International Jazz Day will be celebrated on Saturday, 30 April 2022. Now in its 11th year, the day is the brainchild of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) to highlight jazz and the role it plays in uniting people from across the globe.
Many consider the day to be the perfect culmination of Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) in April. Even though this music festival is held in the US, many countries take part with numerous activities within their own borders. It’s not difficult to understand why this month was selected, as many famous jazz musicians celebrate their birthdays in April, including beloved artists like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Herbie Hancock.
Living in harmony
Learning about jazz is a breeze using Huawei’s Petal Search. Simply type in ‘International Jazz Day’ and you can seamlessly find its main site, which states that the day ‘brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics and jazz enthusiasts from all over the world to celebrate and learn about jazz and its roots, future and impact, raise awareness of the need for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding and reinforce international cooperation and communication’.
Closer to home, Huawei’s Petal Search gives some excellent African resources on jazz festivals such as the Cape Town International Jazz Festival as well as the Lagos International Jazz Festival. Explore the Jazz Day South African site, which contains a veritable treasure trove of information for aficionados and newcomers alike. From tips on how best to celebrate #JazzDayAtHome to putting the spotlight on some of SA’s jazz talent, there is something for everyone. Check out some of the freely available webinars and even watch last year’s two-hour 10-anniversary international celebration concert at your leisure.
And all that jazz
With the HUAWEI Music app, you can subscribe to a variety of jazz playlists, stream your favourite jazz artists and check out the latest music videos in the genre. Best of all, it contains a host of international and African artists as you go on your jazz journey leading up to International Jazz Day and beyond.
The ‘Jazz Classics Blue Note Edition’ playlist kicks things off on the right note. John Brim’s ‘Tough Times’, Bobby Darin’s ‘That’s the Way Love Is’, and Johnny Young’s ‘My Baby Walked Out on Me’ are just a few of the tunes on offer.
And then there’s the ‘Women of Jazz’ playlist that celebrates the brilliant female talent available. ‘One For My Baby’ by Dianne Reeves and ‘Come Away With Me’ by Norah Jones are notable examples of what you’ll discover.
As the name suggests, ‘South African Icons’ is well worth considering. Revisit Miriam Makeba’s ‘Pata Pata’, catch a live performance of ‘Stimela’ by Hugh Masekela or enjoy the aural sensations of Lucky Dube’s ‘Barua Kutoka Kwa Mama’.
Further afield, subscribe to ‘Afro Soul’ to catch some of the top African jazz artists doing what they do best. Zimbabwean Berita performs her ‘Sophinda Sidibane’ and the talented young Bholoja from Swaziland features his ‘Indzawo Yami’. This is one of the greatest African jazz playlists out there and a must for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of the genre.
And while we’re on the African theme, check out ‘African Roots’. Unlike the previous playlist, this one is more focused on traditional African instruments putting a jazzy twist on music. For instance, ‘Dikoma’ and ‘Idlozi’ both feature the calabash, which is sure to give you a different perspective on drumming in jazz.
To complement our jazz selection, you can also subscribe to ‘Jazz of the World’. As the name suggests, this playlist features the hottest selection of jazz music from all corners of the globe. Whether it is ‘Via con me’ from Paolo Conte or ‘Come Fly With Me’ from Frank Sinatra, your soul is sure to be delighted.
Download HUAWEI Music this April and explore the fascinating world of jazz.
* Article first published on itweb.africa
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