The Palace of Arts and Culture in Tangier hosted a musical jazz concert on Tuesday evening to celebrate the 13th annual International Jazz Day, which falls on April 30 every year, showcasing the city’s rich jazz heritage and highlighting the cultural and artistic connections between Morocco, Europe, and Africa.
The concert, dubbed “All-Star Global,” showcased renowned musicians from around the world including master Gnawa musician Abdellah El Gourd from Morocco, American jazz icon Herbie Hancock, and Claudia Acuña from Chile.
Artists from the United States included Ambrose Akinmusire, John Beasley, Lakecia Benjamin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Shemekia Copeland, Kurt Elling, Melody Gardot, Jazzmeia Horn, and Marcus Miller.
Among the performers were some of the biggest names on the world jazz scene namely Richard Bona from Cameroon; Moreira Chonguiça from Mozambique; Antonio Faraò from Italy; JK Kim from the Republic of Korea; Femi Kuti from Nigeria; Magnus Lindgren from Sweden; Romero Lubambo from Brazil; and Yasushi Nakamura and Tarek Yamani from Japan and Lebanon, respectively.
This exceptional world-class concert highlighted Morocco as a beacon of tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
A number of dignitaries and officials attended, including André Azoulay, President of the Essaouira-Mogador Association; Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, the Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication; Chakib Benmoussa, the Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports; and Tom Carter, the President of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz arranged the event, which was supported by Morocco’s Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Communication, as well as the City of Tangier.
UNESCO established International Jazz Day at its General Conference in 2011, and it was later recognized by the United Nations General Assembly. Every year, on the last day of April, 190 countries and communities all over the world come together to celebrate the day to showcase the power of jazz and its ability to promote peace, cultural dialogue, diversity, and respect for human dignity.