The Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe rock band 'Flagship' conducted an outdoor performance for the Colin Powell Center at the Theatre de Verdure de Pekine in Pikine Nord, Senegal on October 10, 2009.



Flagship is in Senegal in support of the first European-led Africa Partnership Station (APS) deployment aboard the Dutch amphibious ship HNLMS Johan De Witt (L 801).



The Colin Powell Center works in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy and sponsors local organizations and groups throughout the area including a library, three kindergarten classrooms and the Theatre de Verdure de Pekine, a cultural arts and recreation center that sponsors art programs for troubled youths.



"The performance was excellent. It was a great treat for us to have the Americans here," said Abdoulage Guisse, Theatre de Verdue de Pekine's president and founder. "This is the first time any of us have seen American music performed live. It provides a great opportunity for the children to experience a different culture."



This concert is just one in a series of performances by Flagship occurring throughout Senegal and the west coast of Africa. The band is embarked aboard Johan De Witt and will visit Cape Verde, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal and Sierra Leone during this deployment.



"The band strives to bridge the gap between different cultures by using one of the world's universal languages, music," said U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Michael Maschmeier, operations coordinator for Flagship. "I am amazed at the power that music has on people. Watching the audience, both young and old, enjoy the performance was truly amazing and humbling at the same time."



Johan De Witt, a landing platform dock amphibious ship homeported in Den Helder, Netherlands, is the first non-U.S. ship to execute an APS deployment. APS, a U.S. Navy original initiative, is an international effort aimed at improving maritime safety and security for the continent of Africa through training and other collaborative activities with African partner countries.