Top 5 African jazz musicians who have shaken the world in the last decade

Jazz music is one of Africa's greatest gifts to America and the whole world. Although the genre is considered an exclusively American creation that has blended African and European musical instruments and traditions, the fact is that jazz is a product of American black culture, especially in New Orleans, Louisiana.

From its beginnings in the early 20th century, jazz music has gone from being condemned as "the music of the devil" and a low culture style with no artistic merit to a global form that has been adapted by musicians of many races, nationalities and languages. Jazz festivals are held in dozens of countries around the world, attracting talents, large crowds and millions of dollars in revenue.

So broad has its scattered influence that in 2002, the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC declared April as the Month of Jazz Appreciation. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) followed suit in 2011, leaving today, April 30, the International Day of Jazz Appreciation.

To celebrate International Jazz Day, Face2Face Africa highlights these 5 legendary African jazz musicians who have shaken the world in the last decade.

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