Note that if you purchase something via one of our links, including Amazon, we may earn a small commission.
Musicians from UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network use song as a call to action on climate.
Music is a universal language, and climate change is a universal concern, so it makes sense that the two might intersect. April 30, which is International Jazz Day, saw 10 cities on six continents mark the day with a Jazz Relay. Musicians from each city performed pieces of the same song to raise awareness of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal #13: Climate Action. After the musicians submitted recordings of their improvisational interpretation of the song to the London, Canada, Music Office, producers cut the final video, creating a musical relay.
All 10 cities are members of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN), which links UNESCO Cities of Music around the globe. And it was UNESCO that declared April 30 as International Jazz Day in 2011. Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock came up with the idea — now celebrated annually in close to 200 countries. The Jazz Day Relay is a newer initiative, one that purposefully links to one of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Last year’s was SDG #14: Life Under Water, calling attention to our oceans and seas, essential to life on Earth. The music for the 2023 video, Afro-Red, was composed by Kansas City musician Jaelen Ward.
This year’s Jazz Relay video featured the traditional Korean folk song, ‘Bird, Bird, Blue Bird,’ a song written during the Donghak Peasant Revolution of the late 19th century as both a call to action and a message of hope in a time of uncertainty.
The lyrics of the song connect human vulnerability with the common fate of other species, especially birds — and offer a metaphor of connection between species and “awareness to the urgent need for climate action,” says Cory Crossman, Director of the London Music Office. “UCCN partners spotlight the need for collaborative global efforts to address the climate emergency through local and international action.”
“We all need to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint,” says Jacob Wagner, a participating musician from Kansas City. “People need to be motivated to act, and music is a great way to connect with people and mobilize them.”
Daegu, Kansas City, and London were the lead cities for the 2024 Jazz Relay video, which also included musicians from Adelaide (Australia), Bolzano (Italy), Concepción (Chile), Glasgow (Scotland), Leiria (Portugal), Norrköping (Sweden), and Port Louis (Mauritius).
Members of the Cities of Music Network have already started to plan for April 30, 2025. The Sustainable Development Goal will likely be decided in July, and Adelaide, Australia, will be the lead city for the 2025 Jazz Relay video. It’s a challenge each year to find a song that appeals across cultures and can be freely used by all musicians. Joe Hay, General Manager, Adelaide City of Music, says that the 2025 music will be developed by an Australian composer. “Using music as a communication tool is a simple idea, but it actually does affect people and get them thinking about things,” Hay says. “Creatives are leading the conversation, they are open to change and to taking risks. We may run out of oil, but we will never run out of ideas.”
