UNESCO Cities of Music

Music and Ambon City cannot be separated. Music seems to have been the pulse of the movement of a city known as the Ambon Manise because of “musical intuition” which is outwardly embedded in the Ambonese blood and pulse. Then came the expression “Ambonese from the stomach can sing or hum”. Ambonese have DNA Music where DNA is a genetic carrier network in a living organism. This can be proven by the ability: 1) sounds harmony by feeling. Can not be found anywhere in the world harmony can be done automatically; 2) absolute hearing against pitch control or certain frequencies; 3) Timbre (various vocal colors) “.

Music is not only a part of art but music has become an Ambonese culture (a representation of the Moluccas). As an example came a large number of singers from Ambon City who had made Indonesia famous in national and international competitions and dominated the music market at certain times with different timbre. Thus, Ambon music has become a barometer of music in Indonesia.

The second to the music sector, gastronomy is developing particularly intensively in Ambon. Indonesia is famous for its excellent cuisine, thanks to the richness of fruits, vegetables, spices and seafood. For a long time, Ambon, as a port city, was an exporter of spices, such as cloves. The city hosts the Music Art and Food Festival, in which representatives of other cities and regions also take part. The Amboina International Bamboo Music Festival and Conference also features international guests, focusing not only on music but also on the craft of performing on traditional instruments.

Today music is an icon and vehicle for creating interfaith togetherness with its universal strength in penetrating differences. Music becomes a temporary tool of peace and will be used as “added value” and “characteristic of Ambon city” to be juxtaposed with other world music cities

Metz is a lively metropolis where you can find the arts everywhere thanks to its very active cultural scene. Centre Pompidou-Metz, Cité musicale-Metz, Opéra-Théâtre, cultural seasons punctuated by highlights (many festivals held throughout the year including Constellations during the summer). It is also a city filled with creative industries in particular to be found within the Bliiida Third place and co-working centre and its technology park.

Being the birthplace of Gregorian Chant (9th century), music continues to play major role in fashioning Metz’ identity. The music scene never ceases to shine on the national and international level through the International meeting of contemporary music, its composers (Ambroise Thomas, Gabriel Pierné, Claude Lefèbvre, etc.), its artists and ensembles (Le Concert Lorrain, Cascadeur, Chapelier fou, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, etc.) and its music venues: theOpéra-Théâtre (the oldest still active in France) as well as the Arsenal, the Trinitaires and BAM which joined with the Orchestre National de Metz in 2016 to form the Cité musicale-Metz, home to all types of music for all audiences. Metz is also a pioneering city in terms of music education with the establishment of one of the first Conservatories in France (1835) which became the Conservatoire Gabriel Pierné, not counting the strong influx of wind bands and choral societies in the 19th century, a tradition which has lasted right up to the present time.

Metz is committed to a long-term policy for making culture and especially, music, a means of creating a long-lasting community spirit. To meet the challenge of military reconversion, the city has created major cultural infrastructures, boosting its region and encouraging creativity in all its forms. as evidenced by the reconversion of the sites recalling its rich past as a garrison town and a European crossroads with exceptional cultural assets: the Arsenal, a renowned concert hall, the Centre Pompidou-Metz, the first cultural satellite of the prestigious Paris museum, BAM, a concert hall for popular music as well as the reconversion of former warehouses into the Bliiida Third place where arts blend together with creative and digital industries, the opening of Agora, a social and cultural centre or the reconversion of the former military cold-stores into a place where artistic creation and community actions can flourish. Creativity is also found in the field of research and innovation: the Georgia Tech Lorraine campus, the Sound Research workshop of the Ecole Supérieure d’Art de Lorraine.

As a UNESCO City of Music, Metz intends to strengthen its local ecosystem and use it to promote  music education and to reduce social inequalities through its action plan entitled “Music as a lever for education, transmission, training and inclusion”. It plans:

• to develop community music education projects for children and young people with social problems
• to establish a Music City for children with permanent areas dedicated to workshops and music and sound discovery activities.
• to provide more support to artistic creation and for bringing young artists up to a professional level.
• to share experiences and innovative projects in music education with other cities of the network.
• to organise an International Conference on the topic of music education with the participation of other creative cities.
• To share with other creative cities interdisciplinary projects and creation residencies.

The city of Kirsehir in the heart of Turkey is known as a music hub in the region with more than 2.000 professional musician. The main performers namely Abdals (the term of “Abdal” refers to a specific group of local folk musicians in Middle Anatolia), are one of the most important communities in terms of Anatolian Musical Heritage with their specific ways of expression. Their special and distinctive lifestyles, social relations, religious views, values and ideas created in their spiritual realms are the main sources of their authentic art. They have a unique way of passing the music knowledge. It is inherited from father to son, master to apprentice without any formal education or musical note. The most popular representative of this music culture, Neset Ertas, was designated as a Living Human Treasure by government (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Specialization Committee) in 2008, accepted as a genius of art with his products and reed-vocal techniques.

The local music called “Bozlak” is a distinctive singing form identifies with Kırşehir and Bozlak songs reflect love, bravery, manhood, separation, expedition, relations between tribes and saturninity. This type of singing has become popular in the national music industry with increased recognition of the city nationwide.

In Kırşehir, local music is well adapted to social life and people find it easier to express themselves with music throughout history. Music can be seen in most of the social activities such as wedding ceremonies, dinner gatherings, national days, national and international events organized by the city and it is also the main source for local folk dance groups. The dancers and the Abdals work together during events and organizations.

As local music has been performed in every event and ceremonies in social life, this has kept the music industry in the city alive with musical instruments production and private music education institutes. Kirsehir has been using traditional Turkish music instruments but also adapted western musical instruments to enrich musical sounds for three centuries. Especially “saz” and violin are played together only in this region.

Ministry of Culture and Tourism has launched music heritage programme. Under this programme, Ministry recruited 15 Abdals and created Kirsehir master’s music and folk group aiming to provide local musicians to perform their art coordinately. This group has performed at national and international levels including Germany, Japan, Belgium, Holland, and Austria and demonstrated their music and danced in these events.

Organizations and Facilities

Neset Ertas Culture and Art Festival is organized every year by Kirsehir Municipality in the city. This three-day program includes many concerts.

Kirsehir Ahi Evran University Fine Arts Faculty is the main establishment for the candidates who wish to perform local music professionally.

BEGEM (Youth Center of Kirsehir Municipality) serves to young people who are interested in music and who wish to take part in performing musical instruments.

Neset Ertas Culture and Art Center, four public education centers, Family Living Center, National Education Ministry Science and Art Center also provides music courses to youth and vulnerable groups.

Llíria is a Mediterranean city located 25 km northwest of València (Spain). It has about 23,000 inhabitants and it is connected to an international airport and port in less than 30 minutes. Historically, the city stands out because it was one of the most important Iberian cities (Edeta) in Spain, which is attested by its imposing legacy. Later, it was a Roman city, with findings that can be seen in its current streets (Oracular Temple and Roman Baths, Mausoleums). The Arab period was significant as well (Arab Baths). In 1238 the first church was built (Iglesia de la Sangre), following the conquest of the Christian king Jaime I. Other Renaissance and Baroque buildings complete Llíria’s extensive heritage.

Music is an essential part of the Llirian identity and the feature for which the city is nationally and internationally recognized, particularly regarding formation, being one of the Spanish municipalities with the highest percentage of citizens with musical studies. Llíria has four centres where official music studies are offered. On the one hand, the prestigious private schools Banda Primitiva and Unió Musical provide elementary music training. In 1997 a significant educational initiative took place, which was a pioneer at the national level: the creation of the first teaching centre in Spain that integrated music into primary studies, the CIEM Unió Musical. The professional level is taught at the public Conservatory. During the last 25 years, this institution has trained more than 3,000 students (53% women).

In terms of lifelong learning, the musical societies of the Unió Musical and the Primitiva have a steady offer of advanced training for graduate and postgraduate students and for professional musicians.

The Orquestra de Plectre “El Micalet”, the Agrupación Musical Edetana “Vicente Giménez” and the Band UDP – a pioneer in being composed entirely by retirees – complete the creative Edetanian musical proposal.

Llíria’s reputation as a musical city dates back to the 3^rd/2^nd century BC. This is evidenced by the Iberian ceramic vessels decorated with musicians and dancers found in the Tossal de Sant Miquel (archaeological site). In the Mudejar coffered ceiling of the Iglesia de La Sang (13^th century), almost twenty different medieval instruments may be noted. In 2019, it was celebrated the bicentenary of the creation of the oldest civil band in Spain, the Banda Primitiva, a seed of the important band movement of the population, which in turn has counted on one of the most awarded civil bands at both national and international levels since 1903: the Unió Musical. Because music is more than a tradition in Llíria; it is a social reality, a lifestyle and a means to live. In recent years, Llíria’s City Council has opted for the implementation of development policies that take into account the protection and the promotion of culture and heritage, since they are conceived as an economic and social engine for the city and an incentive for urban regeneration. Singular initiatives of great prestige have been carried out, in which music merges with the rich historical heritage of the city – with 30 spaces to enjoy live performances –, linked to the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with which Llíria is seriously committed.

VRANJE, A CITY WITH A SOUL

The City of Vranje is an administrative, economic, health, educational and cultural centre of Pčinja district in the south of Serbia, Europe. According to the 2022 census results, 74.381 inhabitants live within the city’s territory.

Vranje, located on Corridor 10, is a well-known industrial town, with a great tradition in wood processing, textile, shoes manufacturing, metal, tobacco and food industry. Many foreign investors are already doing business in Vranje, especially in Free zone area.

The City of Vranje is just 347 km away from Belgrade – the capital of Serbia and 300 km away from the second-largest city in Greece – Thessaloniki.

The first written evidence about Vranje dates from 1093. Located on the “cross road of space and time”, Vranje was under influences of many civilizations. Almost 1000 years of history and tradition shaped the city`s cultural and social environment, with a special emphasis on richness of heritage and peaceful coexistence of different ethnic communities.  The City of Vranje is a birthplace of a famous Serbian writer Borisav Bora Stanković.

Vranje, as the center of the southernmost part of the Republic of Serbia, is famous for many things. However, the citizens of Vranje are known for their desire to honor the tradition and spirit of old Vranje, mostly by nurturing the legacy of urban songs and trumpet music.

Specific music expression reflects deep sensitivity, feelings and temperament of people living in this area. Urban song from Vranje (“Vranjska gradska pesma”) is on the list of immaterial cultural heritage of the Republic of Serbia. With the intention of more intensive promotion of musical heritage in the country and abroad, the City of Vranje, starting from 2019, organizes traditional two-day Festival “Urban songs from Vranje”.

Apart from its urban songs, Vranje is famous for its trumpet music and trumpet players. With the intention of safeguarding and more intensive promotion of trumpet music heritage, the City of Vranje organize traditional cultural-touristic manifestation “Days of Vranje” where among other activities, trumpet players and orchestras have a remarkable part. Manifestation takes place in the City Park, which has a music pavilion in its composition. For the people of Vranje, it is an “identity card”, and for tourists, it is the enjoyment of Vranje melodies and food.

The City of Vranje also cherishes the value and importance of classical music. Traditional manifestation “May the month of music” has become a relevant international event.

Music is not just a part of the heritage, it is an important tourist offer component, it connects people, promotes best values.

In Vranje, the theatre “Bora Stankovic” is one of the oldest theatres in Serbia, where many events are hosted. Vranje is a host to an important documentary film festival “Document”, while a School of animated film “SAF” is widely known throughout Europe and other world countries and it has been awarded many times. 

Preservation and valorization of the great cultural heritage is an important local government development policy component. Development vision is based on integration processes and modernization. Vranje is an open, modern city, with numerous domestic and foreign tourists and the city that has established long-term cooperation with local communities within Serbia and abroad.

One of the most beautiful sayings dedicated to Vranje is stated by Ćamil Sijarić, a writer and a student of Gymnasium “Bora Stankovic” Vranje:

“Anyone who comes to Vranje, must keep his soul from melting, for the city contains something not for the eyes to see, nor for the hand to grab, nor for the mind – but only for the heart and soul, which need to be guarded in this place.”

Kazan is the capital of the entity of Russia – Republic of Tatarstan. Kazan is the city with many years of traditions which gave the world music dozens of famous composers and performers. Composers Miliy Balakirev,  Sofia Gubaydullina, the great singer Feodor Shalyapin, famous musicians and singers Oleg Lunstrem, Mikhail Pletnev, Albina Shagimuratova and Aida Garifullina.

Every year Kazan hosts participants of more than 40 largest international festivals including the opera festival after Feodor Shalyapin, the classical ballet festival after Rudolf Nureyev, “Kazan Autumn”, “Concordia”, “The white Lilac”. The growth of the festival movement is supported by the well-developed infrastructure amounting to more than 400 institutions and organizations of culture and art. There are 7 theatres, Tatar State Philharmonic Society, Kazan Conservatory,  the State Great Concert Hall, 16 cultural centers and 50 arts schools.

All this is a unique cultural environment of the city uniting modern classical arts, Avantgarde and national culture. Eventful musical life of Kazan is a factor uniting different layers of the urban community, who feel themselves engaged in the development of musical culture.

As a creative city Kazan presupposes:

– implementation of creative projects during holding international festivals in Kazan with  attraction of participants and partners from the members of the Creative Cities Network;

–  supporting the development of creative industries within the “Cultural Wednesdays” project  with the aim of actively involving residents and guests of the city into the musical cultural lufe and presentations of the projects inviting representatives from the UNESCO Creative Cities Network;

–  implementation of cultural-educational projects for the youth by organizing international events with the use of new musical forms within the multi-genre project “Tatcultfest”.

Brno is unique in its multicultural tradition (Bohemian, Moravian, German, Jewish and Romani cultures) and the whole South-Moravian region has a long and rich folk music tradition. The City of Brno has established 10 cultural organisations (including an opera house, musical theatre and philharmonic orchestra). These are complemented by an exceptionally rich and varied range of associations, agencies, ensembles and artists.

Musical personalities associated with Brno include Leoš Janáček, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Pavel Haas, Bohuslav Martinů, Magdalena Kožená, Iva Bittová and Woody Vasulka. Established institutions that continue to operate include the folklore association Slovácký krúžek (1908), the Brno Conservatory (1919), the Gustav Brom Bigband (1940), the Brno Philharmonic (1956) and the Exposition of New Music festival (since 1987).

The city’s economy is oriented toward services, specialized technologies and the trade fair business; there is substantial representation of the music industry and the creative sector of the economy. Science, technology, research and education are also significantly developed.

Brno cooperates with 16 partner cities and, is a member of international networks of cities with music components, e.g. EFA, CENTROPE, EUROCITIES, LIKE and partner networks (Horizon 2020, URBACT).

As a Creative City of Music, Brno envisages:

• work together with other UCCN cities on the creation of new international projects, residencies and educational programs;
• enhance on international recognition of the historically rooted musical identity of Brno as the central representative of a region that is unusually fertile musically
• strengthen the cultural and creative industries as strategic pillars of the city‘s development, in long-term
• create a working scheme for inclusion of young culture managers within the music cities meetings

Praia, capital of the Republic of Cape Verde, located on the island of Santiago, is the largest population and economic center of the country, with 155,252 inhabitants and 43.2% of the GNP. After independence in 1975, there was, from Praia, a process of national valorization of these musical genres which contributed to the stylization of these traditional musics and the deepening of others, which reflect the country’s creoleness, and who have known internationalization in the 1990s.

Music is part of the life of its inhabitants who establish an intimate relationship with the music awarded by family ties, friendship and neighborhood that ensure the informal and inter-generational transmission of musical practice. Praia is today the main musical center of the country notably through the Atlantic Music Expo (AME), the biggest market of the music of the Atlantic, the Kriol Jazz Festival, the Gamboa Music Festival and the Noite Branca (White Night), an essentially popular cultural and musical event that takes place at the end of the year. This movement helps to boost the economy, through the creation of several jobs (the economy of culture represents about 15% of jobs, and these jobs musicians represent 31%) although small businesses (more than 150 ) that consolidate to the extent that diversifies the cultural agenda of the city.

The main cultural and musical initiation area in Praia is the family and neighborhood network as a privileged area for arts education. In addition to arts education promoted in various recreation associations and cultural centers, others have been developed: the Pentagrama Music School which offers a formal music education program for children and young people and L’Espace Goutte d’Art which aims to promote among children and young people, among informal education, the taste through the arts and personal development through music, dance, theater and visual arts.

Praia recognizes and values the people involved in creative work as fundamental for local music production, but also for the preservation of the musical heritage and cultural identity of the city. Thereby, the Praia City Council has put in place a governance program with clear measures for the cultural and creative sector, with activities and projects to promote training through residency grants in other countries, to support creation and production with the creation and commissioning of rehearsal rooms and community studios, but also to reward talent, creativity and excellence in the field of music creation and production.