International jazz day festival launched

This year's International Jazz Festival Day which was instituted by UNESCO and scheduled to take place on April 30 in Accra has been launched at a colourful ceremony at the offices of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA).

This year's festival, launched by the president of MUSIGA, Bice Osei Kuffour aka Obour, is under the theme 'The Role of Jazz Music In Promoting Cultural Diversity.

Activities planned for the celebration include free MUSIGA registration of jazz musicians in Ghana at the various MUSIGA offices throughout the country, radio and TV discussions on jazz music, a forum and workshop on jazz music and Jazz music concerts in some selected venues in the country.

In a speech, president Obour stated that the festival was being organized to break down barriers and create opportunities for mutual understanding and tolerance.

According to him, jazz music encouraged artistic innovation, improvisation, new forms of expression and inclusion of traditional music forms into new ones, adding that it also stimulated intercultural dialogue and empowered young people from marginalized societies.

In November last year, during the UNESCO General Conference, the international community proclaimed April 30 as International Jazz Day. The day is intended to raise awareness in the international community of the virtues of jazz as an educational tool, and a force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people.

Many governments, civil society, organizations, educational institutions and private citizens currently engaged in the promotion of jazz music would embrace the opportunity to foster greater appreciation not only for the music but also for the contribution it can make to building more inclusive societies.