Hosted by internationally renowned actor Jeremy Irons, the concert brought together global artists, including master Gnawa musician, Abdellah El Gourd (Morocco), and jazz icon Herbie Hancock, as well as Claudia Acuña (Chile), Ambrose Akinmusire, John Beasley, Lakecia Benjamin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Melody Gardot, Jazzmeia Horn, Shemekia Copeland, Kurt Elling and Marcus Miller (United States), Richard Bona (Cameroon), Moreira Chonguiça (Mozambique), Antonio Faraò (Italy), JK Kim (Republic of Korea), Femi Kuti (Nigeria), Magnus Lindgren (Sweden), Romero Lubambo (Brazil), Yasushi Nakamura (Japan), Tarek Yamani (Lebanon) and many others, says a statement from the Herbie Hancock Institute Of Jazz.
The Global All-Star Concert kicked off with a never-before-seen performance of “Welcome to Country”, performed by the famous Dar Gnawa musicians, followed by Dee Dee Bridgewater’s spectacular rendition of Chick Corea’s “Spain”, highlighting the cultural links between Morocco and Spain.
Jazzmeia Horn enlisted the talents of Ambrose Akinmusire and Billy Childs for the swinging “Free Your Mind.” Richard Bona, for his part, tenderly performed his song “Esoka Bulu (Night Whisper)”. TK Blue and Abdellah El Gourd, icon of Gnawa music, paid tribute to Gnawa music from Morocco and American jazz by performing Randy Weston’s composition, “Blue Moses”.
For their part, Melody Gardot and Philippe Powell delivered a sublime rendition of “This Foolish Heart Could Love You”. Femi Kuti declared there was “one people, one world” during his electrifying Afro-beat performance, while Kurt Elling paid tribute to Wayne Shorter by performing his composition “Speak No Evil”, as Shemekia Copeland and Joe Louis Walker brought the blues to the forefront with “Nobody But You.”
International Jazz Day 2024 celebrations saw thousands of performances, Masterclasses, jam sessions, educational programs and community service and outreach initiatives in over 190 countries, culminating with the World Concert , available free of charge on the website jazzday.com, notes the same source.
Every year on April 30, International Jazz Day brings together countries and communities around the world to promote peace, dialogue between cultures, diversity and respect for human dignity.
International Jazz Day was adopted by UNESCO Member States at the initiative of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, who co-chairs the annual celebration with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.
“Jazz, as legendary American singer Nina Simone eloquently said, is more than just music. It transcends musical notes; it is “a way of life…a way of being, a way of thinking,” declared the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, quoted in the press release.
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock noted: “As we celebrate Jazz Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to the enduring legacy of jazz and its ability to uplift, inspire and unite us.
Organized by UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Communication, and the Doris Duke Foundation, in partnership with the municipality of Tangier, the “Jazz” festivities day” helped to highlight the jazz heritage of Tangier, as well as the cultural and artistic links uniting Morocco, Europe and Africa.