Although the history of Jazz music is complex and often debated, historians, for the most part, agree on the geography of its origins.

Jazz started as a uniquely American sound, forged in the melting pot of cultures in the South, particularly in New Orleans in Louisiana. The port city was a blend of Creole culture and African traditions, peppered with European influences.

According to BBC Travel journalist Suemedha Sood, jazz started around 1819 in Congo Square, an outdoor space in New Orleans where slaves would congregate on Sundays when they did not have to work. And according to the Ken Burns documentary, Jazz, the slaves would sing, play music, and dance, swaying back and forth to the songs of their home countries. Meanwhile, in New Orleans theatres, the stages were overtaken by racist minstrel shows in which white performers sang and danced in blackface to upbeat tunes.

Sood states that when the American Civil War ended in 1865, all of these musical styles blended to form a new genre called ragtime, which syncopated the rhythms of previous genres and made songs that everyone wanted to dance to. Around the same time, former slaves from other parts of the American South brought the blues to Louisiana, combining spiritual music from the Baptist church with secular lyrics that told the painful stories of slaves’ lives.

Buddy Bolden, an African American bandleader, called “the first man of jazz” by historian Donald M Marquis, was at the forefront of the jazz movement. Bolden played the cornet in dance halls during the day and in the red light district of New Orleans’ Storyville at night. Although no recordings of Buddy Bolden exist today, his music is said to have incorporated the improvisation characteristic of jazz.

In November 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.

The 2025 edition of International Jazz Day, organised by UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, is being celebrated on April 30 in more than 190 countries. The Global Host for this year’s celebration is the city of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Hancock Institute of Jazz states that International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and jazz enthusiasts all over the world to celebrate and learn about jazz and its roots, future and impact; raise awareness of the need for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding; and reinforce international cooperation and communication.

Each year, this international art form is recognised for promoting peace, dialogue among cultures, and respect for human rights and human dignity, eradicating discrimination, promoting freedom of expression, fostering gender equality, and reinforcing the role of youth in enacting social change.

International Jazz Day is a global celebration of jazz music, its history, and its impact on cultures around the world. This day highlights the importance of jazz as a powerful tool for promoting peace, dialogue, and mutual understanding. Jazz, with its roots in African American communities, has grown into a universal language that brings people together, transcending borders, and fostering creativity and freedom of expression.

It raises awareness in the international community of the virtues of jazz as a force for peace, unity, dialogue, and enhanced cooperation among people, as well as an educational tool. Many governments, civil society organisations, educational institutions, and private citizens currently engage in the promotion of jazz music and embrace the opportunity to foster greater appreciation not only for the music but also for the contribution it can make to build more inclusive societies.

Caribbean music has roots in African, European, and indigenous cultures, reflecting the region’s complex history of slavery, colonisation, and migration. The Caribbean islands served as a vital conduit for African rhythms and musical forms, which became fundamental to the development of jazz, especially in New Orleans, known as America’s Caribbean city. While the Caribbean has served as a medium for jazz, many in the Caribbean have never attended a jazz festival.

A number of reasons can be provided regarding the decline jazz in the local entertainment space. One which stands true is the lack of venues, especially in rural Jamaica. Several outstanding Caribbean jazz musicians have made significant contributions to the genre. Prominent figures include Chucho Valdés from Cuba, Monty Alexander from Jamaica, and Dizzy Reece from Jamaica. Other notable names include Joe Harriott, Sonny Bradshaw, Myrna Hague, and Ernie Ranglin, also from Jamaica. In addition, Trinidad and Tobago’s Russ Henderson and Shake Keane from St Vincent and the Grenadines have also been recognised for their contributions.

While the genre blends the styles of many musical traditions, two key styles of music influenced early jazz: blues and ragtime. Among the legendary figures in the development of this genre of music are:

• Nina Simone: a pivotal figure in jazz, known for her powerful vocals, piano skills, and activism. She was a significant voice in the civil rights movement, using her music to address racial injustice

• Mary Lou Williams: one of the greatest jazz pianists, composers, and arrangers of all time

• Louis Armstrong: a world-renowned jazz trumpeter and vocalist who popularised swing

• Duke Ellington: a jazz pianist and master composer who brought innovation, flavour, and emotional depth to jazz

• Count Basie: a jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer who popularised big band and orchestral jazz

• Herbie Hancock: an American jazz musician, bandleader, piano player, and composer

In addition to the Global Concert, UNESCO encourages schools, universities, and non-governmental organisations around the world to celebrate International Jazz Day. Performing arts venues, community centres, town squares, parks, libraries, museums, restaurants, clubs, and festivals organise thousands of activities, while public radio and television feature jazz on and around International Jazz Day.

A jazz concert celebrating International Jazz Day, known as Jazz Jamaica Stylee, will take place at the Louise Bennett Garden Theatre in Kingston today.

On this special day we are all encouraged to spend time listening to jazz.

Happy International Jazz Day.

Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and/or gender issues. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or waykam@yahoo.com.

Myrna Hague (Steve James)

Ernie Ranglin

Nina Simone

Wayne Campbell