International Jazz Day: A music genre promoting unity
What's the story
UNESCO declared April 30 as International Jazz Day in 2011 to highlight jazz and its role in uniting people across the globe. It was jazz pianist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock's idea. The date April 30 was chosen to position International Jazz Day as the conclusion of the Smithsonian Institution's April Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM), although there's no formal connection between the two.
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History of jazz and how it grew
This day is the world's largest celebration of jazz. This genre of music originated in the African American community of Louisiana, USA, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Spreading around the world, local musical cultures influenced the style giving rise to different styles. This day is intended to raise awareness about how jazz can be an educational tool and create a dialogue.
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Celebrations in 2022
Famous singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist Nina Simone had said, "Jazz is not just music, it is a way of life, it is a way of being, a way of thinking." Independent artists and organizers worldwide perform annually for International Jazz Day. Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain is part of this year's Global Concert to be hosted at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
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About the UN event
The 2022 All-Star Global Concert scheduled to be hosted at the United Nations Headquarters in New York will witness performances by leading jazz artists. It will have a worldwide webcast at 5 pm EDT (2:30 am IST). The event aims to portray jazz as a tool to promote peaceful collaborations and help in the initiation of dialogue. It will be hosted by Herbie Hancock.
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Around 200 countries participate in events
Almost 200 nations participate in related events every year. In addition to concerts and jam sessions, events also include workshops and conferences. UNESCO believes that Jazz Day assimilates culture into sustainable development, promotes human rights and fundamental freedoms, and promotes cultural diversity expression. The body relates this celebration to the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
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Some famous jazz songs
What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong Feeling Good by Nina Simone I Loves You, Porgy by Nina Simone Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra You Don't Own Me by Lesley Gore So What by Miles Davis Round Midnight by Thelonious Monk Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald Take the A Train by Duke Ellington Stardust by Louis Armstrong