Jazz for Peace
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Based in New York, NY
| Founded | 2002 by Rick DellaRatta in the United States |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profit Jazz music group |
| Location |
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| Services | Music education, benefit concerts, and fundraising |
| Fields | Promoting cooperation, nonviolence, and music education through jazz performance |
| Website | www.jazzforpeace.org |
Jazz for Peace is an American professional jazz organization with the goal of promoting unity and peace across cultures through the performance of music. They also seek to increase arts and music education in schools. Its motto is "Uniting People Through the Artform of Jazz". The organization was founded by jazz pianist and vocalist Rick DellaRatta.
Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, DellaRatta wrote a poem he called "Jazz for Peace" as an outlet for his emotions. Shortly thereafter, DellaRatta formed a musical group under the same name.[1] In October 2001, DellaRatta, saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera, bassist Eddie Gómez, and drummer Lenny White performed the first Jazz for Peace Concert in Troy Music Hall in New York. The concert scored positive reviews and led to further performances.
On 25 September 2002 Jazz for Peace earned national attention for their concert at the United Nations. This concert united Israeli, Palestinian, and American jazz musicians to perform in front of an international audience at the UN.[2]
In May 2009, Jazz for Peace partnered with UNICEF to perform a jazz benefit concert in Rwanda. This appearance marked the first time Jazz for Peace performed in Africa. Their show was also the first time that an international jazz band performed with local musicians in Rwanda.[3] The group performed two concerts in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.[4]