The Fête de la Musique is also known as World Music Day. This is an annual music festival taking place on June 21, the first day of summer in cities around the world.

The concept of an all-day musical celebration on the days of the solstice, was originated by American musician Joel Cohen, who spent two seasons as a producer of musical radio programs for the French National Radio (France Musique). The idea later was adapted as a national celebration each June 21 in France. The idea was embraced and made official by the French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang.

History

In October 1981, Maurice Fleuret became Director of Music and Dance at Minister of Culture Jack Lang’s request, and applied his reflections to the musical practice and its evolution: the music everywhere and the concert nowhere« . When he discovered, in a 1982 study on the cultural habits of the French, that five million people, one child out of two, played a musical instrument, he began to dream of a way to bring people out on the streets. It first took place in 1982 in Paris as the Fête de la Musique.

Ever since, the festival has become an international phenomenon, celebrated on the same day in more than 460 cities in 110 countries, including Germany, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, South Africa, Australia, Vietnam, Congo, Cameroon, Mauritius, Fiji, Colombia, Chile, Nepal, United States, India and Japan.

Its purpose is promote music in two ways:

1) Amateur and professional musicians are encouraged to perform in the streets. The slogan Faites de la musique (Make music), a homophone of Fête de la Musique, is used to promote this goal.

2) Many free concerts are organized, making all genres of music accessible to the public. Two of the caveats to being sanctioned by the official Fête de la Musique organization in Paris are that all concerts must be free to the public, and all performers donate their time for free. This is true of most participating cities, now, as well.

Despite there being a large tolerance about the performance of music by the general public of amateurs in public areas after usual hours, the noise restrictions still apply, and can cause some establishments to be forbidden to open and broadcast music out of their doors without prior authorization. So the prefectures of police in France can still forbid them to install any audio hardware in the street.

On the occasion of World Music Day, which will be celebrated on Saturday, June 21st 2014, all across the world! Alliance Française, along with Goethe-Zentrum and Hyderabad Western Music Foundation, is organizing an event wherein 20 local bands (100 artists on the stage), playing different genres will be given a platform to perform. More than 4 hours non-stop-music (6 – 10.15pm)! All are welcome. Free entry. See you at The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet!

Related Links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_music

http://www.hydmusic.com