Jazz and modern music

From the US to Africa, jazz and modern music in the spotlight

Who can really say what jazz is? No matter how many instruments - clarinet, trumpet, saxophone - and guiding principles, such as swing and improvisation, or how many people know that it was born in the early 20th century in the southern United States, jazz is a musical genre that is difficult to define. Practised mainly in African-American communities at its beginnings, it has evolved enormously, eventually gaining widespread popularity beyond the borders of the United States. Over the years, it has incorporated a wide range of influences and lent itself to many different forms of fusion. Whilst failing to offer a definition of jazz, this collection, which combines films about jazz with others about rock or rap, reflects the diversity that makes this musical style so rich.

Practised mainly in African-American communities at its beginnings, it has evolved enormously, eventually gaining widespread popularity beyond the borders of the United States. Over the years, it has incorporated a wide range of influences and lent itself to many different forms of fusion. Whilst failing to offer a definition of jazz, this collection, which combines films about jazz with others about rock or rap, reflects the diversity that makes this musical style so rich.

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