Lumut, Malaysia – U.S. Navy Musician 2nd Class Jesse Chaves, hailing from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, recently took the stage in Lumut, Malaysia. While showcasing his talent, he waved to a crowd of international allies during a special concert hosted by the U.S. 7th Fleet Band, demonstrating how music serves as a universal language that can unite people from diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and passions.
The concert, part of the biennial Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise, was a vibrant collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Badan Kesenian (BAKES) ensemble. Held on November 3, 2024, the joint concert demonstrated how music can transcend language and cultural barriers to build camaraderie among allied forces.
CARAT Malaysia 2024, celebrating its 30th year, is dedicated to strengthening regional security partnerships across the Indo-Pacific region. This year’s focus on maritime collaboration brings together U.S. and Malaysian naval forces to address mutual security challenges. The joint concert between the U.S. and Malaysian naval musicians illustrated how shared efforts can take many forms, with music offering a unique bridge to enhance unity and bolster morale.
Located about 52 miles southwest of Ipoh, Malaysia, Lumut is home to the headquarters of the Royal Malaysian Navy and is a vital maritime hub. The town is known for its access to Pangkor Island and its shipbuilding prowess through Boustead, Malaysia’s largest naval shipbuilder. Against this strategic backdrop, the concert showcased the cultural side of military cooperation, with U.S. Navy musicians supporting longstanding diplomatic ties through their performances.
For the U.S. Navy, music has long played a role in fostering morale and demonstrating the Navy’s values worldwide. The tradition dates back to the Shantyman’s Songs, early Navy tunes that helped establish a shipboard culture of unity. In fact, the Navy has been training musicians for over a century, with its first fleet music school founded in Virginia in 1903. Today, the U.S. Navy maintains 11 bands globally, performing in military ceremonies, public shows, and international events like CARAT.
Chaves’s participation in CARAT Malaysia 2024 highlights the essential role of military musicians in supporting the Navy’s presence worldwide, both as artists and as representatives of their country. Through each note, Chaves and his fellow musicians brought a touch of Murfreesboro to Malaysia, contributing to a successful exercise aimed at promoting peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific.
