Preservation Hall, New Orleans, Louisiana

© Cosmo Condina North America/Alam

A day of swing and celebration. International Jazz Day

Born in the Black communities of New Orleans, jazz music quickly caught on outside the Big Easy and became an international sensation. Due to its improvisational nature, jazz never stays the same, fusing with other cultures and genres to create styles such as Afro-Cuban, Latin, and Indo Jazz. UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and jazz pianist Herbie Hancock created International Jazz Day to celebrate the global genre, first held in a 2012 with events in New York, Paris and New Orleans. We hope you celebrate by putting on your favourite jazz record, or if you can swing it, visit New Orleans' legendary jazz venue, Preservation Hall, seen in our photo here.