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Washington, D.C., March 20, 2002 - The Voice of America joins forces with the Smithsonian Institution in an initiative to promote Jazz Appreciation Month. Beginning in 2002, April will be marked by tributes to jazz by spotlighting the music and its history as a powerful and positive worldwide symbol of the United States as a dynamic, innovative and multicultural musical place. 

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History selected April in honor of the birthdays of such jazz legends as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Gerry Mulligan, and Tito Puente. As VOA Director Robert Reilly said, "Jazz is a unique and vibrant part of America's musical culture. During our 60 years of broadcasting, jazz has played a central role in attracting audiences particularly throughout Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union."

During April, VOA will highlight Jazz Appreciation Month on its weekly program "Jazz America." In addition, VOA will present features during the month that will focus on various elements of the celebration including concerts, recordings, history, and celebrities.

Other Jazz Appreciation Month partners include the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Departments of State and Education, the National Association for Music Education, the International Association of Jazz Educators, and the Grammy Foundation. 

The Voice of America, which first went on the air on Feb. 24, 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. Government. VOA broadcasts over 1,000 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to a worldwide audience of 94 million. Programs are produced in English and 52 other languages.

For additional information, please contact the Office of External Affairs at (202) 619-2538 or send email to pubaff@voa.gov.