WHAT ARE SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT JAZZ?

International Jazz Day is the world’s largest celebration of Jazz. It took incredible successes over the last decade because Jazz could attract people from every continent through performances, community outreach, educational programs, and media coverage. In November 2011, UNESCO decided April 30 as International Jazz Day, intending to highlight Jazz and its diplomatic roles to unite people worldwide.

This event was led by UNESCO and several other parties involved. It aimed to increase awareness of the international community about Jazz as a power for peace, dialogue, unity, diversity, cultures, educational tools, respect for human rights and human dignity.

After knowing about International Jazz Day, let’s have a look at some fun facts about Jazz.

• Inspired Many Dances Styles.

Jazz music has inspired many different dance styles, like Charleston, Lindy Hop, and Mambo. It has a piece of soulful music, so for those of you that love to dance, it’s hard not to dance when hearing Jazz music.

• Boosted productivity, creativity, and relieving stress.

Theta brain waves (4-8 hertz) can be active by listening to Jazz. What are Theta brain waves? It is a highly creative brain wave that is usually active during sleep and meditation. It has a close connection with memory, sleep cycles, and cognition level. The brain wave boosts productivity, creativity, and relieves stress because it gives new inspiring solutions and insights for unresolved problems, usually called “Eureka!” moments.

• Full of secret hand and body signals.

At Jazz performances, the musicians communicate non-verbally because so many things are happening on stage. Usually, they will give the signal with a nod or finger-pointing at their head at the end of the piece.

• Before the Saxophone, the Clarinet was a famous instrument in Jazz.

Many Jazz musicians opposed when the saxophone appeared. It is because in the past, the clarinet was the dominant instrument in Jazz. Clarinet defined the swing sound of the era known as the ‘Liquorice Stick’ until a Jazz musician from New Orleans named Sidney Bechet used the Saxophone and created the iconic sound which became the signature of Jazz. Then, many musicians began to look at the Saxophone and it became a famous instrument in Jazz.

• Originally started as pop.

Believe it or not, Jazz was known and started as Pop. After a blend of ragtime, European chamber elements, marching band music and blues, Jazz was created. It exploded onto the American music scene in the 1920s.

Well, those are some unique facts about Jazz music worldwide. Are you a fan of this type of music? Happy International Jazz Day!

References:

International Jazz Day. (2022, February 14). About. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://jazzday.com/about/

Offstage. (2016, June 16). SECRET SIGNALS AND BRAIN WAVES: 12 FUN FACTS ABOUT JAZZ. Esplanade.com. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.esplanade.com/offstage/arts/secret-signals-and-brain-waves-12-fun-facts-about-jazz

Bhardwaj, A. (2021, April 30). International Jazz Day 2021: Why it is celebrated and all you need to know. India Today. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.indiatoday.in/information/story/international-jazz-day-2021-why-it-is-celebrated-and-all-you-need-to-know-1796559-2021-04-30

Mckinsey, E. (2020, November 4). 10 Fun Facts about Jazz. All About Jazz. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.allaboutjazz.com/10-fun-facts-about-jazz

United Nations. (2021, April 30). International Jazz Day. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.un.org/en/observances/jazz-day

River street jazz cafe. (2019, September 13). A Boy from Belgium: The History of the Saxophone. The River Street Jazz Cafe. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://riverstreetjazzcafe.com/a-boy-from-belgium-the-history-of-the-saxophone/

Alodokter. (2020, November 30). Informasi Terapi Gelombang Otak Ini Perlu Anda Ketahui. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.alodokter.com/informasi-terapi-gelombang-otak-ini-perlu-anda-ketahui