Central Africa celebrated International Jazz Day 2021!

UNESCO’s Central Africa Field Offices celebrated the culture of peace and African heritage during the 10th edition of International Jazz Day on 30 April.
Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo organized a series of cultural and artistic events as part of International Jazz Day’s celebrations on 30 April.

The first key event of the day was an online roundtable dedicated to the role of jazz in the culture of peace and the rumba as intangible cultural heritage. The roundtable was opened by Mr. Salah Khaled, Director of UNESCO’s Regional Office for Central Africa, and moderated by Ms. Elisabeth-Laure Njipwo, PI Expert from UNESCO’s Yaoundé Office. It brought together several ministers and cultural and political representatives from the continent, including H.E. Ambassador Gilberto da Piedade Veríssimo, President of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), H.E. Mr. Dieudonné Moyongo, Minister of Culture and Arts of Congo, H.E. Ms. Maria da Piedade de Jesus, Angolan Secretary of State for Culture, Mr. Adrien Djiembi, representative of the Gabonese Ministry of Culture, H.E. Mr. Henri OSSEBI, Ambassador Delegate General of Congo to UNESCO, as well as music experts and the Congolese rumba legend Mr. Sam Mangwana.