France: International Music Day or World Music Day is annually observed on 21 June to honour musicians and singers. The day also encourages young and amateur musicians to give a live demonstration of their talent to audiences.
World Music Day was first celebrated as Fête de la Musique in France in 1982. The then French Minister of Art and Culture, Jack Lange and Maurice Fleuret, a French composer, started Fête de la Musique (festival of music), in the streets of Paris.
They both observed that musical concerts were not representative of a large section of youth who played instruments at the time. They created a plan along with architect-scenographer Christian Dupavillon to gather both amateur and professional musicians on the streets.
Fleuret, who was a composer, music journalist, radio producer and festival organiser, played a crucial role in initiating a day for celebrating music.
The concert took place on June 21, 1982, in several public locations in Paris. It celebrated professional and amateur musicians from the remotest corners of France.
Later, on the European Year of Music in 1985, other nations also adopted this annual concert to celebrate music and all artistes. Following that, a charter was signed in Budapest, the European Festival of Music, in 1997. Since then, the day is internationally marked as World Music Day.
The theme for the World Music Day 2022 is “Music on the intersections”. Music lovers on June 21, 2022 are welcomed to celebrate their love of music by attending the street fests or by simply listening to the music they love.
