Also in the melting pot creating a new musical form were country and western music (including Western swing and influences from traditional Appalachian folk music), jazz, and gospel music. However, elements of rock and roll can be heard in country records of the 1930s, and in blues records from the 1920s. [citation needed] During that period many white Americans enjoyed African-American jazz and blues performed by white musicians. [citation needed] Often "black" music was usually relegated to "race music" outlets (music industry code for rhythm and blues stations) and was rarely heard by mainstream white audiences. [citation needed] A few black rhythm and blues musicians, notably Louis Jordan, the Mills Brothers, and The Ink Spots, achieved crossover success;[citation needed] in some cases (such as Jordan's "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie") this success was achieved with songs written by white songwriters.
Where did Folk Music Come From? Folk music originally came from the black slaves of America when working all day long, some of the songs we still know today, like ‘down by the riverside’. The songs were about overcoming hardships and struggle. Another song would be ‘We Shall Overcome’ which was one of the bases for Martin Luther Kings speech. There were also different types of folk music even before the American slave era, the songs based from different melodies told stories and were passed down generation by generation.
GCSE WORLD MUSIC-African (Yiri) African Voices How are they used? In Africa songs are sung for many reason and it is ingrained into their culture. They can be sung for: -childhood lullabies -birthdays -marriages -funerals -religious and tribal occasions Techniques One main technique used in African music is call and response where one person leads and a group answers. The group normally sings the melody in unison whilst the leader/soloists improvise over the top. It is still used today in gospel music.
New Orleans, as mentioned before is located along the coast of North America and during times of slavery it was a hub for trade of goods, services and slaves via ships. These slaves, mainly originating from Africa, are what you would call the pioneers of Jazz and Blues. Although the instruments they would have played in their home country were not brought with them, they were still able to express their musical creativity using various European instruments and by the early 19th Century, their ethnic culture and musical traditions were subsequently integrated with the European forms and styles of music. Since then however, the instrumentation and structure of Jazz and Blues has developed and its popularity and sound have changed as well. In the early 19th century approximately half a million African slaves, mainly from West Africa were brought into the U.S. mainland and were used for various menial tasks such as field work and house chores.
The apparent simplicity of blues music has been played with in a great number of ways along the years. If in the late 1800s, the poor African- Americans used a guitar, a harmonica and a powerful sad voice, things evolved with the adding of blowing instruments, drums and basses at the beginning of the 1900s. Blues music’s evolution was organic, it mend itself naturally to the fashion of the times to become the music that, when listened to, one immediately associates it with America, with all of its history, hardships and diversity of people and feelings. Blues music was born in the South, specifically in the Mississippi Delta, and migrated along with the poor African-Americans to the cultural and cosmopolitan city of New Orleans, Louisiana. These men were seeking for jobs on the docks of the city, trying to escape a very segregated environment where they were still being treated as slaves.
MUSC3004 Assignment I Student: Josh Coomansingh (60622) Instructor: Aidan Chamberlain Course: Form & Structure II February 3, 2015 Coomansingh 1 Question: Discuss the formation and development of the Blues, including notable figures in the genre. The blues is the label given to both the musical form and genre originating from the South of the USA by the African-Americans towards the end of the 19th century. The blues genre is based on the blues form, but possesses other characteristics such as lyrics, bass lines and instruments. The blues has evolved into a variety of styles, including jump blues, classic blues, country blues, boogie-woogie and Chicago blues. The blues as a style has three recognisable features which are: the so-called blue note or sad feel, an AAB three-line lyric structure, and a particular pattern of call and response between the lyrics and the instruments.
It also had deeper roots in a style of music called “Blues,” which was used to express the daily experiences of the community (History). Other influences include the combination of West African folk music with the popular classical music of Europe, developing into syncopated rhythms and chord variations on classical pieces (Passion). Jazz started when World War I had just ended and a social revolution was on it's way. Customs and values of previous were rejected. Life was to be lived to the fullest.
From the smooth tones of Sam Cooke and the melodious overtures of Marion Anderson to thunderous roar of Tye Tribbett and Kirk Franklin, black gospel music is more than just a soulful sound; it is a collection of life changing beats that transcend time, culture, and religion becoming a powerful force in the dichotomy of American music. As we embark upon the 21st century, gospel music has evolved into various sub genres and crossed over into secular venues becoming a new soulful sound of America. However, like any style and form of music, gospel music does have its spiritual genesis. Black gospel music as we know it today was birthed within the loins of the Historic Pilgrim Baptist Church on the south side of Chicago. Designed by Louis Sullivan
The pop genre seems to be controlled by what the American artists do and thinks. The music culture is also something that has been in development for a long time. I think that one of the first genres in America was something like folk music and maybe classical, I’m not sure. Then came country, which was called hillbilly music. R&B/race-records were music only for black people and slaves.
Slave Song History It can be said that Slave songs was born in Africa and that slaves or Africans brought their customs or rituals to America. Singing songs was very important to the Africans because it acted as a form of communication. In the home country of Africa the songs that the people sang told a lot about the communities the people dwelt in, like the condition of the tribes or about nature. African songs were also used to express the religious beliefs of the Africans, whether it is God or gods or to ward of those spirits that they thought meant harm. The Africans also used songs to tell about what happened in the community.