State Dinner Honoring Kenya Featuring Country Star Brad Paisley and Gospel Music – Metro US

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is hosting one of its largest state dinners ever for Kenyan President William Ruto, tapping into the African leader’s tastes by showcasing two uniquely American music types: gospel and country.

Thursday night’s dinner in a pavilion on the South Lawn will include performances by country star Brad Paisley and the gospel choir from Howard University in Washington. The menu includes fruitwood smoked beef ribs, poached lobster, chilled tomato soup and a white chocolate basket.

It is the first White House state dinner for an African nation since 2008, and President Joe Biden is expecting up to 500 guests. It is the sixth and largest state dinner that his government has organized.

The festivities are part of the government’s efforts to build ties with Africa.

Biden failed to deliver on his promise to visit the continent last year, but this week he said he plans to visit the continent “in February, after I’m re-elected” – a show of optimism about his prospects at the elections in November.

State dinners are an important tool of American diplomacy, reserved for America’s most important allies. It comes at a vulnerable time for Washington’s relationship with Africa, following a coup in Niger, in which the military government ordered US troops to withdraw from that country, and amid attempts by China and Russia to strengthen their African political and expand economic influence.

Ruto is on a three-day state visit as his East African country prepares to send troops to Haiti as part of UN-led efforts to calm the spiraling security crisis there.

First lady Jill Biden said the dinner entertainment was chosen to honor Ruto and his wife, Rachel’s “love of gospel and country music.”

Gospel music has its origins in the American South and evolved from musical traditions of Africa and hymns that enslaved people sang. Country music’s roots trace back to the American South and West and were influenced by a variety of sounds, including Appalachian, folk and African music.

The dinner decor includes fuchsia and purple African orchids and American roses. That’s a combination that symbolizes the enduring friendship between the U.S. and Kenya, the first lady said, recalling her own visit to Kenya as part of a five-day, two-country African tour in 2023.

The setting in a transparent pavilion was intended to give guests a view of the setting sun and the Washington Monument. More than 1,000 candles were placed along the walls of the pavilion, while a hanging centerpiece with 15,000 layered reflective metal strips enhanced the candlelight.

Kenya last had a state dinner at the White House in 2003. No African country has ever had such a dinner since President George W. Bush honored Ghanaian President John Kufuor five years later.

“It’s long overdue,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

The Bidens previously hosted post-pandemic state dinners for France, South Korea and India – with the Biden administration’s previous attendance count of nearly 400 guests – as well as Australia in October and Japan last month.