Barcelona is set to celebrate International Jazz Day this Sunday, 26 April, with a series of free outdoor concerts on Passeig de Gràcia. Attendees can enjoy 10 continuous hours of music, showcasing jazz as a genre recognised by UNESCO for its educational value and its role in promoting tolerance and intercultural dialogue.

The celebration in the Catalan capital aligns with events across many Spanish provinces, marking the occasion officially designated by UNESCO in November 2011. This date, 30 April, coincides with the final day of Jazz Appreciation Month in the United States.

The Roots of Jazz Music

Jazz, a musical style defined by improvisation, the use of 'swing', and a strong structure rooted in African American tradition, historically symbolised the fight against slavery. According to the Miguel de Cervantes Library, the genre originated in communities near the Mississippi Delta in the USA.

African slaves, brought to the United States from the 18th century to work on cotton plantations, used to sing and dance to the sound of the banjo and other percussion instruments to ease physical fatigue. These 'work songs' served as a therapeutic resource to express pain and maintain traditions and collective memory. African tradition involved simple melodies with 'call-and-response' techniques, which later merged with European elements, creating new harmonies and rhythms, primarily swing. This 'dynamic pulsation' gives the music a sensual character.

The term 'swing' also refers to an era in jazz evolution, the 'swing era' of the 1940s, which helped project female singers such as Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.

Key Influences on Jazz

Three main currents inspired the creation of modern jazz, according to the library: the blues, the 'spiritual', and 'ragtime'. The blues is an harmonic structure, typically a cyclical 12-bar form, serving as a base for interpretation. It uses melodies derived from 'work songs' and features melancholic lyrics, often accompanied by guitars, banjos, or harmonicas. A famous blues song is 'The Thrill Is Gone' by B.B. King from 1969.

The 'spiritual' is a subgenre that aims to evoke higher, mystical, and religious states of consciousness through music. More than a technical style, it is a form of popular singing that, in the 1940s, used texts based on the Holy Scriptures, religious hymns, and messages of fraternity among slaves. From the 1960s, this spiritual form was popularised by religious singing groups, the 'jubilee singers', leading to pieces like John Coltrane's 'A Love Supreme' from 1965.

Finally, 'ragtime', literally 'torn time', emerged in the late 19th century. It is characterised by a highly syncopated melody and a cheerful rhythm that encourages movement by marking the beat. On the plantations where slaves worked, this rhythm was marked with the left hand, mimicking playing a banjo. Composer Scott Joplin gained prominence in 1902 with his song 'The Entertainer'.

Barcelona's Concert Programme

To commemorate this rich legacy, Barcelona City Council has organised six free concerts on Passeig de Gràcia for this Sunday, 26 April:

  • At 12:00, the Sunset Rhythm Kings band will perform.
  • At 13:30, Quiet Colors, a duo featuring Joanna Kucharczyk and Marcelo Woloski, will take the stage.
  • At 15:30, composer and singer Glenda de l’E Q-ban Mixology will present her work.
  • At 17:15, the Catalan group Laura Simó & Ignasi Terraza Trio will play.
  • At 19:00, Senegalese musician Momi Maiga will perform.
  • At 20:45, the classical jazz group La Vella Dixieland Big Reunion will close the event.

These performances offer residents and visitors an opportunity to experience the diverse sounds of jazz and reflect on its profound cultural and historical significance.