International Jazz Day is a yearly event on 30 April, organized by UNESCO to celebrate “the virtues of jazz as an educational tool, and a force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people.”
The Day was proclaimed during the UNESCO General Conference in November 2011. The first annual International Jazz Day was kicked off in Paris by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), for more than a century jazz has helped soothe and uplift the souls of millions of people in all corners of the world. And so, it is no wonder that the UN’s cultural arm has organized International Jazz Day to harness “the virtues of jazz as an educational tool, and a force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people.” Since 2012, International Jazz Day, celebrated annually on 30 April, has highlighted the power of this musical art form as a force for freedom and creativity, promoting intercultural dialogue through respect and understanding and uniting people from all corners of the globe.