Angra do Heroísmo will once again mark the International Jazz Day on April 30 with a pair of concerts at the Centro Cultural e de Congressos de Angra do Heroísmo, in a program organized by the Associação Cultural Angrajazz in partnership with the municipality.

Established in 2011 by UNESCO, International Jazz Day highlights the genre’s enduring role as a space for dialogue, tolerance, and cultural encounter. Since 2017, Angra do Heroísmo has embraced the occasion with an annual program dedicated to jazz. After a pause during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, the initiative has returned with renewed momentum, now firmly embedded in the city’s cultural calendar.

Much like the long-running Angrajazz Festival, held since 1999, the celebration aims to strengthen the Azores’ cultural offerings while bringing audiences closer to jazz through thoughtfully curated performances.

This year’s edition features two concerts in the venue’s Grand Auditorium. At 9:30 p.m., the Wave Jazz Ensemble takes the stage to present Horizonte, marking the release of their latest album. Later, at 11:30 p.m., Spam Collective—an ensemble of young musicians exploring contemporary approaches to jazz—will close the night.

For Vice-President of the City Council Guido Teles, the event has become more than a date on the calendar. “The celebration of International Jazz Day is already a tradition in Angra do Heroísmo—this year marks its eighth edition,” he said. In a world shaped by growing geopolitical tensions, he added, jazz’s role as a vehicle for dialogue and mutual understanding is more vital than ever. “It is with great pleasure that the municipality joins the Associação Cultural Angrajazz in this celebratory event.”

The Associação Cultural Angrajazz has long been a driving force behind jazz in the region, not only through the organization of the Angrajazz Festival but also as the founding body of the Orquestra Angrajazz, established in 2002—an ensemble that has helped cultivate both local talent and international exchange.

Meanwhile, the cultural momentum continues beyond jazz. On Friday at 9:30 p.m., the same venue will host the Festival Termómetro, a landmark showcase created in 1994 and directed by Fernando Alvim. Celebrating 30 years of discovering and promoting emerging musical talent, the festival has become a national reference point for new bands and artists.

This year’s Angra session—free to attend with ticket reservation—will feature performances by Daphné Chenel, Tinta Persona, and Rita Cortezão, offering audiences a glimpse into the evolving landscape of Portuguese music.

Together, these events reaffirm Angra do Heroísmo not only as a guardian of tradition but as a living stage where sound continues to shape community, identity, and dialogue across cultures.

Adapted from a story in Diário Insular, José Lourenço, director.