Jazz Heritage Wales
Jazz Heritage Wales is the oldest collection of jazz material in the UK and is the only multimedia Jazz Collection.
It is the only Collection specialising in women’s jazz music and the cultural inheritance of African American music in Wales.
It began in 1989 with a review of Welsh archival collections. In the next few years, 20 oral histories were gathered. These relationships were the foundation for Project work and ongoing donations.
As Professor Sir Deian Hopkin, (former President of the National Library of Wales) put it, Professor Jen Wilson, pianist and historian, Founder of the Collection has:
“Made an enormous contribution to the rediscovery of the historical role of women in Jazz and dance music, and the organization which she has created plays a vitally important role in the preservation of this significant aspect of our musical and cultural heritage.”
Or as Kim Collis, West Glamorgan County Archivist describes:
“The purpose and principles of the organisation offer a valuable way of rebalancing the narrative of modern Welsh history from one that focuses solely on the achievements of white men to recognising the contribution of women and the BME community to Wales.”