Jango Edwards

US clown, entertainer and musician. Born 15 April 1950 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Died 4 August 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. Jango Edwards moved to Europe in 1970 and became a pioneer of the Nouveau Clown movement, which used comedy to comment on social issues and human nature. He founded the Friends Roadshow, a troupe of progressive clowns, and the International Festival of Fools, a street fair in Amsterdam. He also created the Nouveau Clown Institute, a training center in Barcelona. He performed in various countries and media, gaining a cult following and influencing many other clowns. He was known for his rude, scatological and raunchy humor, which challenged the conventions of his art form. He played a nearsighted, manic magician, a flight attendant on roller skates, and other absurd characters. He sometimes performed in drag, in fat suits or in nothing at all. He was described as “more Frank Zappa than Ronald McDonald” and “always new, and always pushing”.