With conflict and division in many parts of the world, it is my hope that, through the universal language of jazz, our celebration this year can inspire people of all nations to heal, to hope and to work together to foster peace.”
Herbie Hancock, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
A Call for Global Peace and Unity
The flagship Jazz Day event, a spectacular All-Star Global Concert, emphasizes the importance of jazz as a means of achieving unity and peace through dialogue and diplomacy. It features performances by some of the world’s most accomplished jazz artists. The 2022 Global Concert returns to the UN General Assembly Hall in New York in a nod to the inaugural International Jazz Day Sunset Concert in 2012, symbolizing jazz’s continued important role as a force for dialogue and diplomacy.
Global Concert
30 April 2022
5 pm EDT/2 pm PDT/11 pm CET
Scheduled for worldwide webcast on UN WebTV, the 2022 All-Star Global Concert will make a powerful statement in support of peace, healing and unity through a diverse series of performances by leading jazz artists from around the globe. With Herbie Hancock serving as Host and Artistic Director and John Beasley as Musical Director, the programme is set to showcase the extraordinary potential of jazz as a medium for peaceful collaboration and constructive dialogue.
Additionally, you can enjoy performances from across the globe and educational programmes and community outreach initiatives taking place in more than 190 countries. The virtual education programme includes master classes led by acclaimed artists.
International Jazz Day has had extraordinary successes over the past decade, becoming the world’s largest annual celebration of jazz. It is a global movement, engaging people annually, on every continent, through education programs, performances, community outreach and media coverage.
Music of improvisation and collective creation
International Jazz Day raises awareness in the international community of the virtues of jazz as a force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people, as well as an educational tool. Many governments, civil society organizations, educational institutions, and private citizens currently engaged in the promotion of jazz music 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.
Why Jazz?
- Jazz breaks down barriers and creates opportunities for mutual understanding and tolerance;
- Jazz is a vector of freedom of expression;
- Jazz is a symbol of unity and peace;
- Jazz reduces tensions between individuals, groups, and communities;
- Jazz fosters gender equality;
- Jazz reinforces the role youth play for social change;
- 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.
In November 2011 the UNESCO General Conference proclaimed 30 April as “International Jazz Day”. This International Day brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and jazz enthusiasts all over the world to celebrate and learn about the art of jazz, its roots, its future and its impact. This important international art form is celebrated for promoting peace, dialogue among cultures, diversity, and respect for human rights and human dignity, eradicating discrimination, promoting freedom of expression, fostering gender equality, and reinforcing the role of youth for social change.
JazzWomenAfrica
On 30 April (9 pm CET), UNESCO will celebrate the musical talent of women from across Africa with a second edition of its JazzWomenAfrica concert series. Organized in collaboration with the cultural agency ANYA Music (Morocco), JazzWomenAfrica helps counter the under-representation and insufficient recognition of women in the music industry. A discussion with women artists and music producers on this theme will take place on 29 April (5 pm CET).
Listen
Grammy award winning composer Antonio Sánchez defines jazz simply as “freedom,” highlighting its inclusive power to bring “different elements together, transforming it into something greater.”
