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Passport Sessions

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Music With Roots. Sounds That Travel.

Est. 2010

Passport Sessions logo

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Passport Sessions in 2025!

These free concerts brought diverse sounds into the heart of Rochester - from Indigenous hip hop to Turkish orchestra music. We’ll be back in summer 2026 with more new sounds.

Lineup announcement coming spring 2026.

Passport Sessions is a summer music series that celebrates cultural connection through sound.

Each featured artist brings a distinctive musical tradition shaped by identity, heritage, and place. Styles range from hand-drummed rhythms and string traditions to vocal forms passed down across generations.

Performers share their work in two ways: through a free public concert at Thursdays Downtown, and through daytime performances for students in Rochester Public Schools’ Summer SACC (School Age Child Care) program.

This series invites audiences of all ages to listen, learn, and connect through music.

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***POSTPONED*** Gaëlle Wondje

MOIS DE LA FRANCOPHONIE - ROCHESTER

  • Intro Text AFMSP has invited Cameroonian musician Gaëlle Wondje’s to perform in Rochester! A vibrant performer and gifted musician, Gaëlle is known for her unique style, which blends the traditional Cameroonian sounds of makossa and bikutsi with bluesy ballads, jazz, and Afro Pop music. Just as with the merging of musical genres, Gaëlle will sing in multiple languages: French, English, and Beti languages. Throughout the concert, Gaëlle will engage the audience in a conversation that will explore the different styles of Cameroonian music and the inspirations that lead her to develop a musical style that is so exceptionally unique. 7pm doors, 8pm show - $10 at the door - $8 in advance (from afmsp.org)
  • Ticket Url https://afmsp.extranet-aec.com/events/detail/469
  • Artist Website URL https://gaellewondje.com/

***POSTPONED***

The health of our students, members and friends and the well-being of our community are top priories for the Alliance Française Mpls/St Paul. Regrettably, the Gaëlle Wondje concerts in both Rochester and Minneapolis will be postponed. 

 On March 20, the Rochester Art Center and Alliance Française, in partnership with the City of Rochester Music Department (Riverside Concerts), present a concert of Gaëlle Grâce WONDJE BANGA, known as Gaelle WONDJE, a Cameroonian singer.


Alliance Française Minneapolis/St. Paul has invited Cameroonian musician Gaëlle Wondje to perform in Rochester! A vibrant performer and gifted musician, Gaëlle is known for her unique style, which blends the traditional Cameroonian sounds of makossa and bikutsi with bluesy ballads, jazz, and Afro Pop music. Just as with the merging of musical genres, Gaëlle will sing in multiple languages: French, English, and Beti languages. Throughout the concert, Gaëlle will engage the audience in a conversation that will explore the different styles of Cameroonian music and the inspirations that lead her to develop a musical style that is so exceptionally unique. Don’t miss this extraordinary musical event!

TICKETS: $10 at the door - $8 in advance (from afmsp.org) 7pm doors, 8pm show

Each March, more than 33 million people around the world celebrate Le Mois de la Francophonie, or the Month of French Speaking. This global initiative highlights the diversity of French-speaking cultures. As part of this tradition, the Twin Cities’ French cultural center Alliance Française Minneapolis/St. Paul will showcase Cameroon through a series of events.

Throughout the month, there will be a series of musical, linguistic, gastronomic, and cinematic events teamed up with partners including the Cedar Cultural Center, Macalester College, Rochester Art Center and the City of Rochester Music Department!  Join us in a rich and varied cultural program bringing you all of the best of Cameroonian culture and its connections to the French language. This year’s festivities kick off at the Alliance francaise on March 6 at 5 pm. The opening celebration includes a vernissage, or art reception, of Cameroonian artworks and garments, with a Cameroonian buffet. For more information https://www.afmsp.org/Cameroon.

Born on June 12, 1983 in the city of Nanga Eboko, in the Center province of Cameroon, Gaelle Wondje is an artist with music running through her veins. After singing as an accompaniest with musicians such as Charlotte DIPANDA or Manu DIBANGO, she performed solo for the very first time on the reality TV show LACLASS in 2005. Gaelle Wondje then released her first album "M comme aimer" in 2011. In 2017, she returned with "Ening" which means "Life" in Beti language.

Gaelle Wondje sings in French, English, Douala, Bakaka and Nanga languages. Married and mother of three, she is inspired by the love, gratitude and peace that this identity gives her to enrich her music. She has earned a glowing reputation as a brilliant solo performer after four concerts at the IFC in Douala and Yaoundé, during which she presented her albums to the Cameroonian public. In March 2018, she participated in the MASA (Abidjan Arts and Entertainment Market) in the Ivory Coast. The concert in Rochester Art Center will be her first ever concert in the USA!

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Riverside Concerts (Rochester Music Dept.) is a department of the City of Rochester, MN Government.

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Passport Sessions Lineups

2025 Passport Sessions Artists
2024 Passport Sessions Artists
2023 Passport Sessions Artists

Going to a Passport Show:

About the Series
Schedule & Location
Cost & Tickets
Seating
What to Bring
Vendors & Community Booths
Feedback
Weather Policy
Thursdays Downtown

Supporters & Partners

Passport Sessions is a City-funded program presented by Rochester Public Music. Our partners play a key role in extending its reach by helping us share performances that spark curiosity, celebrate cultural traditions, and connect communities across Rochester.

2026 sponsorship opportunities are now available. Visit our Supporters & Partners page or email publicmusic@rochestermn.gov to learn more.

2025 Funding Partners

Minnesota State Arts Board logo Clean Water Legacy logo
Grant Support: Thomas X Event
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

2025 Venue Partner

Thursdays Downtown logo
Presented in partnership with Thursdays Downtown

2025 Youth Program Partner

Rochester Public Schools logo
Host sites for youth concerts through Summer SACC