| Thursday, 17 April 2014
Dear IMC member,
In 2011, UNESCO designated the 30th of April as the International Jazz Day which brings together nations and communities to celebrate the art of jazz and highlights its important role in encouraging dialogue among cultures and civilizations, eradicating discrimination and promoting human dignity.The IMC Secretariat was very pleased to learn about the numerous events staged locally by IMC members in many countries during the past years; this information was of course shared with UNESCO.
To build on this achievement and broaden the geographical scope, diversity and impact of the third edition in 2014, UNESCO is mobilizing once again all its partners and networks, including NGOs. In this context, the International Music Council was asked to participate again in the worldwide celebrations through its network of over 1000 organisations in 150 countries.Your network can play an important role in these celebrations, by organising events in line with your specific interests, focus and resources. Examples and suggestions can be found online. In order to organise these activities, do not hesitate to use all the means at your disposal: radio and television, concert societies, record companies, amateur societies. A great many different types of localities could be used to their best advantage: concert halls, theatres, cultural centers, universities, churches, schools, factories, as well as open air facilities in parks, gardens, and stadiums. We also recommend that you mobilize and involve local authorities (municipalities, cities, regions, etc.). We strongly encourage you to cooperate with educational institutions in your country, such as schools, music schools and universities, to develop a programme involving public and private partners, as well as institutions at the national level (especially youth associations and networks). It is important that when designing your activities, you connect with the National Commission for UNESCO Commission in the country where the activity takes place, since the Commission has also been directly invited by the Director General of UNESCO to stage celebrations at national and local level.Last but not least, we urge you to design projects that encourage youth participation. This year’s celebrations will give schools a real opportunity to participate through the Take 5 initiative. Inspired by the famous 1959 hit Take 5, composed by Paul Desmond and made famous by Dave Brubeck, teachers from all around the world are encouraged to “Take 5” (five minutes) to share the positive lessons of jazz music in their classrooms. Please do refer to the official website for ideas and suggestions on how to participate.Moreover, a global concert will be held in the host city of Osaka (Japan), and streamed live on Jazz Day. The line-up consists of artists such as Herbie Hancock, Oumou Sangaré, Marcus Miller, DeeDee Bridgewater and Gregory Porter (to name a few).
All events will be published online and you can also register yours!
We are grateful in advance for your involvement in the third edition of the International Jazz Day which we are sure will contribute to raise awareness in the international community about the values of jazz as an educational tool and force for unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation.
With kind regards,
Silja Fischer
Secretary General
“Jazz is the only music in which the same note can be played night after night but differently each time.” Ornette Coleman
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