“Yo-Yo Ma is out to change the world through music, and next weekend that mission will take the renowned cellist to Laredo and Nuevo Laredo” on opposite sides of the Rio Grande during Ma’s 36-city Bach Project tour, writes Cat Cardenas on Friday (4/5) at Texas Monthly. “Ma hopes his performance in the middle of the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge will highlight how so much more unites American and Mexican cultures than divides them…. Beginning at 9 a.m. April 13, Ma will perform on the bridge before going to Nuevo Laredo, where he’ll meet with music students. Afterward he’ll cross back into Laredo and participate in a conversation about culture and connection…. The day’s events will culminate with a [celebration] at Tres Laredos Park, where students, environmental groups, musicians, and dancers will [showcase] the blended culture of the border region…. Though the city of Laredo is eager to show that it’s more than just a border town, its proximity to Mexico is a crucial part of its identity…. The crossing is … a critical lifeline between the two cities.” Laredo Philharmonic Music Director Brendan Townsend says Ma is “most interested in bringing communities together and seeing how they connect with culture.”
Posted April 10, 2019
