Jazz Day Relay 2024: Music for Climate Action

The UNESCO Creative Cities of Music Network has announced a new collaborative music video to celebrate International Jazz Day on April 30, 2024 while raising awareness for Sustainable Development Goal #13 - Climate Action.

Ten (10) cities from the global UNESCO Cities of Music Network (UCCN) have produced a collaborative video featuring the traditional Korean folk song, ‘Bird, Bird, Blue bird’. The composition from Daegu, South Korea, brings awareness to the urgent need for Climate Action (UN Sustainable Development Goal #13). UCCN partners spotlight the need for collaborative global efforts to address the climate emergency through local and international action.

The Jazz Relay begins with a South Korean performance by Daegu’s Park Si Yeon Trio.
The video travels across 6 continents featuring ten (10) UNESCO Cities of Music including:

1. Adelaide, Australia
2. Bolzano, Italy
3. Concepción, Chile
4. Daegu, South Korea
5. Glasgow, Scotland
6. Kansas City, USA
7. Leiria, Portugal
8. London, Canada
9. Norrköping, Sweden
10. Port Louis, Mauritius

The traditional Korean lullaby is a song of hope in a time of great uncertainty. The lyrics of the song connect human vulnerability with the common fate of other species, especially birds. Offered here as a metaphor of connection between humans and other species birds, the song reminds us that all species are vulnerable to climate change.

As Cities of Music, the double meaning of the melody and the traditional lyrics connect humans and songbirds, who share systemic molecular similarities linked to vocal learning.

This year’s video was produced by the cities of Daegu (South Korea), London (Canada) and Kansas City (USA).