Jazz in Cyprus: The Breakdown of Borders

Jazz in Cyprus: The Breakdown of Borders explores the inception and development of the Cypriot jazz scene. Through participant observation and interviews, several topics are presented, including the interaction between local and jazz music and the involvement of the the U.S Department of State in the scene. Under the Department's sponsorship, a group of American jazz musicians visited the island several times since 2008 and have spread love for jazz amongst the locals bi-communally. An underlying theme is unity in Cyprus through jazz. Familiar mechanisms of nationalist appropriation of culture have separated the two major ethnic communities for years, and jazz has played a role in ameliorating the issue.