Abu Dhabi - New York: Europe and the Arab World
Abu Dhabi, designated by UNESCO as one of the Creative Cities of Music, hosted the 2025 International Jazz Day celebrations.
Over a month, events were held in Abu Dhabi to highlight Arab jazz music, which blends authenticity and modernity through instruments such as the oud, qanun, and ney.
International Jazz Day is celebrated annually on April 30 and has seen a series of concerts, training courses, and workshops organized in 190 countries around the world. According to the United Nations Daily News, Marcus Miller, a UNESCO Artist for Peace, said that jazz is not just a musical style, but rather "a wonderful means of bridging cultures, unhindered by words."
What do you know about jazz?
Jazz originated at the beginning of the 20th century in the culturally diverse American city of New Orleans and has roots in blues, ragtime, and traditional African music. With its vibrant rhythm and free improvisation, jazz quickly became a platform for musicians to champion freedom, equality, and the fight against racism and discrimination. Jazz spread throughout the United States and around the world, becoming a melting pot of influences from Latin America, North Africa, and other regions. This made it an open door for dialogue between musical instruments, peoples, and cultures, allowing each individual to add their own "unique touch," as Marcus Miller put it.