African American Influence On Black Music

The older versions of black music is better than the modern day black music. The first Africans transported to this country came from a variety of ethnic groups with a long history of distinct and cultivated musical traditions. African Americans used homemade drums and banjos to communicate among themselves. In fact, back the 1700s, drums had been banned on many slave plantations. Slaves on southern plantations had their own musical styles, which later evolved into gospel, blues, and what is now known as bluegrass, or country music. Slave fiddlers often provided dance music for the southern white gentry. However, most slaves were not allowed to own instruments or could afford to purchase them. Using makeshift instruments and their own bodies,
the African Americans created unique musical ensembles. Over time, many distinct practices and traditions of African music were either forgotten or blended with other musical traditions. Nevertheless, African music continued to flow into the new world as a result of the slave trade. One of the most widespread early musical forms among southern blacks was spiritual. Many of the songs offered coded messages. Some, like “Follow the Drinking Gourd”, “Steal Away”, and “Wade in the Water”, contained coded instructions to escape to the North. Other, like “(Sometimes I Feel like) A Motherless Child” and “I’m Troubled in Mind”, conveyed the feelings of despair that black slaves felt. The spirituals also served as critiques of slavery, using biblical metaphors to protest the enslavement of black people. Such protests can be found in the lyrics of “Go Down, Moses”. (“Go down, Moses. Way down to Egypt land. Tell ol’ Pharaoh, Let my people go.”). The spiritual music also contained lyrics about African Americans imagining a life of freedom, as in the lyric, “Ride on, King Jesus, ride on, / No man can hinder thee”. In the 1870s, with the rise of jubilee singers, the spirituals began to be seen as music that revealed music and depth of African American music. Beginning in 1871, the Fisk Jubilee Singers toured the United States and Europe performing negro spirituals for white audiences. Negro spirituals were considered crude and embarrassing before they brought their songs to national and international attention. In the early part of the 1900s, the performance of negro spirituals became a tradition among black singers, particularly singers of classical music. The most famous and traditional composers were Harry T. Burleigh (1866-1949), Margaret Bonds (1913-1972), and Hall Johnson (1888-1970). The most famous song performed in the 1900s was a song called “Strange Fruit”. This song was originally written as a poem by Abel Meeropol. The poem was published in 1937, however in 1939 the poem was sung and recorded by Billie Holiday. The song protested American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. In the early 2000s, black concert singers became more common and they continued to perform the composer’s arrangements from the 1900s. Some popular concert singers were Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle.
Another popular style of music was ragtime. Ragtime was the style of music that preceded jazz. When Scott Joplin (1968-1917) performed “Maple Leaf Rag” it became a huge success, selling over a million music-sheet copies. Although Ragtime became popular in 1899, that is not when it was created. Documents revealed that this music style was played as early as the 1870s. Ragtime’s rhythms made it lively and springy, therefore it was ideal for dancing. Its name is believed to be a contraction of the term “ragged time”, which refers to its rhythmically broken up melodies. Black musicians often spoke of “ragging a tune” when describing the use of syncopated rhythms, whether in classical compositions, popular songs, or genteel dance tunes. While black musicians could rag tunes on any instrument, the music we call ragtime developed when the piano replaced the violin as the favorite instrument for dance accompaniment. While there is a wide range of artists to keep the old school rhythm around, it is safe to say that hip hop has taken over as a popular musical genre. African Americans have influenced a variety of genres, including rock ‘n roll and country. However, the black influence on American music is incredibly unrecognized. When thinking of rock ‘n roll, many people vision white rock stars with long hair and ripped jeans. People rarely see the link to African Americans within the context of modern rock. For example, Elvis Presley owes a ton of appreciation to several black artist, including Chuck Berry. Artists such as Chuck Berry, Ike Turner, and Little Richard produced the kind of music Elvis mimicked for years.
Similarly, today’s country music leaves people to envision white cowboys equipped with the hat and acoustic guitar. There were plenty of white artists that helped the development of country music, however country has strong roots in blues music. As the legendary Etta James once said, “The blue and country are cousins”. That is easy to believe when you listen to masterful artists, such as Ray Charles, who’s music greatly influenced how country grew and developed throughout the years.
African Americans have left their mark on every form of American music.
There are some honorable mentions of black musicians who helped develop American music. These musicians include Billie Holiday, Tina Turner, Puff Daddy, and James Brown. Billie Holiday was considered one of the best jazz vocalists of all time. She had a thriving career for many years until she lost her battle with substance abuse. Some of Billie’s most famous songs were “Gloomy Sunday”, “God Bless the Child”, and “Fine and Mellow”. Tina Turner rose to fame in the ‘60s by performing with her husband Ike Turner. After her husband’s death, Tina had an international solo career with hits like “What’s Love Got to Do With It”, “Better Be Good to Me”, “Private Dancer”, and “Typical Male”. Puffy Daddy, or Sean Combs, is an entrepreneur and has produced big name artists like Mariah Carey. Sean has also created the Sean John clothing line, and he has recorded his own platinum albums. Some of Puff Daddy’s most famous hits are “Bad Boy For Life”, “Been Around The World”, “Come to Me”, and “Coming Home”. James Brown was nicknamed the “Godfather of Soul”. James was one of the most iconic figures in funk and soul music from 1956-2006. Some of Brown’s most famous songs include “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”, “Say It Loud- I’m Black and I’m Proud”, “I Got the Feelin’”, and “Night Train”. The artists named are only a few black musicians who have left their mark in musical history. Black musicians have impacted every type of music and without their styles of music we wouldn’t be where we are today. Modern day music has grown and improved thanks to black music and musicians, and this is why the older versions and styles of black music is better than the modern day black
music.