Jazz Diplomacy: America's Conversation with the World, and with Itself
Event information
Jazz has long been more than a musical genre. During the Cold War, it became an instrument of U.S. cultural diplomacy, representing democratic ideals such as freedom, improvisation, and inclusion. Yet many of the musicians who carried this message abroad were African American artists confronting profound inequalities at home. Their international tours revealed not only the aspirations of American democracy, but also its tensions and contradictions.
This event explores jazz diplomacy as a practice of representation, honesty, and exchange. It examines how jazz came to embody democratic values, how musicians navigated the paradox of representing a divided society, and how diplomacy - like jazz itself - works best as a two-way conversation. The lecture also traces how global encounters reshaped the music, producing new forms that circulated back to the United States and beyond.
Drawing on historical insight and musical examples, the evening offers a reflection on music, civil rights, and the conduct of diplomacy - past and present.
Speakers
James Ketterer
Senior Fellow for Civic Engagement at Bard College. He has served on the U.S. National Security Council under President Clinton and most recently as Dean for Continuing Education at the American University in Cairo. He is a Trustee of The Swedish Program and a jazz musician.
Christian Danielsson
State Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office. He has held several senior roles within European affairs, including Head of the European Commission Representation in Sweden, Director-General for the European Commission's Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, and Deputy Secretary-General of the European Commission. He has also served as Sweden's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the European Union. Christian Danielsson is an alumnus of the Stockholm School of Economics.
Program
17:30-18:00 Registration
18:00-19:30 Lecture by James Ketterer, followed by reflections by State Secretary Christian Danielsson
19:30 Reception mingle with live jazz music in the SSE Atrium
The event is organized in collaboration with The Swedish Program, a U.S.-based nonprofit study abroad program affiliated with the Stockholm School of Economics - and the Center for Security and Resilience (CfSR) at SSE.