Time to jazz it up

Jazz, which originated among the African American community in the United States in the late 19th century as an emotional reaction to racial oppression, has taken root in China since the 1920s and the 1930s. With the efforts of homegrown musicians, jazz is now a vibrant and fast-developing scene in the country.

Jazz pianist Dai Liang, 23, better known by his stage name A Bu, made his debut at the International Jazz Day's global concert in 2015, when he was invited to join American jazz musicians Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Marcus Miller, as well as many other distinguished names, to perform at UNESCO's Headquarters in Paris.

Since then, Dai has performed in multiple editions of the global concert: 2017 in Havana, Cuba; 2019 in Melbourne, Australia; an online performance in 2020, and another concert in 2021 in New York.

"Through performing at the International Jazz Day's global concert, I was given the opportunity to collaborate with many internationally acclaimed jazz musicians whom I admire," says Dai, who is currently pursuing his master's degree at Mannes School of Music at The New School in New York.

"Being able to play music with them on the bandstand was an unforgettable experience. Especially in jazz, where excitement and spontaneity occur during the process of improvisation, it was a privilege for me to play music in such a professional, yet warm environment. I was very much inspired by the other musicians," Dai adds.

Dai started to learn piano at the age of 4 and was introduced to jazz by his father. He made his stage debut at the age of 13 during the Beijing Nine Gates International Jazz Music Festival, and impressed the audience, the musicians and critics with his seemingly limitless technique and a deep understanding of tunes written long before he was born.

"Having this opportunity to showcase Chinese jazz is a milestone event for the ongoing development of the jazz scene in China," he says.

The idea for what would become International Jazz Day was first proposed by Hancock in 2011, shortly after he was named as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.