Jazz FM dedicates a weekend of programming to raise awareness about malaria following its recent announcement of a five-year partnership with Malaria No More UK to help end the suffering and death caused by malaria in Africa
On the weekend of 24th and 25th April 2010, on World Malaria Day, Jazz FM is celebrating its partnership with Malaria No More UK by infusing the output with music from Africa and a series of interviews with Malaria No More UK ambassadors including top UK jewellery designer Stephen Webster and UK jazz musician Joe Stilgoe. The first show to kick off the weekend (for 2 hours from 23.00 on Saturday) will be Planet Mambo: Focus on Africa – a World Malaria Day Special presented by Gerry Lyseight who will be playing everything from Ali Farka Toure to Zulu Jive and featuring many of the legends that the African continent has given to world of Jazz, such as Abdullah Ibrahim, Hugh Masekela, Manu Dibango, Miriam Makeba and Richard Bona.
This broadcast first will see each show on Jazz FM over the World Malaria Day weekend play music from Africa relevant to each genre – from African inspired beats on Fierce Angel to an African-infused Dinner Jazz from Sarah Ward with music from young singer SOMI with Hugh Masekela on trumpet, Babaa Maal and Richard Bona to name a few. Leo Green will be joined by Avishai Cohen and Malaria No More ambassador Joe Stilgoe and the Jazz in the City presenters Paul Kavanagh and Andy Brough will be talking to top UK jeweller to the stars, Stephen Webster.
Jazz FM announced its partnership with Malaria No More UK in March to help save lives from malaria in Africa. Through an exciting series of events and on air activity, Jazz FM is bringing its unique style and sound to help raise funds and awareness for Malaria No More UK until 2015, the year which marks the UN goal for an end to deaths by malaria.
Jazz FM”s Leo Green said: “We are hugely excited about this important and life-saving partnership and to be able to harness the power of our radio station and passion for jazz to help make malaria no more”.
Jazz FM have chosen to support Malaria No More UK because malaria is one of the world’s most preventable health crises; the disease claims close to one million lives every year, the majority being women and children in Africa. Every life lost is needless as malaria is an entirely preventable and treatable disease. 100% of funds raised by Jazz FM will go directly to Africa to facilitate life saving malaria treatment and prevention education programmes, starting in Ghana where 100% of the population are at risk of malaria.
Richard Wheatly, Chief Executive, Jazz FM said: “It is a tragedy to know that malaria claims the life of a child in Africa every 30 seconds and it is within our power to stop this. Our partnership will enable lifelong and newly emerging jazz fans to help save lives by doing something they love and tuning into Jazz FM. I am immensely proud that we’re getting behind such an important and inspirational initiative. We want to look back in years to come and say we played our part in making malaria no more”
Sarah Kline, Executive Director of Malaria No More UK said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Jazz FM, a radio station that brings impressive commitment, a wealth of ideas and a fantastic brand to our mission to help end malaria deaths. We look forward to an action packed partnership that will help make a lasting difference in Africa”.
