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Building international partnerships through music

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Jenn Pagnard
  • U.S. Air Force Band
Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C --  This week The U.S. Air Force Band has been honored to welcome international guest conductor Capt. Abiodoun Patrick Odjo from the Republic of Benin.

Odjo is the commander of the Music Squadron and Mobile Squadron for the National Gendarmerie in Benin. Prior to this position, he served as the commander of the Fourth Platoon, which supports security for the U.S. Ambassador's residence.

Odjo has been a member of the National Gendarmerie since 1996. From 1999 to 2003, he attended noncommissioned officer training.

Throughout his career, he has completed cadet training, as well as many other training courses including technical intervention and Advanced Gendarmerie training. 

Odjo was also involved in the United Nations Peace keeping Mission in Cote d'Ivoire in 2009.

He will be conducting the USAF Band's Concert Band in performance July 23 at the Bowie Center for Performing Arts, Bowie, Md., and July 24 on the west steps of the Capitol Building.

The theme for these concerts is "An International Celebration." The program will feature works by Britten and Wagner, as well as selections from Benin conducted by Odjo.

In the second half of the concert, the talents of the USAF Band's Singing Sergeants will be highlighted in an opera medley. 

USAF Band Commander and Conductor Col. Larry Lang spoke highly of this international collaboration, "This has been a very interesting and exciting exchange with Capt. Odjo. It's also been a wonderful international relationship-building opportunity for the Air Force."

Members of the band's officer staff were privileged to accompany Odjo to the Benin embassy to meet with Defense Attaché, Col. Pascal Tawes.
 
"It was clear throughout the meeting that Col. Tawes knows well the value of music as an international language, and the benefits of bringing two cultures together on a small level as a model for diplomacy on a much larger scale," said Maj. Scott Guidry, the band's director of operations.

In August, The USAF Band will host an international guest conductor from Ghana, Col. Sampson Paa-Kwesi Ebonyi, who is the director of music and bands of the Ghana Armed Forces.