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| Taj Mahal and Carole Fredericks: James Dodge Advocacy Awards The Award Committee of the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages selected Taj Mahal and the late Carole Fredericks as recipients of the 2005 James W. Dodge Advocacy Award. Fredericks is honored for her 22-year music career in France. Like the legendary entertainer Josephine Baker, she has emerged as one of France's most admired African American performers. Taj Mahal is recognized for his cross-cultural collaborations characterized by a distinctive blend of country blues with French, Caribbean, Latin and African rhythms. Taj Mahal and Carole Fredericks are the first musicians to receive the Dodge Advocacy Award as well as the first siblings to receive this distinction. The Dodge Advocacy Award recognizes an outstanding advocate of language and culture study outside the foreign language teaching profession. The Award is presented annually at the Northeast Conference and usually given to business, political and academic leaders. Nancy Gadbois, 2006 Northeast Conference Chairperson stated, "Music is as a powerful learning motivator for students on all levels of education from middle school through the university. But Carole's journey in France adds an inspirational element that is unique. Students see her as someone who was brave enough and curious enough about others to go to France and learn the language so she could live there as a musician and sing in French." Grammy winner and the Official Blues Artist of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Taj Mahal has attracted a worldwide listening audience. Mahal has an abiding interest in musical discovery, particularly in tracing many American musical forms back to their roots in Africa and Europe. The Award recognizes their creation of multicultural music and their promotion of the advantages of knowing other cultures through the study of language. "Both Carole and Taj help foreign language teachers do the difficult work of showing Americans that their language and culture are not the archetypical 'norm' against which all other languages and societies should be judged, " continued Gadbois. With this landmark recognition, Carole Fredericks and Taj Mahal join previous distinguished recipients including former President Jimmy Carter, Sesame Street, Senator Paul Simon, Representative Rush Holt, and Fred Hechinger, among others. Taj Mahal will perform a short concert following the Awards Ceremony during NECTFL's Opening General Session, Friday, March 31 in the Marriott's Broadway Ballroom. Connie Fredericks-Malone, the sister of Mr. Mahal and Ms. Fredericks, will introduce the performance. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |