Organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, the second annual International Jazz Day was celebrated in Istanbul on 30 April in collaboration with the Republic of Turkey and Istanbul Jazz Festival as the host city partner. In addition to the events taking place all around the city throughout the day and the gala concert at the Hagia Irene Museum featuring artists from across the globe, thousands of events in 196 countries in every region and continent of the world celebrated International Jazz Day.

The International Jazz Day Gala Concert, realised with the contributions of the main sponsors Akbank and Garanti Bank as well as Jaeger-LeCoultre and Microsoft, at the Hagia Irene Museum on 30 April was viewed live by millions around the world. The jazz lovers in Istanbul watched the concert live on big screens in Caddebostan and Tepebaşı with the support of Vodafone as the webcast sponsor and Arçelik as the technological equipment sponsor.

The International Jazz Day Gala Concert started with the opening speeches of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ӧmer Ҫelik. The concert featured pianists Herbie Hancock, John Beasley (Musical Director), George Duke, Robert Glasper, Ramsey Lewis, Keiko Matsui and Eddie Palmieri; vocalists Ruben Blades, Al Jarreau, Milton Nascimento, Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spalding (who also played bass) and Joss Stone; trumpeters Terence Blanchard, Hugh Masekela and İmer Demirer; bassists James Genus, Marcus Miller and Ben Williams; drummers Terri Lyne Carrington and Vinnie Colaiuta; guitarists Bilal Karaman, John McLaughlin, Lee Ritenour and Joe Louis Walker; saxophonists Dale Barlow, Igor Butman, Branford Marsalis, Wayne Shorter and Liu Yuan; clarinettists Anat Cohen and Hüsnü Şenlendirici; violinist Jean-Luc Ponty; Pedrito Martinez on percussion; tabla master Zakir Hussain; trombonist Alevtina Polyakova; and special guests Martin Luther King III and comedian Cem Yılmaz.

Please find detailed information in this press release.

Events Take Place in 196 Nations Around the World

Istanbul, Turkey – In an unprecedented series of events worldwide, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz joined together to celebrate jazz as a universal language of freedom on April 30th. With events taking place in every country on the planet, International Jazz Day 2013 culminated in an evening concert at Istanbul’s Hagia Irene that was viewed live by millions around the world and featured pianists Herbie Hancock, John Beasley (Musical Director), George Duke, Robert Glasper, Ramsey Lewis, Keiko Matsui and Eddie Palmieri; vocalists Ruben Blades, Al Jarreau, Milton Nascimento, Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spalding (who also played bass) and Joss Stone; trumpeters Terence Blanchard, Hugh Masekela and Imer Demirer; bassists James Genus, Marcus Miller and Ben Williams; drummers Terri Lyne Carrington and Vinnie Colaiuta; guitarists Bilal Karaman, John McLaughlin, Lee Ritenour and Joe Louis Walker; saxophonists Dale Barlow, Igor Butman, Branford Marsalis, Wayne Shorter and Liu Yuan; clarinetists Anat Cohen and Husnu Senlendirici; violinist Jean-Luc Ponty; Pedrito Martinez on percussion; tabla master Zakir Hussain; trombonist Alevtina Polyakova; and special guest Martin Luther King III.

International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools and groups from across the globe to celebrate jazz, learn about its roots and highlight its important role as a form of communication that transcends differences. In partnership with the Republic of Turkey, the all- star evening concert was held at Istanbul’s famed Hagia Irene. Dating back to the 4th century, the Hagia Irene, located in the outer courtyard of the Topkapi Palace – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – is regarded as an international treasure for music lovers because of its brilliant atmosphere and enchanting acoustics. In addition to being streamed live worldwide at www.jazzday.com and via the UNESCO, United Nations, U.S. State Department and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz websites, the concert was also taped for future broadcast on public television stations around the world.

Herbie Hancock said, “Using jazz as a tool, I have faith that the music–either through playing an instrument, learning about its rich cultural history, or listening to the millions of recordings made over the past century– will demonstrate that barriers can be broken, unity can be achieved, new forms of expression can be created, and a dialogue between cultures can begin. From my decades long career as a jazz musician, I know first hand that inventive ideas can achieve the impossible, transform humanity, and make productive changes at the grass roots level.” “Jazz shows the wealth that rises from diversity,” remarked Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO. “This music draws strength from a rich mix of peoples and cultures, and it is woven today into the fabric of every society, played across the world, enjoyed everywhere.”

As the Global Host City for International Jazz Day 2013, Istanbul also featured concerts, lectures, round tables, workshops, and Q&A sessions with high-profile educators and musicians throughout the city. All of these daytime programs were free and open to the public with panel discussions focusing on “Jazz and Freedom,” “Jazz and Women” and “Jazz Festivals and the Art of Promoting Jazz.” Lectures included “The History of Jazz” and “Dave Brubeck and Diplomacy.”

In addition to the events taking place in this year’s host city, thousands of events in 196 countries in every region and continent of the world and all 50 of the United States celebrated International Jazz Day. Kigali, Rwanda presented a “Kigali Jazz 4 Peace” event at the MTN Center Building in Nyarutarama with a film screening and concerts. In Brazil, the city of Sao Paulo celebrated by organizing a special show at Jazznos Fundos to mark the day, with a quartet of great Brazilian musicians. In Italy, the Alexander Platz Jazz Club in Rome presented a concert featuring local artists; and in Malaysia, the Penang Philharmonic Jazz Section marked International Jazz Day with “A Celebration of Jazz 2013” featuring performances by five groups, each with its own unique style and brand of music at Gurney Paragon in Penang.

International Jazz Day was adopted by UNESCO Member States on the initiative of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, in order to encourage and highlight jazz’s unique power for advancing intercultural dialogue and understanding across the world. International Jazz Day is recognized on the official calendars of UNESCO and the United Nations.

The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz is working with UNESCO and its Member States, national commissions, UNESCO networks, UNESCO Associated Schools, universities and institutes, public radio, public television and NGOs, as well as jazz clubs, hotels, and restaurants to organize and promote International Jazz Day events worldwide every year. Libraries, schools, performing arts centers, artists and arts organizations of all disciplines throughout the world are being encouraged to celebrate the day through education programs, presentations, concerts and other jazz-focused activities.

UNESCO, the Republic of Turkey, and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz are pleased that the Istanbul Jazz Festival, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) served as the 2013 Host City Partner.

Istanbul, Turkey – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Republic of Turkey, and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz have joined together to celebrate jazz as a universal language of freedom.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue Herbie Hancock, Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu and its Minister of Culture and Tourism Ӧmer Ҫelik recently announced that an unprecedented gathering of musicians from around the world will assemble in Istanbul on 30April to perform at a major concert in celebration of International Jazz Day that will be streamed live.

New additions to the all-star cast include: bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding, pianist Ramsey Lewis, vocalists Rubén Blades and Joss Stone, trumpeter Terence Blanchard, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, tabla master Zakir Hussain, and trombonist Alevtina Polyakova.

These highly acclaimed musicians will join an already stellar group including: pianists Herbie Hancock, John Beasley (who will also serve as the evening’s Musical Director), George Duke, Robert Glasper, Keiko Matsui and Eddie Palmieri; vocalists Al Jarreau, Milton Nascimento and Dianne Reeves; trumpeters Hugh Masekela and Imer Demirer; bassists James Genus, Marcus Miller and Ben Williams; drummers Terri Lyne Carrington and Vinnie Colaiuta; guitarists Bilal Karaman, John McLaughlin, Lee Ritenour and Joe Louis Walker; saxophonists Dale Barlow, Igor Butman, Wayne Shorter and Liu Yuan; clarinetists Anat Cohen and Husnu Senlendirici; violinist Jean-Luc Ponty; Pedrito Martinez on percussion; and other special guests to be announced in the days ahead.

Held every year on 30 April, International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools and groups from across the globe to celebrate jazz, learn about its roots and highlight its important role as a form of communication that transcends differences.

Through the generous support of Garanti Bank and Akbank – the main sponsors of International Jazz Day programming in Istanbul – the all-star evening concert will be held at Istanbul’s famed Hagia Irene. Dating back to the 4^th century, the Hagia Irene, located in the outer courtyard of the Topkapi Palace – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – is regarded as an international treasure for music lovers because of its brilliant atmosphere and enchanting acoustics.

Tickets are not available for the evening concert, but citizens of Istanbul and around the world will be able to view the concert via live streaming at www.jazzday.com and via the UNESCO, United Nations, U.S. State Department and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz websites. The concert will be taped for future broadcast on public television stations around the world.   

As the host city for International Jazz Day 2013, Istanbul also will feature concerts, lectures, round tables, workshops and Q&A sessions with high-profile musicians throughout the city. All of these daytime events will be free and open to the public. Panel discussions will focus on “Jazz and Freedom,” “Jazz and Women” and “Jazz Festivals and the Art of Promoting Jazz.” Lectures will include “The History of Jazz” and “Dave Brubeck and Diplomacy.” Venues including Salon IKSV, Borusan Music House, Beyoglu Municipality’s Youth Center and SALT Beyoglu will play host to events featuring Marcus Miller, Anat Cohen, Keiko Matsui, Hugh Masekela, Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding, Ramsey Lewis, Milton Nascimento, Charlie Gans and Thelonious Monk, Jr. Programs also will include prominent local artists and academicians such as Okay Temiz, Yavus Baydar, Ayşegül Yeşilnil, Selen Gülün, Melis Sökmen, Hediye Güven, Seda Binbaşgil, Bora Çeliker and Aydin Esen.

In addition to the events taking place in this year’s host city, hundreds of events in more than 150 countries in every region and continent will celebrate International Jazz Day, with more events being confirmed every day. Kigali, Rwanda will present a ‘Kigali Jazz 4 Peace’ event at the MTN Center Building in Nyarutarama with a film screening and concerts. In Brazil, the city of Sao Paulo will celebrate by organizing a special show at Jazznos Fundos to mark the day, with a quartet of great Brazilian musicians. In Italy, the Alexander Platz Jazz Club in Rome will present a concert featuring local artists. In Malaysia, the Penang Philharmonic Jazz Section will mark International Jazz Day with “A Celebration of Jazz 2013″ featuring performances by five groups, each with its own unique style and brand of music at Gurney Paragon in Penang.

International Jazz Day was adopted by UNESCO Member States on the initiative of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, in order to encourage and highlight jazz’s unique power for advancing intercultural dialogue and understanding across the world. International Jazz Day is recognized on the official calendars of UNESCO and the United Nations. Its programs and events are being coordinated with all 195 Member States of UNESCO.

The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz is working with UNESCO and its Member States, national commissions, UNESCO networks, UNESCO Associated Schools, universities and institutes, public radio, public television and NGOs, as well as jazz clubs, hotels and restaurants to organize and promote International Jazz Day events worldwide.  Libraries, schools, performing arts centers, artists and arts organizations of all disciplines throughout the world are being encouraged to celebrate the day through presentations, concerts and other jazz-focused activities.

UNESCO, the Republic of Turkey, and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz are pleased that the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) is serving as the 2013 Host City Partner. IKSV is playing an integral role in the coordination and production of the all-star concert and other International Jazz Day programs in Istanbul.

The objectives of International Jazz Day are to:

• Encourage exchange and understanding between cultures and employ these means to enhance tolerance;
• Offer effective tools at international, regional, subregional and national levels to foster intercultural dialogue;
• Raise public awareness about the role jazz music plays to help spread the universal values of UNESCO’s mandate;
• Promote intercultural dialogue towards the eradication of racial tensions and gender inequality and to reinforce the role of youth for social change;
• Recognize jazz as a universal language of freedom;
• Promote social progress with a special focus on developing countries utilizing new technologies and communications tools such as social networks;
• Contribute to UNESCO’s initiatives to promote mutual understanding among cultures, with a focus on education of young people in marginalized communities.

For more information about International Jazz Day, please visit the websites at:

www.unesco.org/days/jazzday and www.jazzday.com

Spurred by the success of the first celebration, the Turkish city of Istanbul will be the global host city of the second International Jazz Day, on 30 April. The day is destined to raise awareness in the international community regarding jazz’s virtues as an educational tool, as a vehicle for peace, unity, dialogue, and for enhanced cooperation between peoples.

“On International Jazz Day, jazz is celebrated, studied, and performed around the world for 24 hours straight,” said UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock.  In April 2012, Mr Hancock and TMIJ spearheaded and organized the historical events which took place around the world where jazz legends gathered together for key events at UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris, at the United Nations’ Headquarters in New York, as well as at the emblematic Congo Square in New Orleans. From Algiers to Buenos Aires, from Kuala Lumpur to Warsaw, from Lomé to Santo Domingo, more than a hundred countries celebrated this day.

Istanbul will be the official host city for 2013. Turkey has an age-old tradition of jazz. Munir Ertegun, Turkish Republic’s first ambassador to Washington in the 1930s, opened his embassy’s parlours to African American jazz musicians, who gathered there to play freely in a socio-historical context which was deeply divided by racial segregation at the time. Inspired by this legacy, the ambassador’s sons, Ahmet and Nesuhi, went on to establish the United States’ first jazz and gospel label in 1947 – Atlantic Records – which was seminal in spreading the beauty of jazz music around the world.

Born in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, jazz is rooted in African traditions, draws from European musical forms, and has evolved into various styles across the globe.

United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and the Republic of Turkey are pleased to announce that the main event for the second annual International Jazz Day will be hosted by Turkey in the city of Istanbul.

Held every year on April 30th, International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools and groups from across the world to celebrate jazz, learn about its roots and highlight its important role as a form of communication that transcends differences.

This year, the main concert for International Jazz Day will be held in Istanbul, Turkey. UNESCO’s Director-General, Irina Bokova, stated, “I am delighted to announce that Istanbul will serve as the Host City for the 2013 International Jazz Day celebration on April 30th. A meeting place of global cultures, Istanbul is an ideal location to highlight the extensive influence of jazz. Official celebrations, concerts and educational programs will take place in Istanbul and around the globe, expanding on the tremendous success of last year’s inaugural International Jazz Day.”

Taken forward in partnership with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, International Jazz Day was adopted by UNESCO Member States on the initiative of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, in order to encourage and highlight jazz’s unique power for advancing intercultural dialogue and understanding across the world. International Jazz Day is recognized on the official calendars of UNESCO and the United Nations. Its programs and events will be coordinated with all 195 Member States of UNESCO. “International Jazz Day is a means to highlight, support, and leverage the unifying attributes of music through worldwide celebratory events and activities on 30thApril each year.” said Herbie Hancock. “On International Jazz Day, jazz is celebrated, studied, and performed around the world for 24 hours straight. Collaborations abound among jazz icons, scholars, composers, musicians, dancers, writers, and thinkers who embrace the beauty, spirit, and principles of jazz, freely sharing experiences and performances in our big cities and in our small towns, all across our seven continents.”

Tom Carter, President of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, said, “The Institute is pleased to partner with UNESCO and the Republic of Turkey to present the second annual International Jazz Day. Last year’s celebration reached more than one billion people through educational programs, performances and media coverage. This is a phenomenal figure that we believe will be surpassed in 2013.”

Celebrations in Istanbul will kick off with a special early morning performance for high school students conducted by Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and others. The evening concert at Istanbul’s famed Hagia Irene will feature performances by stellar musicians from around the world, including pianists John Beasley, George Duke, Robert Glasper, Herbie Hancock, Abdullah Ibrahim, Keiko Matsui and Eddie Palmieri; vocalists Al Jarreau, Milton Nascimento and Dianne Reeves; trumpeters Hugh Masekela, Imer Demirer and Christian Scott; bassists James Genus, Marcus Miller, and Ben Williams; drummers Terri Lyne Carrington and Vinnie Colaiuta; guitarists Bilal Karaman, John McLaughlin, Lee Ritenour and Joe Louis Walker; saxophonists Dale Barlow, Igor Butman, Jimmy Heath, Wayne Shorter and Liu Yuan; clarinetists Anat Cohen and Hüsnü Şenlendirici; violinist Jean-Luc Ponty; Pedrito Martinez on percussion and other special guests to be announced in the weeks ahead.  John Beasley will be the event’s musical director.

Dating back to the 4th century, the Hagia Irene, located in the outer courtyard of Topkapi Palace – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – is regarded as an international treasure for music lovers because of its brilliant atmosphere and enchanting acoustics. The concert will be streamed live on the internet on JazzDay.com, MonkInstitute.org, UNESCO and U.S. State Department websites.

To date, nearly 80 events have been organized in more than 30 countries, including Argentina, Australia, the Republic of Korea, France, Gabon, Malaysia and Trinidad and Tobago. In Armenia, the Municipality of Yerevan is organizing an open-air concert and will introduce jazz history and jazz performance in several schools around Yerevan. In Mexico, more than ten jazz concerts are scheduled throughout the country. Denmark will host “Jazz as a Verb” in Copenhagen, a day seminar and evening concert for both Danish and international musicians. In India, Jazz Goa in will celebrate the Day with a mega event featuring jazz artists from all over the world. In Swaziland, a special program “Jazz across Borders and Cultures” will include workshops, jam sessions, and concerts over three days. Additional events are being confirmed each day.

We encourage you to register your event on JazzDay.com and like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and use the hashtag #jazzday on all your jazz related tweets.

By CHARLES J. GANS, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Pianist Herbie Hancock will celebrate the special connection between Turkey and jazz music forged decades ago when the Turkish ambassador opened his residence to white and black musicians at a time when segregation held sway in the U.S. capital.

Hancock, a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, is organizing a gala concert with jazz stars from around the world on April 30 at the famed Hagia Irene in the outer courtyard of Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, which has been designated the host city for the second annual U.N.-sanctioned International Jazz Day.

“There’s an amazing history of the relationship between Turkey and jazz,” Hancock told The Associated Press in a telephone interview ahead of Tuesday’s official announcement of the 2013 International Jazz Day program.

It began in the ’30s and ’40s when the two sons of Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Munir Ertegun pursued their passion for jazz by frequenting the capital’s black neighborhoods to buy “race” records not available elsewhere, and attend concerts at the Howard Theater, a mecca for leading African-American entertainers.

Their father readily agreed when the brothers began inviting musicians to the ambassador’s mansion for Sunday lunches followed by integrated jam sessions in an upstairs music parlor. The guests included jazz royalty from the Duke Ellington and Count Basie bands such as Lester Young, Benny Carter, Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges and Rex Stewart.

Hancock says he was particularly impressed by a story told to him by Turkey’s current ambassador, Namik Tan, about how his predecessor responded whenever outraged Southern senators would complain that “a person of color was seen entering your house by the front door (which) is not a practice to be encouraged.”

The ambassador would offer a terse one-sentence reply such as: “In my home, friends enter by the front door — however we can arrange for you to enter from the back.”

“That was fantastic … that he always had the embassy open to jazz musicians,” Hancock said. “Think about the state of civil rights and race relations at that time.”

After the ambassador died in 1944, his sons remained in the U.S. Ahmet Ertegun founded Atlantic Records where he helped move African-American music into the mainstream of American pop culture, launching the careers of Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin, among others. His older brother, Nesuhi, headed the label’s jazz department, producing significant recordings by jazz legends such as the Modern Jazz Quartet, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus and Ornette Coleman.

Tan acknowledged the tradition by launching the Ertegun Jazz Series of concerts at the Embassy Residence in 2011. He hopes that International Jazz Day will further spotlight the “unknown, or even surprising” connection of Turkey with jazz.

“International Jazz Day 2013 will provide a unique opportunity to pay tribute to the legacy of the Ertegun Brothers by bringing together artists from all around the world to celebrate jazz music’s universal messages of peace, freedom and fraternity in the unique city of Istanbul where continents and civilizations meet,” Tan said in an email.

Hancock will kick off the April 30 celebration with an early morning educational performance for students at Galatasaray High School, Turkey’s oldest secondary school. Two local universities will be hosting seminars, workshops, panel discussions, film screenings and master classes during the day.

The festivities conclude with an evening concert at Hagia Irene, known for its phenomenal acoustics, which is the city’s oldest church dating back to the 4th century and now a museum. The concert will be streamed live and taped for broadcast on public television stations worldwide.

The lineup includes such American jazz stars as Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath, George Duke, Robert Glasper, Christian Scott, Marcus Miller, Lee Ritenour, Al Jarreau and Dianne Reeves, with pianist John Beasley serving as musical director. The international contingent features Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim (South Africa), Keiko Matsui (Japan), Anat Cohen (Israel), Milton Nascimento (Brazil), John McLaughlin (Britain), Igor Butman (Russia) and Jean-Luc Ponty (France), among others. Clarinetist Husnu Seniendirici and trumpeter Imer Demirer will represent Turkey.

Tom Carter, president of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, says Istanbul is symbolically well suited to foster the goals of International Jazz Day because it bridges two continents.

“We look at jazz music as a means of bridging people together around the world,” Carter said. “Turkey is a Muslim nation that has embraced democracy and is a very open society. That’s very much what jazz represents — peace, harmony and democracy.”

The Monk Institute is sponsoring the day’s festivities along with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Istanbul Foundation for Culture & Arts.

Some 80 International Jazz Day events have already been confirmed in countries worldwide for April 30 — from an open-air concert in Yerevan, Armenia, to a program “Jazz Across Borders and Cultures” with workshops, jam sessions and concerts in Swaziland.

Hancock hopes to build on the success of last year’s inaugural event which included star-studded concerts at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, New Orleans’ Congo Square, and the U.N. General Assembly Hall in New York.

“This was a special occasion to share the music with the rest of the world and have it honored in a way that made everybody proud,” said Hancock. “It accomplished what I believe to be a new vision of cultural diplomacy.”

Copyright © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | Link