Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

Your Majesty
Honourable Ministers
Excellencies
Directors of the Prince Claus Fund
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with gratitude and admiration that I participate in this event today. It gives me the opportunity to express publicly the enormous respect in which I hold Prince Claus, and the very great importance I attach to the work of the Prince Claus Fund. I am saddened that Prince Claus cannot be with us tonight, and I am sure that all of you will join me in requesting Her Majesty The Queen to convey to His Royal Highness our warmest regards and best wishes.

I am here to speak briefly about Central Asia. I wanted to share with you some of the reasons why the theme of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival this year is so important.

At the first of a hallmark series of festivals to be held in Asia, Europe and North America, the renowned American cellist Yo-Yo Ma led a distinguished international group of musicians, artists and scholars from the Silk Road Project last night in introducing European audiences to a major element of the Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia, a multi-year project to foster the revitalisation of traditional music in Central Asia.

At the first of a hallmark series of festivals to be held in Asia, Europe and North America, the renowned American cellist Yo-Yo Ma led a distinguished international group of musicians, artists and scholars from the Silk Road Project last night in introducing European audiences to a major element of the Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia, a multi-year project to foster the revitalisation of traditional music in Central Asia.