The Foreign Service Journal, June 2008

T hough cultural diplomacy in the form of student exchanges is alive and well, the kind of music outreach that was such an important part of U.S. policy through- out the Cold War era is less in evi- dence. The New York Philharmonic’s February concert in North Korea was perhaps the only major example in recent years — and even that, though approved by the State Department, was privately sponsored. More than one hundred musicians traveled to Pyongyang to give the first concert by an American symphony orchestra under communist rule. Though President Kim Jong Il did not attend, other top officials joined the audience of more than 1,000 North Koreans. The performance was broadcast live on domestic television and radio, and may contribute to fur- ther openings. I was a witness to the unique power of music in an earlier era. During the summer of 1959, Wash- ington’s National Symphony Orches- tra, under the direction of Howard Mitchell, played to enthusiastic audi- ences in Latin America. The State Department and United States Information Agency (known overseas as the United States Information Service) had convinced the NSO that the time was right to display our musi- cal achievement to our southern neighbors. But in Managua, the NSO’s perfor- mance became an instrument of diplomacy as well as culture. The country was ruled by Luis and Tachito Somoza, sons of dictator Anastasio “Tacho” Somoza, who had been assas- sinated in 1956. People protesting their despotic rule were thrown in jail or otherwise disposed of. Yet America’s Good Neighbor Policy, established under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, continued to extend to the Somozas’ Nicaragua, even though democracy was a mirage there. On the very day that 100 musi- cians led byMaestroMitchell landed in Managua, Somoza’s Guardia Nacional crushed a protest at the Nicaragua National Autonomous University in the colonial city of Leon. Three stu- dents were killed and others wounded. Our embassy was torn: Should we cancel the sold-out concert the next evening in sympathy with the dead students, or carry on? I was the action officer for the event in our cultural and press office of USIS. Calls from the student leaders informed me they were going to shut down the concert because a performance would indi- cate U.S. approval of Somoza’s actions. Chillingly, they added that the performance would have to be canceled if Mitchell was “secuestra- do,” or kidnapped. I urged them to rethink that path, but they insisted the move was already under way. We warned Mitchell and provided security for him. He coura- geously wanted to proceed with the concert, but acknowledged that he was in great sympathy with the stu- dents. So I told my Nicaraguan stu- dent interlocutor that we would show a significant measure of sympathy at the performance, but wasn’t sure how. He replied that students had already kidnapped Mr. Mitchell. Whoa! I quickly reached Mitchell in his hotel room — he was unharmed. But then orchestra mem- bers reported that the second trom- bone player was missing. Si, Señor, the students had grabbed the wrong man. You can imagine his surprise! Mitchell and U.S. Ambassador Tom Whelan agreed that there would be three minutes of silence at the opening of the concert to show sym- pathy for the deceased and wounded students. Student leaders accepted this show of support. As the orchestra was warming up in the theater, in walked in a flustered but relieved trombonist. The perfor- mance that followed was superb. The Somoza government was displeased with our gesture, but it resonated with the important student move- ment. Indeed, whether in Pyongyang or Managua, music continues to play a diplomatic role. Fred A. Coffey Jr. is a retired Foreign Service officer who served with USIA in Latin America and Southeast Asia. 100 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 8 R EFLECTIONS Trombone Diplomacy B Y F RED A. C OFFEY J R . Whether in Pyongyang or Managua, music continues to play a diplomatic role.

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