Samuel Futterman Rock’N Roll and America’s 1950 Culture Shock During the 1950s a new sensation exploded all over America changing the lives of all ages. That sensation was Rock’N Roll. At the time, it new musical genre based on the African-American musical styles Rhythm and Blues and Jazz. Rock’N Roll indirectly helped the civil rights movement move forward, and is a constantly evolving style that we still can enjoy today. It also helped changed American society’s values regarding what is appropriate or offensive to broadcast.
Rock ‘n’ Roll: A Uniting Force? In the 1950’s a new style of music came to the forefront of American culture. Frank Sinatra described it as “phony and false” (6). Time magazine compared it to “having a resemblance to Hitler’s mass meetings” (6). It’s called Rock ‘n’ Roll and it had parents, teachers, and politicians worried for the youth of America.
With charismatic and intelligent spokesmen such as Martin Luther King, the Civil Rights campaigners had brought the plight of black Americans to the attention of the whole world. The federal government had been forced to respond and the legislation of the nation had been changed to address the inequality and oppression experienced by millions of black citizens. For many black Americans, and also many sympathetic white Americans, the hope was that the USA was entering a new age of equality and meaningful civil rights for all citizens. By the mid 1960s, however, many black Americans were becoming disillusioned. Many Southern states continued to harass and persecute blacks regardless of the new legislation.
In the following extract David Coplan and Bennetta Jules-Rosette , “…explore the ways in which Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, transformed from church hymn into protest song.” King and Vos (2009:78) . The scholars on this subject also explore how the song was spread throughout the continent of Africa because of freedom fighters who went for exile . From the middle of the nineteenth century, an emergent urban black intellectual elite used choral music to articulate the experiences and aspirations of their people. The loss of independence
Some common features between them are that they both talked about the hard times. They also effected the urban migration. 3.How were race records marketed? Race records were marketed from African Americans to African Americans. 4.Who was the first to apply the catchphrase "race music" to African American music from the South?
Stanley Baron's article Rock 'n' Roll Radio, and Race Relations indicates how R&B and Rock 'n' Roll made a difference to Racism and Americans demanded the sound of music.In the Article, Black American music was the source of being borrowed traditional music like Gospel , blues, and sad songs songs over slavery and racial injustice. A situation where while artist covered black hills. Artist like Elvis Presley was a man, white man who had negro sound and could make billions of dollars, said by Sam Phillips , founder of Sun Records.Elvis was the link to white people covering the music of African Americans in the 1950's. This caught the attention of a Clevend DJ, Alon Freed. Freed uncovered music and opened all types of music to the audience .
Civil Disobedience “My country tis of thee sweet land of liberty”, or so we thought. The Staple Singers, a blues/mo town band, wrote a song that showed the aggravation and persecution that pro civil rights person where feeling called “when will we be paid”. The civil rights was a movement broadcasted a major theme equality for all whether black or white, which touches on the under lying there behind “when will be paid”. In the song “when will we be paid” by the staple singers, it demonstrates how the African American population demanded composition for the work that they have done, which was a right that many protested for during the Civil Rights movement. The Staple Singers, started out as just a family then ended up as a musical sensation.
The Beatles were known as Americans Brittan invasion. Rock and roll has impacted our culture some say that the genre has helped with the civil rights movement because both African American teens and white American teens both enjoyed the genre of rock and roll. A myriad of early rock and roll songs dealt with issues of school, dating ,cars , and clothing the lyrics of the genre described a story with conflicts that the average person back then can relate too. Other topics that were considered “Taboo” such as sex began to be introduced to rock and roll. Taboo was considered that new music that tried to break the rules and express the emotions that younger people were feeling.
Therefore, slaves demanded leaders of the revolution to follow their self proclaimed creed and abolish slavery. Due to the American Revolution many slaves had not only gained their freedom but well challenged the question of slavery in America. Period of American Revolution is extremely significant in American history. During these times young country went through many changes that forever impacted her history. It is hard to overestimate the effects of on a political, social, economic life of every citizen.
Music has been used to bring people together, to influence people, and to even cure a conflict. The Vietnam War is an era which best exemplifies this power of music. In the eyes of many, the Vietnam War was one that should never have been fought; yet it ushered in one of the most aspiring eras of music in American history. Music may have been influential in American culture before the Vietnam War, but this event triggered the most significant musical revolution in the young country’s history because not only was music used as a means of protest and propaganda on the home front, but soldiers abroad also used it for everything from military strategy to moral support. The art form of music influenced the culture of the Vietnam War era more than most musical eras have ever impacted their respective cultures.