Morocco’s northern coastal city of Tangier will host the 2024 International Jazz Day festival, the world’s largest and most significant celebration of jazz, to be held in April at the Palais des Arts et de la Culture, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock announced on Tuesday in a press release.
“The designation of Tangier marks the first time a city on the African continent will host International Jazz Day,” the UNESCO Director-General said.
Sponsored by the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, the festival will run from April 27 to April 30, highlighting Tangier’s jazz legacy and the cultural bonds between Moroccan, European, and African communities.
The program includes educational activities for students of all ages. It will focus on Morocco’s Gnawa music tradition and its relationship as the African foundation of jazz, as well as discussions on the history of jazz and its influence on Tangier.
The concerts will also be broadcast on YouTube, Facebook, and the websites of the United Nations and UNESCO.
Led by iconic pianist Herbie Hancock and Music Director John Beasley (both from USA), the “All-Star Global Concert” will feature a stunning array of international artists: master Gnaoua musician Abdellah El Gourd (Morocco), Claudia Acuña (Chile), Ambrose Akinmusire (USA), Lakecia Benjamin (USA), Richard Bona (Cameroon), Dee Dee Bridgewater (USA), Moreira Chonguiça (Mozambique), Shemekia Copeland (USA), Kurt Elling (USA), Antonio Faraò (Italy), Melody Gardot (USA), Jazzmeia Horn (USA), JK Kim (South Korea), Magnus Lindgren (Sweden), Romero Lubambo (Brazil), Marcus Miller (USA), Yasushi Nakamura (Japan), and Tarek Yamani (Lebanon).
Tangier has a rich history of hosting legendary jazz artists like Josephine Baker, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Mann, and Archie Shepp. For many years, jazz master Randy Weston lived in Tangier, where he collaborated with Gnawa master Abdellah El Gourd to explore the roots of jazz and African music.
This unique Gnawa-jazz fusion is appreciated all across Morocco and beyond. In the 1970s, Weston founded the African Jazz Festival, which became the inspiration for multiple jazz festivals throughout Morocco, including Tanjazz and Jazzablanca.
International Jazz Day, established by UNESCO in 2011 and recognized by the United Nations General Assembly, is celebrated annually on April 30, bringing together nations and communities worldwide in a shared love for the music of jazz.