Life-Changing Stories

Last January, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) launched the first season of 22.33. 

22.33 is an audio podcast produced by ECA's Collaboratory, a team of creative professionals that works with domestic offices and embassies around the world to design innovative public diplomacy programs. Every Friday, 22.33 features first-person narratives and anecdotes from people who have been involved with ECA's exchange programs across the globe. 

Below, we feature 22.33's latest episode, "On a Quest for Duende (with Carla Canales)," which narrates the story of how classically-trained opera soprano Carla Canales shared her music as an American Arts Envoy abroad.

"I believe that artists should be at the table next to the politicians, the diplomats. it's very powerful when you can approach a group and say let's come together...not just at the level of the intellect but at the level of the heart and soul," shares Carla. "To me, the importance of culture is that it is through culture that we can examine and contemplate, and perhaps even change our belief systems."

You can find the original episode and the entirety of season one of 22.33 here.