June 30
Exciting News……WE’RE HOME!!!
Thanks to the US Department of State, US Embassy in Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Georgia, and Jazz at Lincoln Center!
Check back in coming days for more video footage and photos.
The Melvin Williams Group (Smithdale, Mississippi) creates a raw and high-energy sound that is uplifting and inspiring. GRAMMY® Award nominee Melvin Williams, and his group bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary gospel music. This ensemble infuses its music with gospel, soul, jazz, hip hop, and classical selections. The Melvin Williams Group delivers emotion filled performances in all of its shows. The group is inspired by the opportunity to share its passion for traditional gospel and other music to all audiences.
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June 29
June 29
Last concert of the tour…the Independence Day Celebration that was rescheduled so that we, The Melvin Williams Group, could attend…yes, we feel special 
First the welcome receiving line, then photos with U.S. Ambassador John Bass and his wife, Holly. Next the extremely large cake procession and more photos with Ambassador and wife…mingling, talking, food and drink…speeches, mingling, etc…
Off to the green room, on in 30 minutes….check back
Our goal: to get the dignitaries to loosen their tie…sing and dance to “You”…”Cooling Water”…..
Well, we met our goal and more…”Turn to your neighbor and say ‘we’re gonna have a Gospel party’…let me hear you scream”… It’s on…the sun is shining. The ties are loosen. They approach the stage and sing “Cooling Water. Cooling Water. Cooling Water from grandma’s well.”
More photos….it’s a wrap!
Check back tomorrow for some very exciting news!!!! Until then….peace!
June 28
June 28
Concert at the Amphitheater today was a blast! Singing and dancing! Several people from the audience joined us on stage for “Love, Love, Love, Love, Love” and a lil’ “Cooling Water”…one more concert tomorrow at the Ambassadors Bass’ for an early Independence Day Celebration.
June 27
June 27
Well, it’s a new day…eating tbe B.R.A.T. Diet today…don’t want to take any chances…(Bananas Rice Applesauce Toast) and more electrolyte…concert not ’till 5p but we’re headed to the TV studio for the LIVE morning show for interview and “Cooling Water”…5 million viewers ya’ll…then back to the hotel for a little more rest…check back…
Well it’s 4p and We’re (Melvin, Bridget and Andre) feeling much better…Castro still having the last laugh…”we should’ve eaten French fries”….
Off to the Seravoni Village…it’s outdoor, warm but windy…check back…
Concert was amazing! The smiles on the audiences’ face is priceless. If just for today, we brought joy to many…you see, the Seravoni Village is a population of about 30,000 refugees from the Georgia-Russian War of 2008. They lost there homes and farmland and had to start over. Starting over is never easy; but with a little Gospel music bringing the Good News that inspires and encourages strength, love, community, endurance, joy, love, etc…If just for today, we brought joy to many in the Seravoni Village!
June 26
June 26
Travel day…up since 4a…on to Tbilisi, Georgia…it’s almost the end of the tour and GUESS WHAT?
Melvin, Andre and Bridget have a stomach virus…awgh! They should have followed Castro’s “French fries” diet….working on getting imodium, pepcid, maalox, and some electrolytes in their system…
Embassy PAO arrived with bottles of Gatorade, more medicine and water…this should help get their systems back in order…ttyl
June 25
June 25
Well its 8:20a and we’re flying to Dasoguz this morning…workshop and concert…we’re given a local paper with our photo advertising tonight’s event…we’re at the concert hall for sound check…check back in a few…
We’ve been told that not many people can get invited for Visa’s to come to Turkmenistan…the Presidents himself must approve all entries…They’ve had several Jazz musicians over the years but never Gospel….they didn’t really know Gospel music at all…Bono and U2 were denied entry…others were denied entry as well…but the Good News is always on time!!!! Gospel Music is a hit in Turkmenistan…from Turkmenabat (borders Afghanistan) to Ashgabat (borders Iran) to Dasoguz (borders Pakistan)…Gospel music from the heart speaks to the heart!!!!!
Back to Ashgabat for a 6:00a flight to Istanbul, Turkey then on to Tbilisi, Georgia…
June 24
June 24
Workshop and concert in Ashgabat today…
…the venue is huge, the digital billboard 12 ft x 24 ft has been promoting the concert for weeks, the Turkmen newspaper of 5 million readers has posted advertisement and a 24 ft x 32 ft banner hangs…the concert hall is jammed pack…the people are pushing the doors…they let more people in…it’s standing room only…they’re all in the aisle…excited and anxious! But we have security tonight…about 20 suited guys…we wont get mobbed tonight…As they call us to the stage, a rousing applause erupts….we give them God’s music from our heart every night and they give us love and appreciation back. We’re told this has never happened before, the response from the audience has shocked them…this is the best concert ever! The audience runs to the front of the stage. They clapped, sang and danced to the “drive”…they swayed to Dre’s inspirational songs…Melvin had the audience singing…they rocked to Casto’s guitar solo on his knees…they danced to Bridget’s tambourines…and wet wild on “You” as the music bumped the speakers…Castro and Melvin jumped on top the speakers and electrified the audience even more…
As the concert ended, autographs and photos…but this time the organizers were prepared for such an outpouring of support…they announced we were coming out front while they slipped us through the side door…it worked only for a short time as they soon discovered we were at the side exit…a crowd of screaming fans came running from around the corner…but, the staff maintained control…
Btw, a big hit throughout the total nine weeks was Will.i.am or Lil Wayne or Coolio…Cat’s dreads were touched, pulled, yanked…etc…check back for tomorrow’s blog as we fly to Dasoguz, Turkmenistan….
June 23
June 23
Reception at Ambassador Patterson’s home…All the big wigs here y’all…Turkmen Foreign Minister, Ambassador of United Arab Emrates and Dubai in their sheik wear, the top oil corporate businessmen….the Ambasador reschedule the reception so that The Melvin Williams Group would be there….it was the newly appointed Ambassador Patterson’ first Official Reception…God just open the doors, windows and blew the roof off…he moving y’all…we’ve just eel invited to another continent!!!!
June 22
June 22
Arrived in Ashkabhat, Turkmenistan 10 o’clock last night…settled in hotel ’round 12:30a…have a 10a flight to Turkmenabhat for 2 Gospel music workshops and concert before flying back to Ashkabhat…time for take off….long day ahead
1st workshop…full theater of music students eagerly learning the history of Gospel music…you know what’s next…He is consistent y’all…God moves through us and reaches the hearts of every person as they clap, sing, and keep time on the percussions we hand out….drum sticks, tambourines, wood block, etc….the young ladies are just as eager as the gentleman. A student shares a jazz selection with us and we join him with Gospel improvisation.
Next, to the American Corner…this is a center where local kids meet to learn English from the US Peace Corp Volunteers…we’re told they’re are anxious for us to come talk with them…immediately we begin to discuss the emotion, the passion, and the message of Gospel music…the percussion instruments are a guaranteed hit with the kids…
1 1/2 hr break…so they take us to a local apartment for downtime…check it out…just enough time to take a catnap before the concert…
God’s moving…capacity of theater approximately 800…it’s standing room only…they have to closed the door for safety…many are turned away…as the concert begins, the audience is immediately with us….shouting on their feet…the energy in this concert hall is electrifying!!!! Now you know, once again we were told that Turkmen are reserved..yet, this concert was truly one of the best yet. From the very beginning, they were on their feet…let me hear you scream!!!!! Dancing, shouting, “LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!” rang throughout the concert hall….standing ovations, the audience ran to the stage, reaching out to touch us…powerful, full of energy…the kids rush the stage for on last song…JUMP! JUMP!
Oh, that’s not the best of it…as we left the building, we we’re mobbed for autographs and photos…Castro got pulled on way, Dre the opposite…the staff took Melvin a different direction as Bridget lagged behind smothered by a sea of concert goers…as the car arrived, Dre and Cat started running for the van as the crowd ran behind them screaming “I Love You!”. As they looked for Melvin, he was smothered by a sea of people shoving papers in his face for an autograph “I can’t see…one at a time…I can’t see”. Security grabbed his hat and arm as they pulled at his shirt and shouted “We Love You!”. The photographer came to Bridget’s rescue as he shouted…”Get to the car!”. But as she tried, they blocked the van door and began to pull her away…the photographer pushed them away, opened door and Bridget climbed to safety where Castro just arrived. Next, Dre was brought to the van, then Melvin finally made it! It was exciting yet frightening! We laughed and joked about being mobbed! As the van pulled away, they ran alongside the van shouting, ” We Love You”…Melvin taunted them, opening the door as though he was going to get back out…the crowd went crazy! Cat and Dre were hanging out the window as the scream, “We Love You”!…as Melvin would say, “Turkmenabat was ‘off the chain’…it reminded us of the Beatles when they first came to America.
Melvin says: It remind him of the Beatles when they first came to America!
Dre says: It was crazy! Off the chain! Phenomenal!
Cat says: He feels like a South Asian European superstar!
Bridget says: I now understand why Michael Jackson was scared as a child!
June 21
June 21
Travel day…off to the mall for some KFC (YES!!!!) before heading to the airport…next stop, Turmenistan….(9 days left y’all)
