Barbadian drummer begins U.S. music exchange

The U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown has announced that on April 15 Barbadian musician Juanita Clarke travelled to the United States to participate in the U.S. Embassy’s OneBeat program.

Clarke is the 2020 finalist from Barbados, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the programme was postponed until this month.

Known as Juanz in music circles, she is an energetic and versatile 29-year-old session drummer and percussionist.

Clarke was selected for her demonstrated passion for rhythm and drums and her ability to move easily among several genres including reggae, soca, latin, pop and jazz.

Juanz is a pioneer for other female drummers, and she will spend the next four weeks in the United States making music with artists around the world at the Atlantic Center for The Arts in New Smyrna Beach Florida.

OneBeat is an international music exchange that celebrates musical collaboration and social engagement through innovative people-to-people diplomacy.  Tt brings together young musicians from around the globe to collaboratively write, produce, and perform original music, and develop ways that music can make a positive impact on our local and global communities.

This ninth edition of OneBeat will bring together 21 diverse artists from 12 countries and territories under the theme of Sonic Imaginaries.  This is the first time OneBeat will feature a Barbadian participant.