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Yo-Yo Ma To Play Texas’ International Bridge Amid Wall Controversy

Yo-Yo Ma To Play Texas' International Bridge Amid Wall Controversy
World Economic Forum from Cologny, Switzerland [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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LAREDO, Texas (CelebrityAccess) Yo-Yo Ma is expected next weekend to head to the border between Texas and Mexico to soothe reported tensions between those who live on either side of the Rio Grande.

With the media coverage of immigration and how to handle it at an all-time high, the famed cellist is hoping that a performance at Laredo’s Gateway to the Americas International Bridge will highlight what unifies American and Mexican cultures rather than what divides them, according to the Texas Monthly.

For the past two years, Ma has been performing all six cello suites by Johann Sebastian Bach in 36 cities across the world. The “Bach Project” includes a “Day of Action” where the cellist meets with community leaders and artists, hosting public conversations and creative experiences.

On April 13, Ma is expected to perform on the bridge before going to Nuevo Laredo where he will meet with music students. Then he plans to cross the bridge back to Laredo and have a conversation at the Laredo Center for the Arts, according to Texas Monthly. The day is scheduled to wrap with a pachanga at Tres Laredos Park, where a blend of American and Mexican cultures will include students, environmental groups, musicians and dancers.

“All of this is more about culture than it is the arts,” Brendan Townsend, music director of the Laredo Philharmonic, told the paper. “This is about communicating the really great parts of our community that the rest of the world doesn’t always see.” Many groups, from ballet folklórico dancers to car clubs, have reached out to see how they could help with the event or get involved.

 

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