Why was Butetown Bay Jazz Heritage Festival (BBJHF) established?
BBJH was conceived by jazz singer and author Patti Flynn and jazz singer and educator Humie Webbe as a vehicle to celebrate Tiger Bay’s rich jazz heritage. as a vehicle to celebrate, promote and educate the local and wider community on Tiger Bay’s rich jazz heritage.
The event was launched at the Wales Millennium Centre in May 2009 and has quickly established itself as an event that attracts premier jazz musicians and family audiences from around the world who simply come to enjoy the music, surroundings and atmosphere reminiscent of Tiger Bay in its musical heyday.
What’s different about BBJ?
BBJH festival is one of the few free jazz festivals offered to the public and at its heart is the music of the Bay brought by merchant seaman from all parts of the globe. So visitors can expect to hear a mixture of jazz, blues, gospel, calypso, soul, reggae, zydeco, bluegrass from aspiring young jazz artists and more established musicians on the Welsh and international jazz scene.
How is this achieved?
BBJ work in partnership with Wales Millennium Centre together with local and national organisations and venues to ‘showcase the best of Wales to the world and bring the best of the world to Wales’ and to present a vibrant programme of workshops, exhibitions, talks and an all day free concert featuring premier local and international jazz musicians and performers.
Developing audiences
BBJ’s primary aim is to entertain and to educate audiences who are not aware of the Bay’s musical heritage and the influence the local musicians played in shaping the Cardiff and British jazz scene. The ultimate aim is to develop the event as a major international jazz festival and tourist attraction by reaching out to audiences who have a bond or interest in connecting with Wales and supporting jazz. The intention is to achieve this by developing links with other heritage festivals and Bay communities around the globe that celebrate their local music, culture and traditions and to develop a year round music education programme to promote BBJHF to the local community, schools, arts organizations and music lovers in general.
Butetown Bay Jazz Heritage Festival aims to -
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Provide a fun, educative event for all ages and cultural backgrounds
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Involve the local bay community in presenting and celebrating their jazz heritage
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Recreate the vibrant spirit of the Docklands community of the 1940’s to 1970’s.
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Celebrate the achievements of Cardiff and Welsh jazz performers on the international stage
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Showcase Cardiff and Welsh young performers to a wider audience
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Create a major annual family May Day celebration for Cardiff and Wales
