The sixth annual International Jazz Day, which will be celebrated worldwide on April 30, 2017
will culminate with an All-Star Global Concert presented at the Gran
Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso, under the auspices of the Ministry of
Culture of Cuba, the Cuban Institute of Music and the Cuban National
Commission for UNESCO. The concert will be live streamed on JazzDay.com and will feature an extraordinary array of artists from around the world paying tribute to the international art form of jazz.
The
musically vibrant and culturally rich city of Havana, Cuba, has been
selected to serve as the 2017 Global Host City, presented each year on April 30th. In partnership with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz,
International Jazz Day highlights the power of jazz as a force for
freedom and creativity, promotes intercultural dialogue through respect
and understanding, and unites people from all corners of the globe. The
day is recognized on the official calendars of both UNESCO and the
United Nations. International Jazz Day programs are made possible by
Toyota, the 2017 lead partner.
The All-Star Global Concert will have Herbie Hancock and Chucho Valdés serving as the artistic directors, and John Beasley and Emilio Vega
as the evening's musical co-directors. The Concert will feature stellar
performances by a truly international roster of artists including Ambrose Akinmusire (United States), Carl Allen, (United States), Marc Antoine (France), Richard Bona (Cameroon), Till Brönner (Germany), A Bu (China), Igor Butman (Russian Federation), Bobby Carcassés (Cuba), Regina Carter (United States), Kurt Elling, (United States), Kenny Garrett, (United States) Herbie Hancock (United States), Antonio Hart, (United States), Takuya Kuroda (Japan), Ivan Lins (Brazil), Sixto Llorente (Cuba), Marcus Miller (United States), Youn Sun Nah (Republic of Korea), Julio Padrón (Cuba), Gianluca Petrella (Italy), Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Cuba), Antonio Sánchez (Mexico), Christian Sands (United States), Esperanza Spalding (United States), Chucho Valdés (Cuba), Ben Williams (United States), Tarek Yamani (Lebanon), Dhafer Youssef (Tunisia), Pancho Amat (Cuba), César López (Cuba) and others, with further details to be announced in the days to follow.
"UNESCO
is proud to be associated once again with the Thelonious Monk Institute
of Jazz, as well as with the Instituto Cubano de la Música to raise the
flag for jazz, for freedom, for creativity, for diversity and for unity.
This year's focus on Cuba is testament to the power of jazz to build
bridges and join women and men together around shared values and
aspirations", said Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO.
Many
acclaimed musicians and educators from Cuba and around the world will
participate in free jazz performances, master classes, improvisational
workshops, jam sessions and community outreach initiatives. Programs
will take place at schools, arts venues, community centers, jazz clubs
and parks across the city of Havana and throughout Cuba beginning on Monday, April 24th and leading up to the festivities on April 30th.
Additionally, jazz history and education programs will be provided for
tens of thousands of students in over 11,000 schools across Cuba. These
programs will be among the thousands of International Jazz Day live
performances, educational activities, and community service programs
taking place in more than 190 countries on all continents.
Herbie
Hancock, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue, said:
"Afro-Cuban jazz and its rich history have played a pivotal role in the
evolution and enrichment of the entire jazz genre. The incomparable
trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie along with beloved Cuban musicians Mario Bauzá, Machito and Chano Pozo,
infused American jazz with Afro-Cuban rhythms to create a brand new,
energetic sound that defined modern music. We are so pleased that
Havana, Cuba, will serve as the Global Host City for International Jazz
Day 2017. On behalf of the worldwide family of jazz musicians, educators
and enthusiasts, I would like to thank the citizens of Havana and Cuba
for their enormous support of this truly global musical art form."
The
Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz is once again working with UNESCO and
its field offices, national commissions, networks, associated schools,
universities and institutes, public radio and public television
stations, and NGOs to ensure their involvement and participation in
International Jazz Day 2017. Additionally, in countries throughout the
world, libraries, schools, universities, performing arts venues,
community centers, artists, and arts organizations of all disciplines
will be celebrating the day through presentations, concerts, and other
jazz-focused programs.
The
celebration in Havana of the International Jazz Day in 2017 marks the
seventieth anniversary of Cuba's accession to UNESCO and the foundation
of the National Commission for UNESCO.
For more information about International Jazz Day and to register events on the official website, please visit www.jazzday.com.
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