Morocco Mission

Third Way intends to connect those who are working to ease the burden of our challenging times, first by bringing musicians together to support album creation, second by building a strong connection between musicians and community organizations, and third by advancing travel missions that allow musicians to share their experiences.

Third Way ambassador Jamaaladeen Tacuma believes that music has the profound ability to be a bridge across cultures that unites humanity, and has recorded, performed and collaborated with musicians on nearly every continent. In the spring of 2024 he brought Philadelphia musician Paul Geiss, and singer, improviser and composer Randi Pontoppidan - to Essaouira, Morocco to explore more connections. While we view our world as small and connected these days, there are many great divides in culture and understanding.

The Morocco mission was a revelation to Geiss, who felt the energy of the Gnaoua culture the moment he arrived. Eager to communicate with locals, he found himself performing with musicians in small shops, on the street, and in the studio. His connection with Randi Pontoppidan also deepened his understanding of yet another culture, and everyone found the baseline of music as a common interest.

Jamaaladeen has graciously opened his network to Third Way, and will opened connections for further music exploration between Morocco and the world.