African American Music Culture - 1490 Words

African American Music Culture Jakiella James â€Å"African-American gospel music is a major influence in nearly all genres of modern popular music, from rhythm ‘n blues to jazz, from soul to rock ‘n roll. The musical genre is a unique expression of the black experience in America? The emotionally-charged, wailing vocals and syncopated rhythms give the music a distinctive style. The singing is accompanied not only by instrumentals, but often also by hand-clapping, foot-stomping and shouting. Gospel music is rooted in slave spirituals and protestant hymns. During the late 1800s, the music spread in popularity among white Christians through the traveling revivals led by Evangelist Dwight Moody. The music took root in the black†¦show more content†¦As in traditional African cultures and as the ancestors that endured slavery had done, African Americans used music to communicate, synchronize, summon courage and assuage pain and adversity. That uniquely African style of singing with emotion, power and rhythm was evident through the field hollerers, work songs, spirituals, gospels and blues. Then the rhythm and blues artists and the soul artists provided a rich resource for the succeeding style of music called â€Å"funk†. And these artists drove it home to an ever widening audience. This was also the time when other artists were delivering songs with philosophical and social messages. The emphasis of this paper will be on the music called funk and its impact on the American culture. Students will be engaged in actively listening to and discussing a variety of artists to evaluate their effect on the music’s direction, impact and audience. At the turn of the nineteenth century, jazz was making its entrance and establishing itself as the music of the future with icons such as Buck Clayton, Sidney Bichet, Louis Armstrong, Lil Hardin, King Joe Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton. They were followed by Scott Joplin, Fletcher Henderson, Noble Sissle, Louis Jordan, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and others. While jazz was riding a crest, there was another style of African American music with aShow MoreRelatedJazz And Jazz Culture1273 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is culture? What is African culture? What is Jazz music and where did it come from? How can one culture, in a sense, impact the musical landscape of the whole Western world and eventually assimilate into ‘pop’ culture? If we want to truly understand jazz and it’s concepts, we have to navigate through history and explore it’s roots. Simply put, jazz is African American music, and the genre, as we know, formed in New Orleans. However, the origins of jazz started well before then, in Africa. TheRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance s Influence And Impact1262 Words   |  6 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance s Influence and Impact The Harlem Renaissance era is known for its rich culture and being the source for many African American breakthrough artists such as Alain Locke,W.E.B DuBois, and Ethel Waters. . Whether it be the diversity of music, drama, art, or literature, it’s surely present during that period of time and still is today. Many questions about this time period include â€Å"How was Harlem life like back then?† â€Å"What is the Harlem Renaissance?†, and â€Å"How did itRead MoreReoccurring Themes in the Work of Langston Hughes Essay1649 Words   |  7 Pagesfocuses on the hardships of his people. Hughes’ heartfelt concern for his people’s struggle evokes the reader’s emotion. His appreciation for black music and culture is evident in his work as well. Langston Hughes is a complex poet whose profound works provide insight into all aspects of black life in America, including oppression, struggle, music and culture. Hughes speaks about black oppression in a full range of representation. The blacks that Hughes focuses most of his writing on are the â€Å"most burdenedRead MoreThe Art Of The Folk1699 Words   |  7 Pagestraditions, convictions, and expressions that make up an unmistakable culture. When people started to realize, their potential and become open to the public about their abilities, the art of the folk begun to suddenly become more diverse. It became diverse in jazz, blues, folktales, and dance; some of the major aspects that caused todays music to be what it is in the twenty first century. Folk, whether it is folk art, folktales, folk music, or folk dance, expresses cultural identity by conveying sharedRead MoreThe Counter Culture of the 1920s Essay1493 Words   |  6 PagesThe counter culture of the 1920’s has affected the way the American lifestyle is today. Counter culture is a culture that primarily consists of younger people, with values and lifestyles opposing th ose of the original established culture. (Dictionary.com) A need for change. The 1920’s are also known as the â€Å"Jazz Age,† which was coined by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the â€Å"Roaring Twenties.† It was a decade of change. (Hakim, 41) The counterculture of the 1920’s resulted from the Age of Jazz, FlappersRead MoreJohn Altoon s Jazz Players From 19501396 Words   |  6 Pagesbecause it embraces the expression of African American culture through jazz music. It demonstrates a scene where the white man and the black man come together for the mutual appreciation and fondness of jazz music. The white and black jazz players turn towards each other harmoniously playing their saxophones. The expressions on the two jazz players faces embodies their self-confidence. The scene depicted in this piece positively represents the life of an African American, which expresses the ideals of theRead MoreAfrican American Vernacular Traditions: Integrated Into Modern Cu lture1292 Words   |  6 PagesAfrican American Vernacular Traditions: Integrated Into Modern Culture African American vernacular traditions have been around for many centuries and still cease to exist in their culture. The vernacular traditions of the African Americans started when slaves were existent in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. It is believed that the slaves spoke a mix of Creole and partial English, in which they had to create in order to communicate between them discreetly. The vernacular traditions originatedRead MoreThe New Negro Movement, By Zora Neale Hurston1720 Words   |  7 Pagesintellectual and artistic African American leaders during the 1920s. It was a manifestation of embracing poetry, literature, music, art, film, fashion and all things synonymous with creativity. It begun during the end of World War 1, in a relatively small section in New York City and ended during the aftermath of The Great Depression. This was by far one of the most influential movements in African American culture. African Americans took pride in themselves and in their culture and wanted to showcaseRead MoreBlack And Blues - Langston Hughes1623 Words   |  7 PagesRenaissance was a time in history when the African American culture had one of its most influential movements by using creativity and the arts (Hutchinson 1). This movement took place between 1918 and 1937 and was shaped by both African American men and women through writing, theatre, visual arts, and music. The purpose of this movement was to change the white stereotypes that were associated with African American people and their culture (Hutchinson 1). African Americans used the Harlem Renaissance to buildRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes s Poetry977 Words   |  4 Pagesstruggle of the African American community through his poetry during the time period around the Harlem Renaissance. As a world traveler and successful African American man, he was able to use his fame to enlighten the world, namely the white population, on the inequality and abuse of African American population in th e United States. Despite his own battle with unhappiness and inequality (Royster, 344), Hughes was able to capture and express the truth of the life of African Americans in his emotionally