Welcome address by the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, Dr Vasiliki Kassianidou, at the concert for the International Jazz Day

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to our event, which celebrates the International Jazz Day. This is a celebration that unites the world through the international language of music.

In 2011, UNESCO declared the 30^th of April as “International Jazz Day” after a proposal by the well-known pianist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Herbie Hancock. Since then, an annual global event is held, dedicated to the promotion of jazz as a tool of cultural diplomacy, intercultural dialogue, freedom of expression, and social cohesion.

The first celebration took place in 2012 at the White House with a concert given by internationally renowned artists. Since then, the International Jazz Day has been celebrated every year in over 190 countries, via local and global concerts, educational workshops, meetings, and digital activities. The goal is to highlight jazz not only as a musical genre, but as a global bridge of friendship, dialogue, and peace.

Jazz was born in the quest for the freedom of expression and is characterised by improvisation and spontaneous creation. From the African-American communities of New Orleans to the contemporary scenes of New York, the Parisian 1920s and atmospheric Berlin, jazz has evolved steadily, always keeping at its core individual and collective creation.

Tonight, Lefkosia participates in this great celebration, along with New York, Paris, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Vienna, Melbourne, Berlin, Abu Dhabi, and many other cities, celebrating the power of jazz to unite people and cultures.

Tonight’s event, organised by the Department of Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture, is held under the auspices of Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO.

It is a great pleasure to welcome the music group Big Band Morfarm who will introduce us to the world of Jazz Standards through an exciting tribute to the rhythms of the Caribbean and Latin America.

So, let us celebrate together a unique art form that continues to inspire every corner of the world.

Happy International Jazz Day!

Enjoy the music!

(EK/MS/GS)

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