World Music Day to be celebrated on June 21

20 June, 2012

World Music Day (WMD) is celebrated on 21 June each year by music lovers globally. The idea for the observance was first put forward by American musician Joel Cohen in 1976.

THE FORMAL celebration of World Music Day was initiated by the French radio station called 'France Musique' and supported by the Ministry of Culture of France in the early eighties.

On World Music Day, both amateur and professional musicians are encouraged to perform on the streets to give the flavour of music to the public at large. Generally, on this day, free concerts are organized by including all genres of music including the fusion, folk indigenous and cultural music for the public without any noise and loudness.

In India, Andhra Pradesh Tourism in association with Grandslaam Network, Hyderabad, is going to present a special music programme called ‘One World Fusion Extravaganza' on the occasion of World Music Day this year. According to organisers, music is the universal language of humankind and connects people irrespective of language and cultural ethos. The general public of Hyderabad is going to have a taste Western Jazz, Western Rhythm, Hindustani music Carnatic music and Bollywood music as a fusion.

Some of the renowned musicians and groups from India and abroad such as Pt Bickram Ghosh, Jonathan Kay, Pt Ronu Majumdar, Andrew Kay, Sowmya Raoh, Rajhesh Vaidhya, and many more are going to perform on World Music Day in Hyderabad.

The International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) holds that the World Music Day is more than just a festival and is ‘a window to the world and a unique opportunity to put our new music sector in the international spotlights and a world exhibition of new music'.