This week, we will celebrate UNESCO’s International Jazz Day. In addition to the intrinsic artistic value of jazz, the wider context of the day – its message of peace, intercultural dialogue, and respect for human rights and human dignity – is particularly poignant this spring. In Finland, the message will be delivered through Jazz Finland’s Jazz Day campaign, in collaboration with musicians Timo Lassy and Kaisa Mäensivu.
In addition to the intrinsic artistic value of jazz, the wider message of the day – of peace, intercultural dialogue, and respect for human rights and human dignity – is particularly important this spring.
International Jazz Day Patron, the legendary pianist and composer and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, has described the core meaning of this day and jazz in general: “There is hope and solidarity in jazz music, something we all need right now.”
This year Jazz Finland wishes to spread the joyous jazz message through its Jazz Day campaign. Finland’s official faces of International Jazz Day 2022 are saxophonist Timo Lassy and double bassist Kaisa Mäensivu.
”The universal language of jazz brings people together, and its heart beats for peace and tolerance”
Part of Finland’s jazz royalty, the Yrjö Award winning saxophonist Timo Lassy is best known to Finnish audiences as a member of the Five Corners Quintet. Having dismantled the invisible barriers around the jazz scene, Lassy has long delighted his audiences through performances at such diverse stages as the Helsinki Festival’s Huvila Tent, Flow Festival, and Pori Jazz Festival.
”The universal language of jazz brings people together, and its heart beats for peace and tolerance”, Lassy explains his view on jazz music’s purpose in the world.
Kaisa Mäensivu is an award-winning double bassist and composer, as well as the newly appointed Artistic Director of Savoy JazzFEST. Mäensivu enjoys a skyrocketing career and has established herself on the jazz scenes of her two homes in Finland and New York. In addition to her own ensembles Kaisa’s Machine and Kaisa Mäensivu Trio, she is active in many other ensembles as well. She shares Lassy’s view of jazz as a shared language which brings people together.
”Jazz music is a means of communication, created by people, and used to convey feelings, empathy and joy. Its existence reassures me that there is a lot of good in humanity”, Mäensivu comments the role of jazz in today’s world.
In 2022, Jazz Finland challenges Finns to take part in the celebration of UNESCO's International Jazz Day with the Jazzpäivä campaign. Instructions for participating can be found on the Jazz Finland website.
About UNESCO International Jazz Day
In November 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. For over a decade, jazz as an art form has been recognised for promoting peace, dialogue among cultures, diversity, and respect for human rights and human dignity.
International Jazz Day is chaired and led by the legendary jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock, who serves as a UNESCO Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue and Chairman of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.
For more information about the campaign and interview requests for Timo Lassy and Kaisa Mäensivu:
Maura Manninen, producer
Tel. +358 400 45 6381
maura.manninen@jazzfinland.fi
Campaign illustrations: Ahma Hokkanen
Links
Jazz Finland Instagram
Kansainvälinen Jazzpäivä FB-event
International Jazz Day website