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Sirocco band shares common bond with Kyrgyz music students

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Olufemi Owolabi
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan --  The U.S. Air Forces Central Command Band Sirocco visited the Transit Center at Manas to entertain the Kyrgyz Abdraev Boarding School of Music as part of an eight-day tour of Kyrgyzstan from Nov. 12 -19.

This tour makes it the second time this year an AFCENT band entertainment team will be visiting the country.

The Kyrgyz citizens love for American-style music sparked when the Kyrgyz saw, Falcon, the first band team that performed in September 2009.
Local audiences couldn't get enough of the American music. So much so, that a second band, Sirocco, was sent to come and entertain children, adults and students in Kyrgyzstan.

"I have been here working for 20 years, and this is the first time an American band visited us," Dinara Kakasaeva, a piano teacher, who was a former student of Abdraev Boarding School. "We are honored and very impressed by the performance of the band. It feels so great to communicate with the Americans."

One of Ms. Kakasaeva's students, Ulan Joldoshbek, a 13-year-old piano student, said he liked the American music and Sirocco's songs very much.
"This is the first time I am seeing Americans in person; so I consider their visit as a good luck charm for me," he said. "I would love for the band to come back to our school."

During the show at the school of music, Sirocco band performed a variety of music ranging from rock, pop and oldies. The Sirocco vocalists, Tech. Sgt. Christin Foley and Airman 1st Class Clayton Lee, added more spice into the show through personal interaction with students and audience members.

"I liked the voice of the AFCENT Band vocalists," said Alina Satova, a 17-year-old violin student. "The band is very good. They are all great musicians, and they are different from other musicians I have seen."

The young violin player said hearing such music like this makes her feel really happy.

"I love music," she added. "Any time I play my musical instrument or hear any music, I feel relaxed. I love to play music because I can express ideas and thoughts through music."

According to the students' teacher, Ms. Kakasaeva, one could tell the students' love for the Americans and music in general by looking at the smiles on their faces. They clapped to every tune and they moved and danced. The students were also very fascinated every time the two singers came close to the children.

"Here in Kyrgyzstan, we love music. Music is life here," Ms. Kakasaeva said. "We cannot live without music. Its effects can be much unlimited, and it's eternal. Great musicians bring more light into the world."

After Sirocco took a little break, some of the best of the best students took the stage and showed their musical skills to the band and audience members by playing their komuz instruments.

"It meant a lot to our children to play in front of the band and the audience," Ms. Kakasaeva added.

When the show was over, all the children ran up the stage to get autographs and take photos with members of Sirocco.

"We are very happy to play for these wonderful and talented kids," said Tech. Sgt. Steve Wilson, a guitarist with Sirocco. "Music is a universal language; even though we didn't understand the language, we connected with them through music. It was fun playing for the children at the Abdraev Boarding School of Music."


Note: This is the first part of a two-part series article on U.S. AFCENT Sirocco Band's visit.