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Unity Academy Iraq: Jazz
Saxophonist, Werner Englert and Jazz Educator, Gene Aitken teamed up to bring over forty Iraqi musicians their first taste of jazz.
Highlights of the Academy included the formation of the Unity Big Band under Gene Aitken and the Jazz Bridges projects of Werner Englert with the musicians of the Iraq National Folk Dancers and a Kurdish ensemble comprised of ethnic Kurdish students.
The project included the donation of extensive jazz education materials, lead books, instruments and supplies such as reeds, mutes and mouthpieces.
The jazz students were so please to have had this opportunity, unique in Iraq's musical life. As one student from Suleimaniya later wrote us:
“The Unity Academy was a very important event in my life because you taught me many good things which I will never forget. I will promise, from now on I will be on that path you and Werner taught me. I just want to say I had a good beefit and built a strong base for my career as a jazz musician. All my wishes are to fly in that great sky of jazz music.”
Pishko, Guitarist, Suleimanya, Iraq
Broadway in Kathmandu
