School jazz band on world stage

Kaitaia Abundant Life School jazz musicians Arianna Lewis (standing left, who is in the video), JJ Wells and Irimana Van Der Mei, and in front, Amanda da Silva and Sophie Sullivan (who was first to perform). Picture / Supplied

Kaitaia Abundant Life School Jazz Band students had some of their performances released to a global audience for International Jazz Day (www.jazzday.com).

The performance was one of 400 events staged worldwide, but one of only two official presentations from New Zealand.

The Jazz Day celebrations, in the USA on April 30 (May 1 in New Zealand), were staged in collaboration with UNESCO and The Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz, the Abundant Life School presentation featuring and introduction the music head of department Dr Opeloge Ah Sam and context followed by four performances.

"Our kaupapa focuses on jazz, education and identity in a time where we are being faced with global uncertainty and fear, providing hope, love, faith and joy through our shared learning, expression and performance of music," Dr Ah Sam said.

"It is a fantastic achievement and step out to the global music community of jazz for our students."

The ninth annual celebration was originally planned to take place in Cape Town, and other locations around the world, but changed to a virtual format thanks to Covid-19. Hosted by Herbie Hancock, it streamed to audiences around the globe, including New York, Paris, Moscow and Tokyo.