Swing Era of Popular Music - Essay Example

Popular Music Chapter V is about the swing era (1935-1945). It is characterized by energetic new dance music and new grown melodious, less syncopated, and slower. The period is associated with the sound of big-band swing where sound evolved directly from the jazz-influenced dance orchestras of the 1920s. During this period, there was an expansion and transformation of the dance orchestra and a fundamental change in the rhythmic foundation of the music. Chapter VI talks about blues, gospel, country, and folk music.

It notes that blues and black gospel music developed between 1925 to 1950. During this period, three developments emerged were recording of country blues, the emergence of up-tempo, piano-based blues styles, and the beginning of black music. The chapter also notes that country music came from the British Isles Chapter VII discusses Latin music in the United States. It begins by focusing on early attempts to blend Latin music into American life. Similarly, its genesis was in the 1850s when an American first classical music star traveled to The Caribbean and South America.

The interaction between the African and European musical traditions resulted in the growth of Latin music styles. Drums that were banned during slavery were permitted making the folk songs in these regions remain closer to African roots. Hence, Latin dance in the US began with the emergence of the Cuban habanera. Chapter VIII notes that billboard also referred to as the "Bible” began publication in 1894. As in the 1920s, it was covering recording and radio. Further, it introduced the “Chart line" in 1936, and it was a listing of the most popular songs on network radio.

Additionally, popular music covered significant musical territory by the 1950s.