Georgetown University Qatar (GU-Q) partnered with the US Embassy Doha to kick off the “Spring of Jazz” series, celebrating the vibrant jazz heritage of Washington, DC, with a tribute concert featuring Nasar Abadey and his acclaimed ensemble SUPERNOVA.

The unique cross-cultural exchange marked International Jazz Appreciation Month, which this year honors one of America’s—and the world’s—greatest composers and musicians, Washington-born maestro “Duke” Ellington.

For Georgetown, co-hosting the tribute concert held a special significance, taking place fifty years after Ellington’s last ever concert, which was held at Georgetown University in Washington, DC on February 10, 1974. 

In welcome remarks, Dr. Safwan Masri, dean of GU-Q, said: “We are thrilled to welcome the renowned American jazz ensemble Supernova to Qatar for an unforgettable evening of live music. The concert brings an extraordinary cultural experience to GU-Q students and the broader Doha community, celebrating jazz as a unique element of the vibrant African American heritage and cultivating the sense of fellowship it inspires across borders and differences.”

H.E. the U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, Timmy Davis, added: “As a proud New Orleanian, it is a privilege to come together and celebrate jazz, an original American art form. The American great Duke Ellington was one of the United States’ Jazz Ambassadors, who used jazz to give voice to democratic ideals, to the powerful and the powerless, across borders and beyond barriers, and to generations of citizens – from all walks of life – worldwide. This 'Spring of Jazz' concert series, opened by SUPERNOVA, demonstrates that legacy, and I am excited to continue the series next month with special performances by BIRCKHEAD."

The performance drew a diverse audience of music lovers and cultural enthusiasts, highlighting jazz as both a historical and living treasure, in keeping with the intent of Jazz Appreciation Month. The band’s renditions of Ellington’s signature tunes, and original compositions by Abadey inspired by his style, showcased the enduring power of his music, but also the unifying essence at the heart of jazz.

The evening included a short introduction to the contributions of jazz to shedding light on injustice and advocating for equality in America, offered by Professor Maurice Jackson, Associate Professor of History and African American Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He reflected on Ellington’s legacy as a global ambassador performing international jazz concerts with compositions that celebrated Black history and culture, and honored African American heroes like Martin Luther King, Jr. Ellington’s legacy was recognized with a US Presidential Medal of Freedom, said Dr. Jackson, a fitting tribute to a musician and activist  “influenced by the desire for freedom.” 

For more information on upcoming events at GU-Q, please visit the website at https://www.qatar.georgetown.edu/news-events/