ADVANCING CULTURAL DIPLOMACY THROUGH CHORAL PERFORMANCES: PERSPECTIVE ON THE MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY CHOIR TOUR OF WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES IN 2023

Cultural diplomacy has been known for its role in promoting transnational dialogue between cultures and nation of the world, via exchange of cultural ideas, philosophy, works of arts and language. The Morgan State University Choir visit to Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and Benin republic expressed great potential of choral works and performance groups in enhancing intercultural relationships, acceptance and exchange of cultural values among nations. The study examined the efficiency of choral group’s performances as tool for cultural diplomacy. Emphasis was on combined performances by chorals of different nations. This work also examined cultural interactions among these choral groups and some selected repertoires they performed as a groups. Methods for data collections include library research, interview, internet sources and personal observation. Findings provide that music performances possess strong potentials for instigating cultural collaboration, negotiation and interaction. The tentative conclusion is that music performance is an effective tool for enhancing cultural diplomacy among nations of the world.