Jazz festival entertains, inspires, educates
By Margot Thomas
PANAMA’S Jazz Festival which celebrates its 14th anniversary this month, (Jan. 10-14) has truly earned the “iconic” appellation as it has established itself as one of theregion’ss most famed annual cultural events.
For scores of thousands of Jazz lovers and those who like to mingle in the festive atmosphere, the performances, particularly the outdoors closing concert at The City of Knowledge, are the main attraction, but for hundreds of others its educational programs are a key to its ongoing acceptance in the musical community and a focal point for the festival’s founder, Danilo Perez, to help develop new generations of musicians.
This year the Festival will feature 76 training activities including workshops, lectures, talks, and free presentations, in different points of Ciudad del Saber (City of Knowledge such as the Convention Center, the Training and Business (building 105) and the auditorium of the Isaac Rabin College
Inspiration
Artists from Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Israel, Colombia, United States, Greece and Panama will be hosting classes to inspire and educate in the musical laboratory that complements the Festival.
Some of them will appear in the concerts of the and others come from artistic academies Such as New York Jazz Academy, Berklee College of Music, Berklee Global Jazz Institute, New England Conservatory or Thelonious Monk Institute.
In the last five years, the educational program has attracted about 2,500 students from across the region, bringing to 15,000 the number who have benefited since its introduction.
