A US official is taking a novel approach to diplomacy in Pakistan — singing in a local language to build bridges in one of the world’s most dangerous countries, where anti-Americanism runs rampant.

The song starts with guitar and then Rabab, coupled with a melodious voice. It is a Pashto song but the accent is American.

The famous China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra made its India debut to a thunderous applause from a housefull audience at Mumbai’s Ravindra Natya Mandir on Friday. The performance, as part of the India-China Music Festival 2012, will be repeated at the Siri Fort auditorium in Delhi on November 27.

In bizarre news of the day, the U.S. Department of State of has named Andrew W.K. the Cultural Ambassador to the Middle East. "This is a tremendous invitation," W.K. said in a statement on his website. "I'm very thankful to the Department of State for giving me the opportunity to visit a place I've never been before."

The members of the band Della Mae come from all over the United States: Vermont, South Carolina, Colorado, Wyoming and Washington State. And they are steeped in the Appalachian bluegrass tradition. You can’t get much more American than that. Perhaps that’s why the US State Department selected Della Mae to be America’s cultural ambassadors to Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The band calls it their “‘Stan Tour.”

Congolese music giant Pascal Tabu Ley Rochereau is in Kinshasa to accept an award for his contribution to the country's rich heritage and cultural diplomacy. The performer, whose popular hits like Muzina, Maze and Sorozo rocked millions of fans in Africa, is a celebrated musician, whose songs continue to enjoy airplay years after they were

Act of Congress (AOC), an American acoustic band, wowed Manila’s band enthusiasts when it recently performed in Metro Manila and Bulacan. The band hails from Birmingham, Alabama, and is recognized for its invaluable experience in music education. Voted one of the must-see acts of Alabama, it was featured in the prestigious 2011 Year of Alabama Music.