International Jazz Day celebrated in Namibian style

  • 1 Week Ago - 2024-04-26 11:50:00
Two events will be hosted in commemoration of International Jazz Day this year: On Monday (29 April) from 14:30 to 17:30 a colloquium on jazz and digital technology takes place at the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre, bringing together music students, practitioners and leaders in digital and technology industries in Namibia; and on Tuesday (30 April) at 19:00 a live concert takes place Backstage in the National Theatre featuring local jazz acts Erna Chimu, Suzy Eises, Sharon Van Rooi and Slow. The audience will also be treated to an interlude of Namibia’s Nama Music by the Aboxan Musik ǀŌb ǂÂns tsî ǁKhasigu, which was inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
During the colloquium issues such as the perception and evolution of traditional jazz music in Namibia; educating young jazz musicians – access and quality; supporting expansion of a creative industry around jazz music – challenges and opportunities; and digitalisation and technological advancements – advantages and pitfalls will be discussed.
A pilot Youth Jazz Music Program on Namibian jazz music and digitalization aimed at encouraging young musicians to develop an appreciation for traditional Namibian jazz, while stimulating creativity and innovation will also be launched.
This music program will be spearheaded by the College of the Arts under the Directorate of Arts and will run from May to December 2024. Participants will be expected to develop a composition founded in traditional Namibian music and incorporating aspects of digital technology.
The events are supported by UNESCO, the Directorate of Arts at the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre, the College of the Arts, the National Theatre of Namibia, the Museums Association of Namibia and the US Embassy in Namibia
See you there!