Throughout history and in everyday life, music has shown its incredible power to unite people, lift spirits, and bridge cultural divides. Engaging with music stimulates deep connections and enriches social experiences. Music’s unique power to unify people from various backgrounds and cultures is well-documented .
On October 1, every year, since 1949, the power of music is felt through what is known as the International Music Day. This is organised by the International Music Council (IMC)
In April, this year, I became a member of the IMC after being elected the president of African Music Council (AMC) in Cote d’ Ivoire.
There were many musicians from all over Africa at the General Assembly of the African Music Council. Some came from French speaking countries. Others were from English speaking and Portuguese speaking countries. In particular six members from different African countries were selected at the General Assembly of the AMC to represent music councils in their respective countries. These included Mel Matsinhe from Mozambique, Benon Kigozi from Uganda, Hugues Ondaye from the Republic of Congo, Prosper Akuegnon Gogoyi from Benin, Jean Pierre Maudjalou from Abidjan and myself from Zimbabwe.
We are planning on activities that will bring music to the people and unite communities
It might be too late to organise the International Music Day in Zimbabwe this year but plans for October 1, 2025 are underway.
The AMC is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation (NGO), which was created on July 13, 2007 at the Unesco offices in Brazzaville, Congo. A bilateral agreement was signed on June 3, 2013 with the government of the Republic of Congo. The first president of the AMC was Lupwishi Mbuyamba who was supported by six vice presidents who included the late Adepo Yapo from Cote d’Ivoire, his executive vice president, Hugues Ondaye from Central Africa, Josephine Mokwunyeyi from Nigeria in charge of West Africa, Joe Tabula from East Africa and Frederick Zindi from southern Africa.
The AMC’s vision is to serve an ideal of mankind by actively supporting music creativity, mutual knowledge, preservation, innovation and the dialogue between cultures in Africa and in the world.
Since its inception in 1949, the IMC, an associate organisation of Unesco, strongly felt that music had the power to unite communities and foster world peace. The council, especially its president in 1975, Lord Yehudi Menuhin, firmly believed that music can strengthen relationships and bridge cultural gaps among communities. Realising this, the council decided to devote one day in a year to music. The aim was to harness the power of music to unite communities and cultures and inspire them to co-exist harmoniously.
Lord Yehudi Menuhin, arguably America’s most prolific violinist and music conductor at that time, as the president of the IMC, wrote a letter to the IMC members proclaiming October 1 as the International Music Day. In the letter, he clearly spelled out the reasons for marking the day. The International Music Day was intended to:
*Encourage promoting musical art among all the sections of society.
*Motivate the application of Unesco’s ideals of peace and friendship among people.
*Create space for the evolution of cultures through the exchange of experiences.
*Encourage mutual appreciation of cultures, especially their aesthetic values.
Since the first International Music Day on October 1, 1975, over 150 countries across the globe have celebrated the power of music to unite societies, communities, and people. The day offers people an occasion to celebrate music and contribute towards a more peaceful, joyful, and harmonious society. Events on this day include concerts, exhibitions, seminars on creating music, lectures, music conferences, and so forth.
Apart from uniting communities, music is therapeutic
Just listening to music in any form — be it Rock, Dancehall, Reggae, Jazz, Classical, Instrumental, Folk, Soul, Afro-beats, Amapiano, etc., is therapeutic. The great philosopher Plato rightly said, “Music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life.” Just allowing yourself to indulge in music in the moment can soothe our perennially frayed nerves.
The IMC had proposed that on International Music Day, authorities should motivate the observance of a few minutes of silence in towns, during which soulful music should be played in public places, including parks and city squares. Keeping with the tradition, traffic stoppages are ordered to enable a reduction in noise levels. This tradition has been going on since 1975 in Europe and in some African countries. It is yet to come to Zimbabwe.
With support from the AMC, this is how I propose to organise an International Music Day concert of local and international musicians on the October 1 next year:
In every neighbourhood, there are budding musicians who would love to play in front of an audience. On this day, interested budding musicians will be given an opportunity to showcase their talents. They will act as support acts for bigger artistes. In my capacity as president of the AMC will organise an orchestra or performances by one international artist, Zimbabwe’s top musicians at a suitable venue such as the Harare Gardens, or at the National Sports Stadium with permission from the authorities. Hopefully, by next year I with AMC will have raised sufficient funds to make the concert free of charge to all music lovers. I will also livestream the performances over Facebook and Instagram for maximum coverage. Attendees will be thrilled to bits at the opportunity.
The IMC advocates five musical rights as follows:
*Freedom of musical expression
All people, including children and adults, should be able to involve themselves in music through participation, listening, creating, or sharing and gathering information.They have the right to express themselves musically in all freedom
*Freedom to learn
All children and adults have the right to learn any musical language and skill.
*Right of access
All children and adults should be able to involve themselves in music through participation, listening, creating, or sharing and gathering information.
*Development of artistry
All musical artistes should have the freedom to develop their artistry and communicate through all media, with proper facilities at their disposal
*Right to fair remuneration
All musical artistes should be allowed to obtain fair remuneration and just recognition for their musical creation and performances.
Music has the power to bridge gaps between different cultures and languages, creating connections among individuals who might not otherwise meet. From orchestras that blend diverse notes into harmonious sounds to crowds at concerts singing in unison, music has a profound ability to unite us. Imagine a melody starting to play and the room’s atmosphere lifting as people tap their feet, nod their heads, and perhaps even sing along. This is the magic that music can create. Music has a profound ability to unite people
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