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Harmony of sounds, freedom of improvisation, boldness of experiments and, of course, the saxophone. Jazz motifs continue to excite the hearts and souls of people for more than 100 years. This musical genre has its own international holiday, which KP will tell about.
When is Jazz Day
International Jazz Day is celebrated annually 30 April, in 2023 it will be celebrated in many countries of the world, including Our Country.
history of the holiday
Jazz as a musical genre originated in the southern United States in the 1910s, although its origins can be traced back to the XNUMXth century, when black slaves in the southern states held dances on Sundays. The music for such parties was first African rhythms, later whimsically mixed with European folk music, which was brought by slaves from other regions.
An unusual sound, completely unlike the commercial music of those years, swept through the country like a wave and instantly found its fans. Over time, jazz increasingly blurred the boundaries between musician and listener, dark-skinned and fair-skinned, African, European and American. Both men and women performed equally in jazz bands, which at that time was nonsense: until the 1920s, work in the field of popular music was considered an exclusively male privilege.
Each performer was free to improvise and experiment with sound, thanks to which jazz music was in constant development: new directions arose and disappeared, new stars of the jazz scene rose. Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra – even people who are far from music know well the names of the people who stood at the origins of the worldwide popularity of jazz.
Looking back at the history of this genre, we can conclude that this music has an amazing property to unite the most diverse groups of people who, at first glance, are not capable of dialogue. Therefore, in 2011, UNESCO declared April 30 as International Jazz Day. Its goal is to draw attention to this musical direction, as well as to remind that music, which originates from slavery, over the long years of its existence has become a symbol of the fight against inequality, discrimination and racial hostility.
History of jazz in Our Country
In Our Country, jazz has come a long and thorny path. Originating in the 1920s, it was warmly welcomed by the leadership of the young Soviet state as the music of the oppressed, the music of the working class. However, the opinion of the authorities quickly changed, and by the end of the decade a strict ban was imposed on jazz as one of the manifestations of bourgeois culture. Such music was sharply criticized, even Maxim Gorky spoke unflatteringly about it. The music of foreign performers could not be obtained legally, and domestic jazz musicians were also subjected to pressure and restrictions. This state of affairs existed for several decades, until the beginning of the “thaw” in the 50s and 60s. Many of the forcedly closed orchestras resumed their work, and the path of jazz began.
Today, in our country, jazz, of course, has ceased to be perceived as something marginal, on the contrary, for many years this genre has been balancing somewhere on the border of academic and popular music: you will hear familiar motifs on the stage, on city streets, and at creative festivals . The latter, by the way, are popular – various organizers annually arrange jazz fests in Moscow and other cities of Our Country.
Holiday traditions
- The best and most obvious way to celebrate Jazz Day is, of course, to go to a concert. On the last day of April, performances will unfold in dozens and hundreds of cities – both large-scale, festival format, and chamber shows in small jazz clubs. The celebration programs, depending on the city, may also include lectures, master classes, conferences and round tables.
- Over the years, many famous people have joined the celebration of International Jazz Day. In 2014, the whole world congratulated the crew of the International Space Station on this holiday.
- This day is celebrated under the auspices of the UN and UNESCO, which each year appoint host cities – those that will become the capital of the holiday. For example, in 2018, St. Petersburg was such a host city – world jazz stars arrived in the Northern capital, concerts, educational events and flash mobs were held at different venues for several days. The culmination of the holiday was the performance of the best jazz performers on the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre.
Jazz Day playlist
There are a thousand more words to be said about jazz, but the music speaks best for itself.
Listen to the Playlist for Jazz Day — Choice of Healthy Food Near Me on Yandex.Music
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