Celebration of Sounds
by (BPRW)
Over the years, African Americans have celebrated the sounds of great music artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, B.B. King, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gilliespie, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z; just to name a few. From gospel, blues, and jazz to rock and roll, rap, and hip-hop, America’s musical landscape offers an astounding array of unique styles stemming from the roots of Africa and slavery in America.
In the 1830s, the sounds of soul-touching music sung by slaves were known as work songs. These songs were part of a native heritage and sung to remind the slaves of home. Such songs were the foundation of what would eventually become the Blues. In the 1920s, the Blues became a major element of African American and American mainstream music. In the 1940s, rhythm and blues emerged with blended elements of gospel, blues, and jazz. Throughout the years, the evolution of jazz music came about with sounds from such artist as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. Just like blues, jazz is the folk music of former slaves and their descendants. It was influenced by West African cultural and musical traditions that evolved as African American musicians migrated to the cities. According to noted jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, jazz is something Negroes invented…the nobility of the race put into sound. Next came the sounds of rock and roll! Artists such as Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder made these sound popular during the 1960s and 1970s.
The sounds of Hip Hop and Rap evolved in the 1990s. This blend of Rhythm & Blues (known as R&B) and Rap music took the air waves by storm. This genre of music is the most popular music today. Talented artists and song writers such as Alicia Keys, Usher, Maxwell, Jill Scott and Heather Headley have all infused the sounds of works songs, blues, jazz and R&B to creatively develop mew expressions of music.
With June being “Black Music Month,” take this month to reflect on the rich and distinctive history of so many talented artists. Celebrate the incredible contributions that African Americans have made to the history of music and the influence they’ve have on countless forms of music around the world.
