A night of jazz and history at Museum Rotterdam.
In a remarkable transformation, Museum Rotterdam is set to become an underground jazz club on the evening of Saturday, 2 March. The event will transport attendees back to the 1940s, a period when jazz in Rotterdam thrived in secrecy. Arthur Flink and his Rotterdam Jazz Quintet promise an immersive journey into the era's jazz atmosphere. The museum, located at Coolhaven 375, invites the public to swing from 19:00 to 23:00, offering a free warming-up for the upcoming museum night.
Jazz during the occupation
Following the devastating bombardment on 14 May 1940, Rotterdam's population found solace in jazz, a genre that offered an escape from harsh realities. Despite dance bans, curfews, and blackouts imposed during the occupation, the city's shadowy districts became havens for forbidden pleasures, including jazz. It was in these areas, off-limits to German soldiers, that the pure sounds of jazz continued to resonate.
Forbidden (not) to swing
Post-liberation, the Dutch government attempted to reign in the wartime excesses of the youth with a swing ban, an effort to restore order. However, on the evening of Saturday, 2 March, this prohibition is lifted at the museum's underground jazz club. The Rotterdam Jazz Quintet and DJ Koert Sauer are set to defy the ban, enticing visitors with rhythms that echo the spirit of freedom and rebellion characteristic of the post-war period.
Event details
The event will take place from 19:00 to 23:00 at Coolhaven 375, adjacent to the metro and beneath the bridge. Admission is free, making it an accessible celebration of jazz and history.
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