Fête de la Musique: An annual music celebration
The French celebrate music through Fête de la Musique, an annual music celebration. Each year, this day is celebrated in many nations by people across age groups and is particularly popular among teenagers. This year, the theme of the festival is ‘music at the intersections'
Origins of the festival
Fête de la Musique (Music Day) is held every year on June 21 and was created in 1982 by the French Ministry of Culture. Its aim is to make music more inclusive and urge people to discover different genres.
When Maurice Fleuret became the Director of Music and Dance at the Ministry of Culture, he discovered that every second person could play a musical instrument.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of celebrations and uniting people through music.
Events held in 2022
With the support of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Ministry of Culture offered an exciting programme at the Palais Royal to commemorate the anniversary.
The production featured Julien Clerc, a famous name in French chanson, and Sopico, an up-and-coming rapper in urban music. DakhaBrakha and Anne Pacéo, a Ukrainian drummer and composer duo, also performed here.
Classical music lovers rejoiced right under the Louvre as they witnessed the magic of the Paris Orchestra, under the direction of Klaus Makela, and Anton Bruckner’s ultimate symphony.
Music Day promotes music in two ways. Firstly, it encourages new and professional musicians to showcase their talent in the streets. Secondly, free music concerts for all genres are organised, which exposes the audience to a variety of sounds and melodies.
Over the past few years, the festival has steadily been gaining popularity. It is now being celebrated in over 120 countries across the globe, including European nations such as Greece, Spain, and Italy.
A number of events were also held this year in India. Mumbai’s National Center for the Performing Arts organised a 36-piece orchestra to mark the occasion.
All in all, World Day of Music aims to reach everyone who cherishes the sound of music globally.
Credits for the Main photo: © Pierpaolo Pulinas