Third International Jazz Day will be celebrated today in almost 200 countries around the world.
Official celebration will be held in Osaka, Japan, consisting of educational activities during the day and a gala concert in the evening at the Osaka Castle Park in from of 12.000 spectators. Among performing musicians are Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Kenny Garrett, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gregory Porter, Roy Hargrove, Marcus Miller, Esperanza Spalding and John Scofield.
Osaka was chosen for the central celebration due to big interest of Japanese people in jazz. This city was considered “Japan’s jazz Mekka” during the 20s and holds more then 100 jazz concerts annually today.
Japan’s biggest names in jazz at the beginning of last century were composer Hattori Ryōichi and trumpeter Nanri Fumio, who was named “Satchmo of Japan” by Louis Armstrong himself. Fumio was among first Japanese musicians who became prominent outside borders of his country. Both were born in Osaka and have performed in cabaret theatres and dance halls at city’s Dōtonbori district.
The concert in Osaka starts at 12 PM our time and will be live streamed on International Jazz Day‘s and UNESCO‘s web sites.
We remind you, 30 April was declared International Jazz Day in 2011 on the initiative of pianist Herbie Hancock, UNESCO goodwill ambassador, and it’s being executed in cooperation of UNESCO and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.