Jâca, a clarinet and guitar duo, is at the forefront of a growing social consciousness in classical music. This Los Angeles-based pair — TCK clarinetist Wesley Ferreira and guitarist Jaxon Williams — aim to perform music at the highest level and move multicultural influences from backstage to center stage.
As culture itself isn’t specific to any country, rather it’s found within different communities of peoples, both Ferreira and Williams live multicultural lives. With Jâca, they mount engaging concerts that stimulate emotion, inspire imagination, and promote multicultural understanding and appreciation through music.
With a sound that highlights historic and present-day international influences in the field of classical music, Jâca’s goal is to give back to the communities it associates with through cultural exchange. Performing in different locations around the globe, this twosome employs music and storytelling to share cultural aspects from one locale with audiences at another.
To that end, the ensemble recently created the Jâca Cultural Exchange Program (JCEP), allowing them to capitalize on their position as touring musicians to forge deeper cultural connections and give back to the communities worldwide in which they perform. Their mission to promote “Music with Meaning” through JCEP is done via direct donations, sales of unique cultural collections from the artists’ travels, and a percentage of proceeds from Jâca merchandise.
Part of JCEP’s mission also includes supporting underserved musical communities all over the world, so each year, they choose one in need of financial support, donate 100 percent of the funds they’ve raised, and work with that community’s members to determine the best way to disperse the money.
How You Can Help
If JCEP’s mission is one that speaks to you, there are a few ways you can help support its goals:
- Donate directly to JCEP.
- Purchase a cultural item from one of the communities with which
Jâca has initiated a cultural exchange. (Purchases can be made post-concert.) - Purchase Jâca merchandise at one of their concerts.
Photos courtesy of jacamusic.com (R-L: Jaxon Williams, Wesley Ferreira)
Want to See Jâca Live? Upcoming Concert Dates Below:
Sunday, September 15
ARTCORE Concert Series — Casper, Wyoming, US
Monday, September 30
FESTIVAL THE WORLD MUSIC — Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
Sunday, October 27
FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE MUSICA — Loja, Ecuador
Friday, November 8
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON — Eugene, Oregon, USA
