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Mahogany Jones-LIVE Delights Ugandan Audiences

Mahogany Jones- LIVE, the Hip Hop/ Spoken Word group hailing from Detroit, Michigan, has been delighting Ugandan audiences for the past week.  The group performed at the National Theatre on Monday night, at the Ambassador residence on Tuesday evening, in Gulu on Wednesday, and gave a series of workshops to music students, traditional musicians at the Ndere Cultural Centre, and Ugandan hip-hop artists.

Mahogany Jones- LIVE was selected from a pool of nearly 300 applicants to travel abroad and promote cross-cultural understanding through the U.S. Department of State’s American Music Abroad program.  Mahogany Jones-LIVE brings together an eclectic blend of Hip Hop, Spoken Word, Soul and Electro Pop to craft a sound that is intimate and soulful, yet assertive.  

Mahogany Jones-LIVE mixes elements of Hip Hop and Spoken Word, which are deftly combined with live instruments to form a unique style and sound.  The group is led by the artist Mahogany Jones, who was the four-time undefeated Champion of BET’s 106 & Park’s “Freestyle Friday’s” in 2001, and is also the co- host of 5e’ The Foundation Open Mic, which celebrates women in hip hop. 

The Association of American Voices has presented concerts, workshops and master classes, and summer youth performing arts academies in 110 countries over the past two decades. With a focus on nations emerging from conflict or isolation, American Voices has taken its unique brand of cultural engagement programs, Jazz Bridges, YES Academy and Hiplomacy, to nations such as Iraq, Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan. In 2010, the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD) selected American Voices as a “Best Practice Organization” in recognition of its work in cultural engagement.

Prior to coming to Uganda, the group performed in Zambia and Botswana.  Upon departure, the group travels to Rwanda and Ethiopia.