Jazz around the world

Musicians and audiences around the world have always been eager to play or hear jazz. In fact, jazz aficionados can be found in all corners of the world, including Egypt, Uruguay, Java, Spain, India, Argentine, North Africa and in virtually every European country. Since 1949, hundreds of jazz magazines have been published in Reykjavik, Dublin, Batavia, Barcelona, Tokyo, Melbourne and Zurich.

It was Europe, not the United States, that pioneered the study of jazz as a distinct music genre in the early 1930s.

Throughout its history, jazz has constantly absorbed the musical traditions of various continents. It all started with a blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms and was later combined with Japanese, Eurasian and Middle Eastern music, thus benefiting from the musical heritage of Africa, Latin America and the Far East.

Indian instruments like the tambora and tablas were popular among jazz musicians, which brought complex rhythms and an Indian raga sensibility to jazz music. The Art Ensemble of Chicago pioneered blending African and jazz music, while the Asian-American Jazz Orchestra promoted a mix of jazz and Asian music.

With globalization moving forward, jazz is constantly influenced by new musical trends, providing material for future research and proving that jazz is an inherent part of world music.