Biography on Harlem Renaissance - Research Paper Example

of the Music of the Concerned 28 July Outline I. Introduction a. What is Harlem Renaissance? b. The impact of Harlem Renaissance II. Harlem Renaissance and music a. Jazz music b. Peculiarities of the music of those times c. Peculiarities of the musicians and composers of those times. III. How Harlem Renaissance influenced the contemporary music a. African American music gains prominence b. Influence on music industry IV. The Musicians a. William Henry Webb b. Louis Armstrong c. Edward Kennedy ‘Duke’ Ellington V. Conclusion Biography on Harlem Renaissance Introduction Harlem Renaissance happened to be a predominantly African American cultural movement that spanned across 1919 to mid 30s (Kramer & Russ 4). The overall impact of the Harlem Reniassance on the American music and literature happened to be so pivotal that its reverberations could still be discerned in the contemporary American cultural landscape. The most peculiar aspect of the Harlem Renaissance was that it was ushered in by African American thinkers, artists, writers and musicians who evinced a prominent predilection towards the quintessential African American culture and heritage (Kramer & Russ 10). Harlem Reniassance was particularly marked by a distinct shift towards a self confident and strongly embracing notion of the racial pride and ethnic identity, which metamorphosed into remarkable cultural, artistic and literary achievements (Kramer & Russ 47). Harlem Renaissance evinced an effervescent and zealous interest in the black history and cultural moorings amongst the African American middle class. One of the salient objectives of the Harlem Renaissance was an honest portrayal of the African American talent and heritage through art, literature, music and thought. The objective of the central ideals eschewed by the Harlem Renaissance was to attempt a serious portrayal of the overall African American experience in its totality. The aim was to resuscitate and rescue a deliberately impaired collective psychology and to remould and revive a social perspective that got utterly warped over decades (Kramer & Russ 47). Harlem Renaissance had a marked influence on the African American musical heritage and the jazz music of the era flouted the conventional notions to voluntarily opt for improvisation and syncopated rhythms. Harlem Renaissance and Music It goes without saying that no one single aspect of the Harlem Renaissance played such an important role in influencing and shaping the American and world cultural landscape as the Jazz music (Wintz 183). Strongly favouring improvised solos and syncopated rhythms, the Jazz music of those times tended to be strongly averse to the many established musical conventions (Wintz 183). The composer of those times commanded such a strong following that people thronged in on a continual basis to listen to and appreciate their compositions. Yet, the remarkable thing about these compositions was that owing to a strong bend towards improvisation, no two performances of a single composition tended to be same. The musicians and singers of the era not only revived and invigorated the jazz music, but played a pivotal role in shaping and consolidating many new musical traditions. The musicians of those days played a major role in transforming the African American music and culture. The breath taking and engrossing pouring of the remarkable jazz compositions rendered by the musicians and singers of the Renaissance, happened to be a direct and emphatic expression of the hardships and travails faced by the African Americans in a racially divided South and an utterly severe urban North (Wintz 183). Harlem Renaissance attracted the public attention towards a musical tradition that would have utterly been lost or never contrived. In that context the Harlem Renaissance popularized the musical style of the African Americans amongst diverse cultures and racial groups. The salient composer of the era blended the poetry contrived by the African American poets in their compositions and adhered to the harmonies and rhythms of the African American music like jazz, spirituals and blues to create a unique blend of music (Wintz 88). The musicians and composers churned out by the phenomenon called Harlem Renaissance happened to be quiet versatile and tended to be at home with a wide range of styles and forms. They not only showed a remarkable talent for improvising and contriving new themes, but, rather also excelled in borrowing and shaping old melodies and themes related to the African American spirituals. Though the Harlem Reniassance is primarily celebrated for accruing relevance and importance for the jazz and the blues, yet it is also a fact that the Harlem Renaissance also played a major role in reviving symphonic and classical music that won accolades even in Europe (Helbling 112). It is the Harlem Renaissance that ought to be credited for popularising the black music to the extent that it eventually graduated from the Harlem night clubs to make its mark across the Western cultural landscape. Impact of Harlem Renaissance on Contemporary Music It goes without saying that Harlem Renaissance had a profound impact on the future music. First and foremost it ushered in the African American music, which was until now confined to the sidelines of the American culture, into the mainstream culture. The blues and the jazz started to gain a newfound recognition and appreciation amongst the masses and in a matter of time ended up becoming a worldwide sensation. With many African American singers and musicians being recorded by the leading record companies, it certainly gave a flip to the record industry. The African American artists who till now were used to playing in tent shows, circuses and clubs overnight became famous. It would not be wrong to say that the Harlem Renaissance eked out a space for the African American music in the American music industry. Moreover, the popularity of the African American music facilitated a voice and medium to the hitherto suppressed community, so as to be able to voice one’s ordeal and travails through the medium of music. The jazz culture until now confined to the African American neighbourhoods spread to the urban centres like New York City and Chicago, where it strongly influence the mainstream musical compositions. Harlem Renaissance accrued respect for the hitherto ignored African American music. Not to mention that the dance forms affiliated to jazz like the tap dance and the Charleston evolved into being international fads. Harlem Renaissance- The Musicians William Henry Webb William Henry Webb, popularly known as Chick Webb happened to be one of the leading drummers of the Harlem Renaissance period. Chick Webb moved to New York in the early 20s and his band called Savoy Ballroom happened to be one of the prominent bands of the swing era (O’Meally 289). The music created by Webb was peculiarly know for the astuteness of its technique, the imaginative usage of fills and breaks, the sense of swing that happened to be utterly forceful in its rendering, and a masterly hold over the dynamics (O’Meally 289). The amazing thing about William Henry Web was that though he was not able to read music, yet, he was able to memorize the compositions rendered by the band and was able to astutely direct the performances while playing drums, sitting over a raised platform (O’Meally 289). Chick Webb evinced a capacity for introducing great variations in his music by resorting to an excellent rendering of rim shots, cymbal crashing, and temple-block work. Chick Webb showed an amazing capacity for breaking away with the old jazz drumming formulae, to opt for variegated blends of duple and triple meter patterns. Chick Webb indeed left behind a musical legacy that not only continues to inspire a large body of Jazz aficionados, but the techniques used by him in the drum music are readily copied and imitated by the contemporary musicians. Louis Armstrong There is no denying the fact that Louis Armstrong happened to be an immensely influential musician of the Harlem Renaissance period. Born in New Orleans, Armstrong learned to play the cornet at a very young age and is rightfully claimed to be the father of jazz (Goffin 293). Louis not only happened to be an utterly powerful musician, but is also acclaimed for introducing varied new trends in jazz like bringing in a soloist’s art into jazz that was previously given to the ensemble nature (Goffin 196). Louis mostly resorted to a highly improvised style of singing. He also showed much panache for scat singing that predominantly relied on random syllables (Goffin 271). It was only through the immense devotion of Louis and his passion for jazz music that he was single handily able to revolutionize the jazz music. After so many years after his death, Armstrong’s work as a vocalist and a singer continues to influence the contemporary jazz music. Armstrong impacted the later day jazz music through his melodic and swing innovations. Edward Kennedy ‘Duke’ Ellington Edward Kennedy Ellington happened to be a really versatile contribution made by the Harlem Renaissance period, which evinced a marked proficiency as a music composer, band leader and a pianist (Peterson Jr 85). The hallmark of Ellington was that he was able to bring together a bevy of great Harlem Renaissance musical performers and thereby was able to contrive a few of the greatest and most remarkable orchestral units dedicated to the jazz music (Peterson Jr 85). Such was the talent of Ellington that his music was recorded by some of the leading American record companies and he also showed his acting acumen in some films. Though Edward died in 1974, the impact of his creations on the contemporary music happens to be deep and forceful. Conclusion The impact of Harlem Renaissance happened to be far reaching, which continued to inspire the future generations. The Harlem Renaissance not only invigorated the African American culture and art forms, but also facilitated the much needed voice and space to a community that had hitherto remained sidelined and marginalized. The Harlem Renaissance revived the interest in the African American culture and heritage. It brought the African American art and music that was until now ignored, to the American mainstream culture. It was in a way the reawakening and reassertion of the African American identity through the medium of art, music and literature. In that context it happened to be a variegated and forceful cultural movement that will continue to influence and alter the global musical landscape forever. Works Cited Goffin, Robert. Horn of Plenty: The Story of Louis Armstrong. New York: Alan, Town and Heath, 1947. Print. Helbling, Mark. The Harlem Renaissance: The One and the Many. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. Print. Kramer, Victor A & Russ, A Robert. Harlem Renaissance Re-Examined. Troy, NY: Whitston, 1997. Print. O’Meally, Robert G. The Jazz Cadence of American Culture. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. Print. Peterson Jr., Bernard L. Profiles of African American Stage Performers and Theatre People, 1816-1960. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2008. Print. Wintz, Cary D. Black Culture and the Harlem Renaissance. Houston, TX: Rice University Press, 1988. Print. Read More