On Jan. 20, the Akron-based Zydeco band Mo’ Mojo will embark on its most extensive tour yet. The group will leave for a five-week tour of Belize, Panama, Barbados, Mexico, and Colombia as music ambassadors with American Music Abroad (AMA), a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs. The program’s goal is to “communicate America’s rich musical contributions to the global music scene as it fosters cross-cultural communication and people-to-people connection to global audiences.”
The band will not only perform concerts but it will also “engage with local traditional musicians, give lectures, demonstrations and workshops, as well as provide media appearances.” “We have always felt like we connect and communicate with our audiences locally, regionally, and nationally, but this takes it to a whole new level – and one where we can both share with and learn from these other cultures.” says Jennifer Maurer, the band’s leader, in a press release. “We will have times when we can’t speak the same language, but we’ll communicate together with music. We have already gotten a glimpse of that with our travels to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.”
The AMA selects just 10 acts each year to tour the world as music ambassadors. Find out more about each group that’s been selected here.
This article appears in Jan 7-13, 2015.
