Led by jazz legend pianist Herbie Hancock, the All-Star Global Concert features performances by an international roster of artists from all corners of the globe, including master Gnawa musician Abdellah El Gourd (Morocco). Other confirmed artists include saxophonists Lakecia Benjamin (USA), Moreira Chonguiça (Mozambique) ; singers Claudia Acuña (Chile), Shemekia Copeland, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jazzmeia Horn (USA); pianist Tarek Yamani (Lebanon), Billy Childs (USA) and Antonio Faraò (Italy); trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire (USA); multi-instrumentalists Marcus Miller (USA) and Magnus Lindgren (Sweden), and many more to be announced.

 

The 2024 edition of International Jazz Day will be celebrated on 30 April in more than 190 countries. The Global Host for this year's celebration is the city of Tangier, Morocco. This marks the first time a city on the African continent hosts International Jazz Day.

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Tangier is a melting pot of cultural expressions, located at the crossroads of Europe and Africa. It boasts a long, rich history of jazz and is known for its jazz heritage. Many world-renowned jazz artists have performed and spent time in Tangier, including the singer Josephine Baker, the saxophonists Ornette Coleman and Archie Shepp, the flutist Herbie Mann, and jazz master pianist Randy Weston, who lived in Tangier for many years. Weston collaborated with Gnawa master Abdellah El Gourd to explore the roots of jazz and African music.

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The four-day celebration (April 27-30) emphasizes the city’s jazz heritage and highlights cultural and artistic ties between people in Morocco, Europe, and Africa. The event includes a series of education programmes, events for students of all ages, and conversations about the history of jazz and its impact on Tangier, among others.

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The culminating All-Star Global Concert takes place at the new Palace of Arts and Culture of Tangier. The show is to be broadcast via YouTube, Facebook, the United Nations and UNESCO to millions of viewers worldwide.

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