With support from Expedia, this week distinguished Louisiana musicians Adonis Rose, Sean Ardoin, and Aurora Nealand Music joined the Jazz & Heritage team in Colombia and undertook a musical exploration and exchange in Cali to discover connections between New Orleans and Colombia! The team collaborated with maestra Nidia Góngora, Colombian musical royalty and founder of Fundación Escuela Canalón, a tuition-free music youth music education program. The program, akin to our own New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation's Heritage School of Music, is free of charge and conducts multiple weekly classes, supporting the mission to preserve cultural traditions by teaching music native to the students’ homeland. The students are trained in traditional Pacific instruments, and their performances underscore a commitment to maintaining their musical heritage! Góngora is known for founding Canalón de Timbiquí and contributing her voice to various music projects. Her work represents a blend of Colombian traditional music with global genres, earning her a Latin Grammy nomination in 2019. During the visit, the team witnessed how music fuels creativity and cultural pride among students in Góngora's program. This inspiring visit allowed them to see Nidia’s vision of inspiring and nurturing young talent while ensuring that the traditions of the Afro-Colombian community continue to thrive. In addition to their exploration of Cali, Adonis, Sean and Aurora experienced the Petronio Álvarez Festival, and collaborated with Colombian musicians Waides (Batambora), Professor Jorge Otero (Banda Armonias), and Georgia Uribe to record two songs that brought the musical traditions together. Sean, Adonis, and Gregorio also recorded a track to be released in the coming months. As Aurora Nealand said, we can't wait to see how the seeds grow from this exchange! 🇺🇸 x 🇨🇴
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