Kurt M. Campbell Deputy Secretary of State | Official Website
The U.S. Department of State has announced that country music artist and U.S. Global Music Ambassador BRELAND will visit Salvador, Brazil, from November 5-8, 2024. The visit is part of his participation in Salvador Capital Afro, an official side event of the G20 Cultural Ministerial. This year also marks the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Brazil.
During his time in Salvador, BRELAND will take part in a panel titled “Music for Diplomacy and Inclusion.” The panel is hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Brazil, YouTube, and the Salvador Municipal Secretariat of Culture and Tourism. Other participants include Scott Weinhold, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Brazilian musical artist Majur; Tuma Basa, Head of Black Culture and Black Music at YouTube; and representatives from the Brazilian government. The discussion will focus on empowering Black artists and entrepreneurial communities while highlighting culture's role in local, regional, and global creative economies.
BRELAND is known for his unique blend of country, hip-hop, and gospel influences. He first gained attention with his RIAA-certified 2X Platinum song “My Truck” and has collaborated with artists such as Keith Urban, Nelly, X Ambassadors, Thomas Rhett, among others. As a U.S. Global Music Ambassador, he aims to foster cross-cultural connections and promote diversity and inclusion within the creative economy.
The U.S. Global Music Ambassadors program is central to the State Department-YouTube Global Music Partnership. Announced by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Lyor Cohen from Google and YouTube earlier this year, this initiative builds on the legacy of the U.S. Jazz Ambassadors from the 1950s and 1960s by using music to unite people globally on behalf of Americans.
For more information about these global music diplomacy efforts by the Department of State, interested parties can visit their Music Diplomacy page or contact ECA-Press@state.gov.
