Meet Our Community

Windy Karigianes USA

1) What does jazz music mean to you? To your community?

Jazz to me is the ultimate expression through music. It allows for clear messages of the soul to be conveyed to the people in my community and around the world. It brings happiness and fulfillment in every note played.

2) Why are you celebrating International Jazz Day? Why is it important?

International Jazz Day, in itself, is a miracle of an occurrence. I am an artist who plays jazz. So therefore I will acknowledge this day and be of service to this music that I love so very much. It is part of our American heritage that has opened all boarders and walls that create conflict and brings them down. Here is the canvas of art that creates peace and opens the doorways and leads us down the pathway of peace as we will continue to pass it on through generations and it will continue to shape our hearts and color our world and take our minds on the souls journey into creativity.

In short, everyday is Jazz day for me. It is a very intelligent art form practicing to it daily and listening to it daily brings up my standards and everyone else’s.

3) What would you like to see happen through this day – short term and long term?

In the long term I would love to see jazz kept alive in all of its wondrous forms: traditional, contemporary and fusion sounds. It is an important part of humanity. Jazz is a musical cosmic collective that unites humanity across the globe.

To keep this art form alive so our children can have freedom of expression. To exercise their mind and go to the outer limits.

I would like to see a comradery of artists, and of all people coming together to share a passion to honor those who came before us and those who continue on. I would like to see a unification of all nations through art which encompasses all languages, all colors, one People.