On 30 April 2016, UNESCO will be celebrating the 5th edition of the International Jazz Day, which will be hosted by Washington, D.C. On this occasion, the Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has highlighted “ […] the power of music to build peace and bring together people of all cultures and backgrounds ”.

On the same beat, the Creative Cities of Music of Katowice, Hannover and Salvador join forces to pay a world-wide tribute to jazz music respectively with the Katowice JazzArt Festival, the Tom Kölling & the Hannover Horns' initiative and the Jazz Festival of Salvador. 

• Katowice JazzArt Festival emphasizes many dimensions of music including the presence in the public space, correspondances between musical genres and cross-cutting approaches with other artistic forms, especially with visual arts. Above all, Katowice JazzArt Festival is about gender equality and social diversity, showcasing artists, women and men, from worldwide. In the same vein, concerts, carrying a strong social impact, will be performed in correctional facilities in Katowice. The city thus proves that music is a driver for social cohesion and intercultural dialogue, as well as favors a fortiori the establishment of resilient and inclusive sustainable cities. 

Click to see the full programme of Katowice JazzArt Festival: http://jazzartfestival.eu         

• Tom Kölling & the Hannover Horns, jazz band from Hannover, will take this celebration day to spread jazz music through several performances and workshops, open to all audiences. In tight cooperation with the city programme Jazz Musician Initiative (JMI), Tom Kölling & the Hannover Horns is also well-known to be a group of teachers who sees music as a medium for actively networking and collaborating, both at local and international levels.     

To find out more about Tom Kölling & the Hannover Horns: http://www.city-of-music-hannover.de

• The Jazz Festival of Salvador will enliven the city for a two-day free festival on 7 and 8 May. Opened to all audiences, Salvador underlines the capacity of music to nurture social diversity and to enhance participation to cultural life. A wide range of concerts will be performed by 14 groups of jazz to an expected 30,000 participants. 

For more information on the Jazz Festival of Salvador, please mail to: cityofmusic@salvador.ba.gov.br