Turkish Embassy in Washington hosts jazz concert honoring Ertegün brothers

The Turkish Embassy in Washington hosted a jazz concert to honor Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegün, Turkish music producers who significantly contributed to the development of jazz in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s.

Hosted by Ambassador Sedat Önal and his wife Figen Önal, the event was supported by The Fund to Conserve U.S. Diplomatic Treasures Abroad. The program highlighted the legacy of Münir Ertegün, Turkey’s second ambassador to the U.S., whose remains were returned to Turkey via the USS Missouri in 1946.

The concert featured the JazzDC All-Stars led by Paul Carr and guest artist Lena Seikaly. Ambassador Önal noted that the event coincides with the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence and precedes the upcoming 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Turkey.