Oriented on making people closer

The Turkmenistan Cinema and Concert Center turned into the epicenter of American country rock last weekend: a sold-out concert by Jessica Lynn's band. The musicians, who visited Turkmenistan for the first time, brought with them not only fiery rhythms, but also an amazing family atmosphere.

At the pre-concert press conference, Jessica Lynn shared the secret of her success: her band is almost entirely a family affair. Her mother Victoria Kalamera plays the keyboard masterfully, her father Peter Kalamera holds the bass guitar, and guitarist Steven Sterpaci is Jessica's husband. The only exception is drummer Matt Bauer, a longtime friend of the family.

Having come from New York, where country rock is not mainstream, Jessica admitted that her love for the music of American farmers was instilled in her by her father since childhood. Over the ten years of its existence, the group has performed in twenty countries around the world, and everywhere their music has found a response from the public.

"This is our first time in Turkmenistan, and we were incredibly impressed by the cleanliness of your capital. It is felt that Ashgabat residents sincerely love their city," Jessica noted. She also spoke about an unexpected meeting: "Being a master's student and teaching online all over the world, I could not imagine that I would meet my student, Dovran Shammyev, on another continent."

From the very first chord, Jessica Lynn literally charmed the audience with her charm and open manner of communication. Optimistic, cheerful melodies of country rock became the perfect end to the work week, and the Ashgabat audience plunged into the world of American music with keen interest.

A real surprise for the audience was the appearance on stage of that very student -popular Turkmen singer Dovran Shammyev. In a duet with Jessica Lynn, he performed a medley of hits by Duffy, Amy Winehouse and Ray Charles, earning a stormy ovation. The musical impulse was so infectious that some of the spectators started dancing right in the aisles, and Jessica immediately picked up their rhythm, accompanying them on the drums.

The finale of the concert brought another bright moment: the American singer was joined by the famous Turkmen jazz singer Maysa Niyazova. Together they gave the audience a powerful performance of Shania Twain's popular song "I Have Everything It Takes to Be a Real Woman", which was again met with deafening applause.

The performances of the American rock band, organized by the US Embassy in Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, became a bright moment in the history of cultural cooperation between the two countries and a promise of new interesting meetings and impressions along the way.

Photo: turkmenistan.gov.tm