The Urban Project by Jazzkaar brings music to many schools and kindergartens all over Estonia. The project has taken music outside of concert halls for 10 years. Over 90 events take place throughout the upcoming weeks, celebrating the 10th anniversary. Jazz can be heard in shopping centres, cafes, universities, hospitals, on public transport and on the streets and at many other places where live music is not generally heard.
The project reaches new environments – jazz sounds can be heard in the zoo, near the polar bear enclove and at the Estonian Defence Forces Headquarters Support and Signal Battalion as well as in the ARS building where animation, dance and art is united through jazz. Rahva Raamat’s book store in Viru keskus hosts a poetry jazz concert, the radio building surprises with fun elevator jazz and an elated jazz march can be spotted walking through the city centre and Old Town. The performers of The Urban Project are well-known musicians such as Marianne Leibur, Siim Aimla, ETV Girls Choir as well as many up-and-coming artists. The Urban Project runs from 9th to 28th April all over Estonia and is free of charge.
Tallinn International Festival Jazzkaar celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The main performers of this year’s Jazzkaar are Bobby McFerrin, John Scofield, Joshua Redman and Judith Hill. No previous year has been represented by so many fresh music by Estonian artists.
Some special projects have been created to celebrate the event. Since February, the broadcast channel Vikerraadio has brought back previous Jazzkaar festivals in a series „Jazzkaar 30“. Previous years’ flags and banners are made into exclusive carry-on bags by the special needs handicraft people from Viljandi county. Every jazz friend can buy themselves a cool „Kuulan jazzi“ (I listen to jazz) sweatshirt.
The main sponsors of Jazzkaar are KAFO, Jazz Pesulad and Eesti Päevaleht; annual sponsors are My City Hotel, BMW, Tallink and Aktaprint. Bobby McFerrin’s Gimme 5concert is presented by Viru Keskus. The festival hub is set up by Prike and Telliskivi Creative City; our café partner is Reval Café and our supporters are Overall, MyFitness, Kodupaber and ERR. Embassy of Israel, Embassy of Sweden, Goethe Institute in Estonia, French Institute and Hungarian Institute have helped us bring the musicians of their countries to Estonia. We are also thankful to the Ministry of Culture, Cultural Endowment of Estonia and the City of Tallinn for their support.