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In commemoration of International Jazz Day 2024, the UNESCO Windhoek Office, Namibia, organized with partners, events that joined with the Global Jazz Day celebrations hosted by Tangier, Morocco. Over two days, 29-30 April 2024, Windhoek hosted a Colloquium on Jazz and Digital Technology, launched a pilot Youth Music project, and held an all-star jazz concert featuring top Namibian artists.  To ensure that Namibians outside the country’s capital could also enjoy and learn, the events were broadcast and live-streamed on radio, television, and social media platforms.

The commemorations began on April 29, 2024, with a Colloquium on Jazz and Digital Technology hosted by the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC), which brought together music students, music practitioners, music educators, regulators, ICT policy planners and government officials.  Drawing inspiration from the recently adopted UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education (Abu Dhabi, February 2024), the discussions explored how to better harness in the Namibian context contemporary advances, and seize the opportunities opened up by digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI).  Discussions touched on the perception and evolution of jazz in Namibia, issues concerning access to and quality of education for young jazz musicians, challenges encountered and opportunities available for supporting the expansion of a creative industry around jazz music, and the advantages and pitfalls of digitalization and technological advancements on the music industry.  

Following welcome remarks by Ms Eunice Smith, UNESCO Representative to Namibia, in which she recalled UNESCO’s role to promote education and culture, for peace, mutual understanding and freedom of expression, Mr. Gerard Vries, Deputy Executive Director for Lifelong Learning delivered opening remarks on behalf of Honorable Ms. Esther Anna Nghipondoka, Minister of Education, Arts and Culture.  He noted that Namibian musicians are daring, under extreme times to create their own jazz, which has been evidenced through research and the findings of projects like The Stolen Moments Project, which is permanently exhibited at the Independence Memorial Museum.  Closing remarks and the Vote of Thanks to the panelists and host were provided by Ms. M’kariko Amagulu, Directorate of Arts, in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture.

UNESCO’s Regional Director for Southern Africa, Ms Nisha, then delivered remarks on behalf of the Organization and launched the pilot Youth Music project. Reflecting on the essence of jazz as a powerful medium for expression, Ms Nisha emphasized its role in addressing societal struggles and triumphs. She hailed jazz as an art form that embodies innovation, improvisation and serves as a tool for expressing resistance, change, achievements, and innovation. She also underscored the importance of collaborative partnerships between government entities, private sector, academia, and UNESCO in propelling cultural and technological advancements within Namibia. Such collaborations are envisioned to drive forward progress at the intersection of culture and technology.

The pilot Youth Music project being implemented in conjunction with Namibia’s College of the Arts (COTA), will run from May 2024 to February 2025, and will enhance the capacities of young aspiring musicians to innovate and improvise, leveraging traditional Namibian music and digital technology to create new musical pieces. With 71.1% of Namibia’s population being under the age of 35, as well as increasing youth unemployment, the music, culture and creative industries could be seen as an effective tool for harnessing the energy, creativity and appreciation for technology and music among young people.  Topics to be covered under the pilot project include a review of relevant normative instruments and government policies, issues of copyright, royalties, open access, and innovating with digitalization. The top three compositions developed through the pilot project will be featured during the International Jazz Day celebrations in 2025.
 

The headliner event of the Namibia celebrations was no doubt the jazz concert which featured an all-star line-up of local artists, who performed for over three and a half hours to a full house of over 300 jazz enthusiasts.  Held at the Backstage of the National Theatre of Namibia, the jazz concert provided a fitting tribute to the rich musical heritage of Namibia.  The concert showcased Namibia’s diversity, bringing together young and upcoming digital music artist O.U. Slow, with traditional diva Erna Chimu, female saxophonist Suzy Eises, and jazz vocalist Sharon Van Rooi. One of the highlight’s of the evening’s performances took place when the audience was treated to an interlude of Namibia’s Nama Music by the Aixan ║Khoab !Nans band. Born from Nama Music, which was inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, during its fifteenth session in December 2020, Aboxan Musik ǀŌb ǂÂns tsî ǁKhasigu showcases the ancestral musical sound knowledge and skills related to the Nama people. Not only did the inclusion of Nama music provide awareness and visibility for this intangible cultural heritage at risk, but the Band also brought the audience to their feet, ensuring that the second half of the jazz concert was filled with dancing and festivity.

Namibia’s International Jazz Day celebrations were made possible due to the excellent partnership and support that the UNESCO Windhoek Office received from local stakeholders including the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, the College of the Arts, the National Arts Council of Namibia, the Franco Namibia Cultural Centre, the National Theatre of Namibia, the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation, the Museums Association of Namibia, the Namibian Newspaper, Desert Radio and the Embassy of the United States of America in Namibia. Such partnership highlights the country's dedication to nurturing artistic talent, fostering dialogue and peace through music, and providing opportunities for art and culture practitioners to showcase their excellence.