Friday, June 24, 2016

Guitar virtuoso Stephane Wrembel Concerts in Lagos - June 27-30

The U.S. Mission to Nigeria is proud to bring you - from America by way of France – guitar virtuoso Stephane Wrembel next week! Wrembel, joined by co-guitarist Thor Jensen, will perform in Lagos, June 27-30.

 Among many achievements, the Brooklyn-based Wrembel composed the score for the 2012 Academy Award winning film Midnight in Paris, and appeared live on The Oscars 2016: 88th Academy Awards ceremony telecast. Wrembel learned his craft among Gypsies in the French countryside, and is expanding on his many other influences to make a mark as an original guitar voice in contemporary music. His musical accomplice, Thor Jensen, is also a longtime student of jazz, including the music of Django Reinhardt, and rock and roll.

 Wrembel and Jensen will take the concert stage with Nigeria’s own powerhouse collective Prudence, in these venues:

  •  June 27: SPAN Jazz Academy Masterclass, 10:00 am (By Invitation only)
  •  June 28: MUSON Center, Agip Recital Hall, 6:00 pm (Open to the public)
  •  June 29: University of Lagos, Main auditorium, 5:30 pm (Open to the public)
  •  June 30: Classic FM 97.3: streaming live at www.classic97.net, 9:00 am 
Read Stephane’s complete biography, please click the link: http://goo.gl/XVhrHb.
Watch one of his live performances via the link below: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUnBY8PNB8U

Thursday, June 23, 2016

The America You Don’t See on CNN

Anytime I think of the United States, what comes to my mind are the following: a beautiful and charming country where skyscrapers surrounds the cities and towers are used as fences, a country where children don’t see sand except in their school labs, a country where everyone has equal opportunities and poverty is not an issue, a country without challenges, a country filled with milk and honey flowing all over the streets for everyone to savor.  This is what CNN and Hollywood show us.


Friday, June 10, 2016

Mentoring Future Journalists

IVLP Alumni L-R Lydia Samson and Evelyn Onyilo
One of the founding fathers of the United States and principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, stated, “Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.” This quote underscores the role of the press in the development of a healthy democratic process. To encourage young people to aspire for a successful career in journalism, the Abuja chapter of International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Alumni Association organized a mentoring program for young Nigerians at the U.S. Embassy. Media personalities, who benefited from the IVLP, including distinguished journalists Evelyn Onyilo and Lydia Samson, led the conversation.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

“To Kill a Mockingbird”


Every month, students and staff of EducationUSA Advising Center Abuja select, read, and meet to discuss a particular book. The book for the month of March was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The Pulitzer Prize winning book is one of the books recommended for college-bound students in the United States. A coming-of-age novel, it borders around the reasoning behind human behavior, innocence, justice systems, and racial issues.