Open-air jazz nights turn Tashkent into global music hub

Thousands of people gathered in Tashkent during the International Jazz Festival, where musicians from Europe, the Americas and Central Asia performed free open-air concerts near the Palace of International Forums. Audiences of all ages filled the venue, with some standing close to the stage while others watched performances from the grass with friends and family.

The festival featured internationally known artists including Stanley Clarke, Incognito, GoGo Penguin, Tigran Hamasyan and the Kurt Elling quartet, alongside ensembles invited by the embassies of Romania and Israel. The closing night was dedicated to Uzbek musicians led by People’s Artist of Uzbekistan Mansur Tashmatov, News.Az reports, citing Euronews.

The event continued to attract growing international attention and larger audiences each year.

Stanley Clarke, a four-time Grammy winner who has worked with artists such as Miles Davis and the Rolling Stones, performed before a packed crowd in the Uzbek capital. Festival visitor Muhitdin Jalolov attended the concert with his grandsons and said he wanted to show them “what music for the soul sounds like.”

Clarke spoke about the connection between generations in jazz music, saying he had once learned from older musicians and now shares his experience with younger performers in his own band.

The festival, organised by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation under the auspices of UNESCO, also continued despite poor weather conditions. Rain fell during Gunhild Carling’s performance, but spectators remained in place throughout the concert.

Incognito founder Bluey Maunick said the reaction of the audience showed a strong connection between performers and the city. Vocalist Tony Momrelle, who returned to Tashkent for the third time, praised the people and atmosphere of the Uzbek capital.

Visitors from abroad also joined the concerts. Swedish tourist Saga Almen said she discovered the festival while travelling through Uzbekistan and was able to watch Swedish musician Gunhild Carling perform in Tashkent.

According to organisers, attendance and tourism linked to the festival have steadily increased since the event launched in 2016, the same year Uzbekistan began expanding international cultural and tourism exchanges. The Foundation said the combination of free admission, open-air performances and an international programme has helped establish the festival as an important cultural event for both local audiences and foreign visitors.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova