrass band, to tour around eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia to act as American cultural ambassadors and spread the gospel of bluegrass music. They came to Bishkek in late June, and I was of course thrilled. Here are pictures from their initial press conference, their workshop at American University, which I coordinated and participated in, and their final public concert at the Metro Pub Theater, where they collaborated with a local Kyrgyz folk music ensemble. It was real treat to have this slice of home halfway around the world, and Bob and boys certainly made new fans as they redefined what locals here consider 'kantry muzik'.
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