There's no denying Kansas City's rich music heritage. A vast array of incredible musicians have called the city home, and its history as a hub for jazz and blues was the basis for Kansas City's designation as a UNESCO City of Music in 2017. It's the only city in the U.S. to hold that title.
As a part of that program, four Kansas City musicians — Kadesh Flow, Jass Couch, Clarence Copridge IV and Kemet Coleman — recently traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland (another UNESCO City of Music), for a music exchange.
While there, they performed at the Belfast International Arts Festival, collaborated with local musicians and even interviewed with BBC Sounds, all in an effort to learn more about the city's music scene.
"I think there's a lot that we learned about the city of Belfast and their relationship with music," Coleman told KCUR's Up To Date. "That here in Kansas City, we can use that as an opportunity to see what we can do to fulfill our mission of uplifting the art form that we're most known for, which is music."
The exchange will continue in 2025, when musicians from Belfast will visit Kansas City for the annual Irish Fest.
- Jass, local musician
- Clarence Copridge IV, local musician
- Kemet Coleman, local musician
