ZAZOO is a bilingual printed magazine (EN/ES) about swing culture in Europe, a re-emerged movement that has been growing non-stop for the last 10 years, widespread through countless festivals all around Europe. Specialized collaborators write about music and dance, both from the historical and current point of view, but with the implicit vocation of reflecting about many other themes – from literature to politics, including philosophy and gender studies– that make us re-think our own culture nowadays. And always taking the ludic and enthusiastic nature of swing as a base line.
Zazou was a term to describe french youngsters that, during the Occupation of France during the II World War, showed an attitude of resistance through their appreciation of jazz, their eccentric looks and detached attitude. This is why ZAZOO, a publication born in April 2018 with a vocation for continuity, proposes in its pages a reflexion about the value of collectivity and diversity in a contemporary european context. A magazine for people that may or may not dedicate themselves to music or dance, but are nevertheless inebriated by rhythm and improvisation in life. The spirit of swing is everywhere and it is crazy, it’s ZAZOO!
The second issue,“Unknown Roots/Routes”, explores the origins of jazz and swing dance as the result of the mix of cultures of the early African diaspora. With the utmost respect and admiration, we believe that everyone should be aware of the historical context and cultural implications of this form of African American expression. The contents of this number are: The African Gene, a historical vision about how the mix of cultures and rhythms of the African diaspora merged into new musical forms that later evolved into jazz; american icons, with the first experiences of Norma Miller in Europe; an extensive interview with the Hodi Maputo Afro Swing Dancers in their European tour; Marie N’diaye and her opinion article about black culture and swing dancing; a history of improvisation from Bach to Coltrane written by a Belgian philosopher, and a playlist of female musicians of the Jazz Age.
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Art Direction / Carmen Reina
Editor-In-Chief / Bruno Padilla
Graphic Design & Illustrations / Carmen Reina
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CONTRIBUTORS / Karen Campos McCormack, Sybren Heyndels, Paula Padilla, Marie N’diaye, Manuel Recio.
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contact: zazoo.magazine@gmail.com
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with the support of Creative Europe
