Inked Mag
April 28th, 2020
And All That Jazz Tattoos
Celebrate International Jazz Day with smooth tattoos
April 30th is not only the last day of the month of April, it’s also International Jazz Day. Established in 2011 by UNESCO, this worldwide holiday celebrates the music genre in cities around the globe. 2020 was initially planned to have it’s main celebration in Cape Town, South Africa, however, due to COVID-19 all activities have been moved to a virtual format.
Every year, musicians, educators and experts come together to celebrate the rich history of jazz. Jazz music originated from African-American communities in New Orleans during the late 19th and early 20th century. It developed out of the blues and ragtime genres, but truly came into its own during the 1920s—which have been dubbed the Jazz Age. During Prohibition, jazz music filled the halls of illicit speakeasies and became the sound of counter cultural rebellion. By the 1930s, jazz became bigger and bolder than ever, as characterized by the swing movement. When swing was at it’s height, composer Duke Ellington led an extremely influential jazz orchestra—which toured throughout Europe and brought the music genre around the world.
Jazz has made a profound impact on nearly every music genre we hear today and has given us some of the greatest artists in history, including Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Ray Charles. In honor of this prolific music genre and International Jazz Day, we’ve curated some of our favorite tattoos that showcase the style, soul and spirit of jazz. Take a look at the tattoos in the gallery below, then let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments section on social media.
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