Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Patricia Elkins | Musician 3rd Class Robert Novoa, lead vocalist of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa...... read more read more
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CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti (Dec. 14, 2024) – Aircraft, emergency vehicles and water crafts belonging to various Camp Lemonnier (CLDJ) tenants and allied nations sprinkle CLDJ’s flight line for the annual Partner Appreciation Day on a bright November morning in Djibouti, Africa.
Adults, children, U.S., Djiboutian and allied service members make their way to the ceremony location where Musician 3rd Class Robert Novoa, lead vocalist of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa Rock Band, Flagship, waits for his cue to kick off the opening ceremony with a performance of the Djiboutian and American national anthems, Nov. 20, 2024.
As Novoa starts to sing the Djiboutian anthem in its written language of Somali, several guests in the diverse crowd start to hum and sing along. The anthem continues and the voices grow and the power of music presents itself, bringing the allied nations together.
“Hearing the locals sing along and seeing how excited they were to have a U.S. service member learn and perform their anthem exemplified how music positively impacts unity and respect,” said Novoa.
The band later performed a high-energy concert of popular rock songs for the guests, encouraging them to sing and dance to the music.
“Seeing the joy we brought and the people singing along in those moments, made us feel more connected,” said Flagship lead keyboard, Musician 3rd Class Alyse Merry.
Flagship is one of seven performance groups that make up U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa Band. The genres of the performance groups range from current hits, R&B, rock and roll, classical and jazz to military and ceremonial. And with an area of responsibility that spans 105 countries, international collaborations and events are their specialty.
“When it comes to international partnerships, the band can play an intricate role that you might not expect,” said Flagship lead vocalist Musician 2nd Class Emily Kershaw.
“Our job as musicians in the Navy is to communicate anywhere where words cannot,” said Merry. “Language can be a huge barrier when trying to bridge gaps between cultures. By using music we can share common ground, even without words.”
U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.
Partner Appreciation Day, previously known as Allied Appreciation Day, is an annual event held on Camp Lemonnier that not only brings personnel of the host and allied nations together, but celebrates 22 years of partnership and stability.
Camp Lemonnier is an operational installation that enables U.S., allied and partner nation forces to be where they are needed to ensure security and protect U.S. interests. The installation provides world-class support for service members, transient U.S. assets and 36 local tenant commands. (U.S. Navy story by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Patricia Elkins)
| Date Taken: | 12.21.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.21.2024 03:24 |
| Story ID: | 488180 |
| Location: | DJ |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U.S. Navy Band Unites Through Music at Camp Lemonnier, by PO1 Patricia Elkins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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