París, France.-UNESCO Director General, irina Bokova, saluted the celebration in Cuba of the International Jazz Day 2017, date in which big representatives of the genre worldwide will meet in Havana.

‘For UNESCO it is an honor to associate again with the Institute of Jazz Thelonious Monk and the Cuban Institute of Music to hoist jazz as flag of freedom, creativity, diversity and unity’, said Bokova in a communiqje.

According to her statements, ‘the focus this year will be in Cuba, testimony of the power of jazz to build bridges and unite men and women around shared values and aspirations’.

The commemoration to be held on April 30, numerous events will take place in different countries, while the closing ceremony will be at the Grand Theater of Havana Alicia Alonso, with a concert to gather artists of international relevance.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the Cuban Institute of Music and the National Cuban Commission of Unesco, the show will have as artistic directors world-famous pianists and composers Herbie Hancock, of the United States and Chucho Valdes, of the hosting nation.

From the United States will arrive numerous artists like Ambrose Akinmusire, Carl Allen, Regina Carter and Marcus Miller, while from Europe will attend Italian Gianluca Petrella, Russian Igor Butman, French Marc Antoine and German Till Brönner.

Lebanese Tarek Yamani, Tunisian Dhafer Youssef, Chinese A Bu, Brazilian Ivan Lins and Mexican Antonio Sanchez will also come to the gala.

From Cuba will also perform Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Pancho Amat, Cesar Lopez, Bobby Carcassés and Sixto Llorente, among others.

From Monday April 24, the Caribbean nation will be venue to numerous jazz-related activities such as master classes, improvisation workshops and live performances in innumerable schools, artistic spaces, community centers, clubs and parks.

In reference to the significance of celebrating the journey in the island, musician Herbie Hancock, UNESCO ambassador of Good Will for Intercultural Dialogue declared that ‘AfroCuban jazz and its rich history have played a fundamental role in the evolution and enrichment of jazz as a genre’.