The Jubilant Jazz of Montréal
The month of June is steadily approaching and with it, a small corner of North America is preparing to host one of the biggest annual Jazz festivals in the World: the Montréal Jazz Festival.
Different languages from across the globe mix and bounce off one another, excitement pervades the air, and horns sound off sky scrapers as roughly 3,000 artists representing 30 plus countries perform for thronged streets with an average of 2.5 million visitors in town for the event.
The first Montréal Jazz festival happened in 1980 with just a handful of musicians, however a prominent few like Ray Charles and Chic Corea took the stage. Since then, the event has steadily grown as an international phenomenon where jazz lovers from all over the world come to mingle, unite, and celebrate music for 10 consecuteive days.
Though Jazz has relatively little roots in the Québec province of Canada, its location is a curious and wonderful representation of what Jazz can stand for: different cultures shaken up and mixed together. One usually associates jazz with New Orleans, Chicago, Paris, parts of Spain, and certain regions of Africa. So what’s the biggest Jazz festival doing in Montréal? Great question, and maybe the only clear answer is that Montréal has a fascinating mix of culture itself.
Behind Paris, Montréal is the largest French-speaking city in the world, and the Québec province it belongs to strongly strives to keep it that way though the rest of the country’s primary language is English. There are breathtakingly modern city views, but also cobble-stoned roads and gothic cathedrals in Old Montréal with heavily influenced European architecture.
Known throughout the world, poutine is probably Canada’s most popular dish: french fries, gravy and cheese curds on top. But being a huge port city residing on the St. Lawrence river, Montréal also boasts some of the best seafood in North America.
So perhaps it should be no surprise that a music with such broad influences as tribal drum rhymths, European classical symphonies, and modern pop is most strongly celebrated in a city that is a bit of a mix of cultures itself.
If the Montréal Jazz festival had a sister celebration that was based around family instead of music, it would be the South Asian Wedding. South Asian Weddings are celebrations which have families and friends partying together for days on end regardless of race, color, or religion just like the Montréal Jass festival. From religious ceremonies with humility, to dance sessions that last from dusk till dawn, the jubilation is unmatched. Zouq’s very own Jubilee Mix was inspired specifically by such celebrations. Bringing together these spices of the South to offer a homely warmth in every mouthful. Kids, Spouses and Friends love the Jubilee Mix as it has something for everyone!
Trivia
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