Music and American Culture - Essay Example

?Running Head: Music and American Culture Music and American Culture Introduction While it might not be d with certaintythe exact period during which music originally developed, it is quite obvious that the purpose of developing such an art probably thousands of years ago was to synchronize and coordinate collective human movement, for instance farming or hunting. As a matter of fact, singing a rhythmic son even today is something that comes just naturally to accompany an activity done by an individual or a group of persons for instance when building a roof or hiking in the mountains. Great singer just like to hunters or even shamans presumably held important social standing. As percussion instruments evolved later to accompany music, there was also the emergence of individual percussionist. With time, other new kind of instruments emerged which instruments further enabled the playing of virtuoso. At a given point in time, regular individuals began to create songs meant for their own consumption. These songs were called folk songs and they were not about God or heroes, but rather about sorrows and joys of life. The invention of polyphony greatly reduced the importance of rhythm, and later come to be perceived as plebian and primitive element of music. Conversely, rhythm was heavily relied upon by the folk music, both for purposes for singing and dancing. Consequently, the element of rhythm became the distinguishing factor between folk and classical music. This state of affairs remained as it was when both folk and classical music arrived in America. Europeans in the Americans melting pot were obliged to admit that there were several different types of folk music for the first time. Even though the racial instinct of music in America was intended to separate the Anglo-Saxons from the rest, it was just a matter of time before these boundaries were shattered. Surprisingly, the existence of African music was the most traumatic confrontation for the Europeans. Even though African music was long discarded as an animal kingdom oddity, that is to say a sound that is similar to that of an animal, the African music was able to coexist with the European music for close to two centuries before penetrating into the white society in America. Several elements of African music during the 19th century began to infiltrate into the folk music of white American society. It is worth noting that during this century, the phenomenon of Afro fusion only took place in America an there was no Afro contamination so to speak in the European society that took place not until much later. Once more, a principle distinguishing factor was rhythm. Even though rhythm was not an inventory of black Africans, the polyrhythm’s of black Africans was certainly wide and different to accommodate rhythm from European folk music linear rhythm. Initially, the impact of black African music was barely felt, however, little was it known that this music was going to become the main element driving innovation. It is worth noting that the European folk music in the early 19th century had barely been changed, however dramatic changes were on the verge of taking place with the heavy presence of black African music (Nelson 1988). Music in the United States is one of the aspects that reflect the cultural diversity of the country through the various arrays of musical styles. In the United State, there are a number of internationally renowned genres of music which includes: rhythm and blues, hip hop, rock and roll, country, jazz, pop, barbershop, and techno. As a matter of fact, America has one of the largest music industries in the world not to mention the vast audience that music capture across the world. The earliest inhabitants of the United States were the Native Americans. Even though these natives had their own kind of music the arrival of large numbers of immigrants brought new instruments and music styles in America. Notably, the emergence of African slaves brought novel traditions of music contributing greatly to the United States melting pot. It goes without saying that the majority of popular music in the past and modern time in America can be traced from the emergence of African American blues and gospel music of the 19th and 20th century. These black American songs derived elements from indigenous and European music as a basis for their popularity. Thus, the truth in the assertion of one author Nelson George (1988), who rightly argued that “you can tell where black people are at any given point in history by our music” Arguably, most of the music composed by the black African Americans in the United States developed from a particular, political and social context, and an attempt to separate the black African music from the aforementioned moorings detaches black American culture of expression from the history of black Americans culture. Discussion The black American music began to infiltrate its influence in the mainstream of American music in the 19th century, with the emergence of blackface minstrelsy. During this century, an instrument known as banjo with an African origin got wide spread popularity, and the rhythms derived from this instrument were adopted and used in songs that became very popular. In America, the black American heritage in the 19th century was only preserved in the south; however those blacks of the northern part were more integrated with the white community. For instance in New York, the first theater had been opened in 1821, and there were some renowned black American musician who had began performing by 1838 Francis Johnson is one of such respected black American musician of that century. The end of civil war in 1865 theoretically freed the black Africans from slavery, shortly afterwards in 1867, the first compilation of black American songs was published and they were called the slave songs of the United States. The collection of these black American songs and the ultimate publication did little to alleviate the conditions of black American at the time since discrimination continued as well as the job they were doing remained unchanged (Norman 2005). However the end of slavery to some extent meant that the two traditional converging points of the black slaves were no more these places were the church and the plantation field where they used to work. Such music remained as the avenue through which the black American community could be able to vent their frustrations. Since slavery defined a group, the end of it introduced the individual and as such the black Americans singers were capable of and free to define themselves as an individual. Even though the song done by black Americans were sang by individuals, these songs still echoed in their mood and words the general situation of the people notwithstanding the fact that the black American sole singers during the 19th century brought out a novel way of representing a group situation. As a matter of fact, the songs of black American during the 19th century became the diary of his own life. As aforementioned, sole singers required instruments, an African instrument known as the banjo came on board. The sole singers later adopted from their white counterparts the harmonica and the guitar. These instruments eventually became the bluesman second voice, and instead of the black American songster interacting with the multitude in the plantation or from church, he was doing so with the instruments. During the period of reconstructions for instance, the itinerant black American singer armed with a guitar incorporated the hollers songs to the format of the British ballad narrative. Even though the black American and white folk music were similar in tone, there was a profound different between the two. Both the black American and white folk music were about relativity however, the white music was based on the ordinary events of life, while the blacks depicted the realities of life almost brutally. In the black American blues death was a true fact in human life, as opposed to the belief that it is a link to everlasting life; love was simply sex, and not stupid romantic emotion. According to Chang (2005), the black songsters in America, blues music was basically an expression of a feeling of unavoidable destiny for both the community and an individual. In other words, the unbridled materialism depicted in the black Americans blues, did not seek self glorification but rather self pity by the blacks. In musical terms, the melody of blues music is shaped by an African five note scale adoption as opposed to the seven not scale of the western. It is also twelve bars long. In the 20th century urban development of the black American music was attributed to the south sin cities these cities included; Kansa City and Memphis, New Orleans among others. These cities brothels, speakeasies, clubs, steamboats, and saloons sponsored numerous black American musicians who had migrated from the countryside (Norman 2005). New Orleans city was able to accommodate the traditions of the different ethnic groups unlike in other cities of the United States where they were not entertained. In this century, tribal dances, exotic rituals funeral matches, pagan festivals survived. In fact, New Orleans which was a commercial city was more accommodating to black Americans as compare to any other city, and as such, during the emancipation of black Americans the city was more accommodating than any other. According to Ward (1998), during the puritan government in 1897, most establishments in the city had their customers entertained by black American musicians. A huge number of black American musicians were employed by Stormville. Actually this establishment in New Orleans city became the biggest black musician employer outside of Broadway. After the closure of Stormville in 1917, black American musicians spread across United States. Consequently, they took all over America bits and pieces of bands, sounds and a new kind of music that was later called jazz music. After the disputed presidential election in 1877, the first wave of black immigrants was experienced by Kansa city. This immigration destroyed any likelihood of black American integration with the whites especially in the south. As such the black American from states such as Mississippi and Louisiana went to seek refuge in more tolerant and accommodating cities such as Kansas City. Between 1925 and 1938, during the era of the corrupt Tom Prendergast, Kansas City flourished in terms of illegal clubs and gambling. This city during the time was a roll-over prize for the black American musicians who indeed were the pillar of entertainment activities in the city (Chang 2005).  Even though black American blues music was an antithesis of life in the city, during the early days, recording of blues music was an affair of New York. And even though several black Americans blues music songsters began their activities from the south itinerant shows they later on migrated to New York where they had permanent theaters such as vaudeville from which their songs could be written by professional black American song writers particularly for an audience that is boarded (Ward 1998). A good example of such professional black American song writer was William Handy who composed a collection of early classics for purposes of apolitical campaign published in 1912; others were careless love blues of 1925, the 1923 Harlem Blues, the 1912 St Louis Blues among others. In fact during the composition that he did, Handy was well aware that he had developed a novel genre of music. In his own words, Handy commented that he has added another different form into the world and of in the realm of music composition. Conclusion It is quite obvious from the foregoing that role played by black blues singer was key in bridging the different realms of black music. They brought together the practices and style of ragtime, Vaudeville Theater, and of their native environment as well as the minstrel show. In 1920, the first blues by a black American singer became a hit in the history of United States. The Crazy Blues by a black American female artist in the first year sold about 200,000 copies. It is worth noting that initially blues music was considered to be a form of music meant for vaudeville theaters and brothels underworld. After the hit song by smith however, blues music recognition and respect as well as the black American blues singers, even though this kind of music was about sorrow rather than joy. Generally, blues music was based on vocals, but the instrumental styles employed to accompany this form of music would influence popular music in future. In fact black American blues music during the depression period continued to spread throughout United States. It is ironical that not until 1930s, blues music was not popular among the black people. In fact, most audience were whites probably because they were the only people allowed in the clubs and also the possibility that blacks did not perceive blues music as a form of entertainment. The love of the blues music by the white in the United States allowed this music to thrive as well as spread throughout the country through the indirect money flow from the whites to the black Americans via the industry. Indeed, the growth and development of the black American blues music cuts across the 19th and 20th history and in every event it is quite clear that the black people occupies a significant position in history inferring from the united states music. References Chang, J. (2005) Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. NY: Picador. Dawidoff, N. (1997) In The Country of Country: People and Places in American Music. New York: Pantheon Books. Guralnick, P. (1986) Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom. New York: HarperCollins. Norman, K. (2005) R&B: The Political Economy of Black Music. Chicago: Akashic Books. Nelson, G. (1988) The Death of Rhythm and Blues. New York: Plume Books. Peretti, B. (1997) Jazz in American Culture. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee. Sitkoff, H. (1993) The Struggle for Black Equality: 1954-1992. New York: Hill &  Wang. Ward, B. (1998) Just My Soul Responding: Rhythm and Blues, Black Consciousness, and Race Relations. 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