The five-member music collective LADAMA — María Fernanda González, a bandola llanera player from Venezuela; Daniela Serna, a percussionist and composer from Colombia; Lara Klaus, a percussionist and composer from Brazil; Sara Lucas, a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter living in Brooklyn; and Aurora Nealand, a saxophonist and composer from New Orleans — is heading off on a South American tour in February and March of 2016.
They plan to offer free workshops and public performances to youth and women in towns and cities in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. The goal is to provide creative, interactive spaces where the participants can improvise lyrics and melodies — with or without the use of conventional instruments — and learn the basics of recording and what it means to be a touring musician, writer, producer, and educator.
More than anything, LADAMA hopes to empower youth and women, draw out the personal voice of each participant, and help them “use personal expression to address issues pertinent to them.” Support their tour here.