International Jazz Day
As the great Nina Simone said, "Jazz is not just music, it is a way of life, it is a way of being, a way of thinking". The story of Jazz is written into the quest for human dignity, democracy and civil rights. It has given strength to the struggle against discrimination and racism. UNESCO believes in the power of Jazz as a force for peace, dialogue and mutual understanding and this is why in November 2011, the UNESCO General Conference proclaimed 30 April as "International Jazz Day".
This Day is intended to raise awareness of the virtues of jazz as an educational tool, and a force for empathy, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people. Many governments, civil society organizations, educational institutions, and private citizens currently engaged in the promotion of jazz music will embrace the opportunity to foster greater appreciation not only for the music but also for the contribution it can make to building more inclusive societies.
- Jazz breaks down barriers and creates opportunities for mutual understanding and tolerance;
- Jazz is a vector of freedom of expression;
- Jazz reduces tensions between individuals, groups, and communities;
- Jazz encourages artistic innovation, improvisation, new forms of expression, and inclusion of traditional music forms into new ones;
- Jazz stimulates intercultural dialogue and empowers young people from marginalized societies.
Global Concert April 30, 2022
Don't forget to tune in to the All-Star Global Concert at 5 pm EDT/2 pm PDT/11 pm CET, streaming on unesco.org, jazzday.com, as well as the official International Jazz Day YouTube and Facebook channels.
Global Concert 2022 from United Nations Headquarters in New York to feature UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, UNESCO Artist for Peace Marcus Miller,
Gregory Porter, David Sanborn, Hiromi, Pedrito Martínez, Ravi Coltrane, José James, Terri Lyne Carrington, Linda Oh, Shemekia Copeland, Lizz Wright, John Beasley (Musical Director) and others
April 30, 2022 - Schedule of Free Online Educational Programmes and performances :
- 9:00 AM New York (15h00 Vienna): “Learning Bernstein“ presentation in partnership with JAM Music Lab University, Vienna (English)
- 10:00 AM New York (16h00 Paris): “Natural Machines” classe de maître avec Dan Tepfer (French)
- 11:00 AM New York (17h00 Paris): “Jazz Women in Africa” discussion with prominent women artists and music producers from the African continent (English & French)
- 12:15 PM New York: “Timbalooloo with Oran Etkin and Friends” children’s class (English)
- 1:00 PM New York: “Transposing Genres: Fluidity in the Arts” Afro-Latin masterclass with Arturo O’Farrill (English & Spanish)
- 2:00 PM New York: “Jazz Without Patriarchy” presentation in collaboration with the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice (English)