Secretary of State Colin Powell, right, with jazz artist Ravi Coltrane at the State Department press conference on Dec. 14, when Powell announced the ‘2005 India Jazz and Heritage Tour: Indians and Americans Together Against HIV/AIDS.’ (Photo: AFP)

Secretary of State Colin Powell on Dec. 14 launched the 2005 India Jazz and Heritage Tour at the State Department.

Attended by among others, Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen, executives from Black Entertainment Television (BET), jazz greats Earl Klugh and Ravi Coltrane, the event kicked off the ‘2005 India Jazz and Heritage Tour: Indians and Americans Together Against HIV/AIDS.’

The State Department is partnering with the BET Jazz Channel, MTV-India and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz to sponsor concerts, master classes and HIV/AIDS outreach progr-ams in Mumbai and New Delhi on Jan. 13-19.

Earl Klugh and Ravi Coltrane will join Al Jarreau, George Duke and graduate jazz students from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz for the tour.

“Those of us in government who are working in programs like this, we need dedicated partners like you all to help us advance the fight against HIV/AIDS in India, here in the United States and elsewhere in the world. HIV/AIDS is the worst weapon of mass destruction on the face of the earth,” Powell said in hisng remarks.

The tour, he said, would accomplish much more than the fight against AIDS in the largest democracy. “Music, especially jazz music, has the power to lift the human spirit in its quest to overcome adversity. Jazz was born from the American people’s struggle to conquer prejudice and stigma in our society,” he noted, adding that the struggle continues to this day.

“And when our community is suffering, whether it’s our community here in the United States or our community in India or elsewhere in the world, whether from sickness or oppression, we have a moral obligation to do everything we can to help,” said Powell.

Today, HIV/AIDS is ravaging communities everywhere, killing over 8,000 people every single day, he noted. “This pandemic affects countries all across the globe, and it is taking a particularly grim toll in India. So many Indians have died already. And we must do everything we can to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS in this great nation.”

Powell also thanked Dinaz Patel of Air-India which is also contributing to the Tour.