African American Music: From Spirituals to Jazz and the Blues
Summary
TLDRThis script explores the origins and evolution of African-American music, from the sorrowful spirituals born out of slavery to the rhythmic blues and the rebellious jazz that emerged post-Civil War. It discusses how these musical genres served as a form of expression and resistance against oppression, and how they influenced modern music. The script also touches on the controversial minstrel shows and the significant contributions of New Orleans to jazz.
Takeaways
- π΅ African-American spirituals originated from the suffering of slaves and served as a means of communication and expression.
- π£ Work songs and spirituals developed as a way to endure the harsh conditions of slavery and to communicate covertly.
- π€ Slaves used coded language in their songs to discuss forbidden topics due to restrictions imposed by their masters.
- π The sorrowful tunes of slave songs reflected the hardships and struggles of their lives, as noted by ex-slave Frederick Douglas.
- π Spirituals incorporated Christian themes of repentance and deliverance, using biblical metaphors like The Exodus to represent slavery.
- π Songs like 'Follow The Drinking Gourd' used the Big Dipper as a metaphor to guide slaves towards the Underground Railroad.
- π« Slaves were banned from using drums, leading them to create syncopated rhythms through stomping and clapping.
- πΆ The call and response style in slave songs created a unique blend of melodies and rhythms, reflecting the imperfections of human expression.
- π After the Civil War, blackface minstrel shows became a commercial form of entertainment that caricatured African-Americans.
- π· The birth of jazz in the early 20th century represented a cultural movement that influenced attire, language, and attitude, and was initially labeled as 'the devil's music'.
- πΊ Jelly Roll Morton was a significant figure in the development of early jazz, contributing complex compositions and performance styles.
Q & A
What is the origin of African-American spirituals?
-African-American spirituals originated from the suffering of individuals who were stripped of their home and identity, forced to travel to an unknown land, and become slaves. They developed as a way to pass the time and communicate with each other while enduring excruciating and demeaning slave labor.
How did work songs and spirituals serve the slaves?
-Work songs and spirituals served as a means to pass the time and communicate with one another, especially since slaves were prohibited from talking about their masters or overseers. They often incorporated code words to mention subjects that were off limits.
What themes did African-American spirituals incorporate from Christianity?
-African-American spirituals incorporated common Christian themes of repentance and deliverance, often using biblical themes like The Exodus as a metaphor for slavery.
How did the Mississippi or Ohio River become significant in slave spirituals?
-The Mississippi or Ohio River was used as a metaphor for the Jordan River in spirituals, symbolizing a path to freedom and deliverance.
What is the significance of the song 'Follow The Drinking Gourd'?
-'Follow The Drinking Gourd' is significant because it used the metaphor of the Big Dipper to give slaves directions to the Underground Railroad, aiding their escape to freedom.
Why were drums and other percussion instruments banned on plantations?
-Drums and other percussion instruments were banned on plantations because it was assumed that slaves would use them to communicate ideas of escaping or uprising with each other.
What is the call and response style of singing in slave songs?
-The call and response style of singing involves a lead singer calling out a short verse, and the rest of the workers, known as basers, responding with a refrain, usually with a recurring theme. This created a unique blend of melodies and high and low pitches bound together by strong rhythmic elements.
How did slave songs reflect the struggle and hope of African-Americans?
-Slave songs shared a common theme of fighting, disguised as good versus evil or God fighting the devil. They invigorated African-Americans' desire to fight their bondage and free their souls, often portraying hope for freedom or death as a form of emancipation.
What was the impact of minstrel shows on African-American culture?
-Minstrel shows, which began as performances by white men in blackface, became a central part of entertainment in saloons, taverns, and music halls. They promoted racism and undermined the African-American race, perpetuating prejudice and stereotyping even after the Civil War.
How did the blues emerge as a genre of music?
-The blues emerged as a genre of music during the mid-19th century as an outlet and therapeutic release for black men to express their harsh realities and struggles for survival and freedom.
What role did New Orleans play in the development of jazz?
-New Orleans was a major port where Congo Square became a hot spot for slaves and free blacks to perform African music, leading many to believe that jazz traces its genealogy back to this location. The city's racially mixed and diverse inhabitants contributed to a unique and expressive Jazz culture.
Who is Jelly Roll Morton and what is his contribution to jazz?
-Jelly Roll Morton is identified as a major influence on the development of early American Jazz. He was responsible for writing the first complex and self-conscious jazz compositions, deploying breaks, stop-time devices, improvisation, feeling, and the swing rhythm.
Outlines
π΅ African-American Spirituals and Early Music
This paragraph discusses the origins of African-American spirituals, which emerged from the suffering of slaves stripped of their homes and identities, forced into labor in an unknown land. These spirituals developed as a means to pass the time and communicate under harsh conditions, often using coded language due to restrictions on speech. The music was characterized by sorrowful tunes reflecting the hardships of slavery. Over time, these spirituals became a significant influence on early American music, incorporating Christian themes of repentance and deliverance. The paragraph also touches on the use of music as a form of resistance and a metaphor for escape, such as 'Follow The Drinking Gourd,' which provided directions to the Underground Railroad. The music was organized and complex, with syncopation and call-and-response styles, and it played a crucial role in fostering a sense of hope and unity among slaves.
π The Impact of Minstrel Shows on African-American Culture
This paragraph explores the history and impact of minstrel shows on African-American culture. It begins with the first performance of 'Ethiopian Delight' in 1843, which marked the beginning of commercialized blackface minstrel shows. These shows were initially performed by white men in blackface, caricaturing African-Americans and perpetuating stereotypes. After the Civil War, African-Americans began to participate in these shows, which became a central part of entertainment in saloons and music halls. The paragraph discusses how minstrel shows were a form of racial ventriloquism, with white writers and performers appropriating black culture. It also touches on the way minstrel tropes were used and revised in Black modernist literature. The shows are criticized for promoting racism and undermining African-American culture, despite some seeing them as a representation of African-American low culture.
πΆ The Evolution of Blues and Jazz
This paragraph delves into the evolution of blues and jazz music as expressions of the African-American struggle for survival and freedom. The blues emerged as a therapeutic outlet during the transition from slavery to freedom, reflecting the harsh realities of life. Jazz music originated as a cultural movement that challenged Victorian norms and was associated with deviancy and drug use. The paragraph highlights the contributions of Jelly Roll Morton, who is credited with writing the first complex jazz compositions, and other New Orleans musicians like Louis Armstrong and King Oliver. It discusses how jazz music became a global phenomenon, branching out from New Orleans to major cities like New York and Chicago. The paragraph also explores the connection between African music and the early rise of jazz, as well as the unique cultural influences that shaped the jazz scene in New Orleans.
π The Influence of African-American Artists on Modern Music
This paragraph emphasizes the role of African-American artists in shaping the foundation of modern music. It discusses how the music that originated in New Orleans, once considered forbidden and demonic, spread and became a part of mainstream American culture. The paragraph highlights the personalized and intimate performances of early 20th-century African-American artists, who brought a carefree and lazy style that captivated the public. These artists are credited with influencing the sounds of American popular music in the years to come, establishing a legacy that continues to resonate in contemporary music.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘African-American spirituals
π‘Slave labor
π‘Work songs
π‘Syncopation
π‘Call and response
π‘Underground Railroad
π‘Blackface minstrel shows
π‘Ragtime
π‘Jelly Roll Morton
π‘Congo Square
π‘Blues
Highlights
African-American spirituals developed out of the agony of slavery.
Slaves used songs as a way to pass the time and communicate with each other.
Work songs and spirituals developed as forms of expression under harsh slave labor conditions.
Slaves incorporated code words into songs to discuss forbidden subjects.
Slave spirituals often had a sorrowful tune reflecting the hardships of slavery.
Frederick Douglas noted that slave songs represented sorrows rather than joys.
Slave spirituals became a significant influence on early American music.
Spirituals ignited a strong religious faction among slaves, using biblical themes as metaphors for slavery.
Songs like 'Follow The Drinking Gourd' provided directions to the Underground Railroad.
Slave and work songs were organized and intelligent compositions, contrary to myths.
Syncopation, originating from Africa, was a key element in slave music.
Slaves used stomping and clapping to create rhythms due to bans on drums and percussion.
Call and response singing created a unique blend of melodies and rhythms in slave songs.
Slave songs portrayed striking imagery and shared a common theme of fighting for freedom.
African-Americans used music as an outlet and a path in their struggle for freedom.
Minstrel shows were a form of entertainment that involved racial impersonation and stereotypes.
Blackface minstrel shows were initially performed by white men in blackface, later including black performers.
Minstrel shows promoted racism and undermined African-American culture.
The Blues emerged as an outlet for black men to express their harsh realities post-slavery.
Jazz music originated as a cultural movement, challenging Western norms and influencing future music forms.
Jelly Roll Morton was a significant influence on the development of early American Jazz.
New Orleans was a major port and cultural hub for the early development of jazz.
Jazz music was initially associated with criminality and deviancy due to its origins in New Orleans.
African-American artists shaped the foundation of modern music with the evolution of blues, ragtime, and jazz.
Transcripts
Went Down To The River
Jordan where John baptized three when I
walk the devil in hell say John baptized
me I say
[Music]
Ro my soul
[Applause]
oh
[Applause]
[Music]
African-American spirituals developed
out of the agony of individuals stripped
of their home and identity forced to
travel to an unknown land and become
slaves slave labor was excruciating and
demeaning spending countless hours of
backbreaking Labor Under the Sun slaves
began singing songs to pass the time
through several Generations work songs
and spirituals developed as ways to pass
the time and communic with one
another work songs focused on the rough
conditions faced on a daily basis slaves
were prohibited from talking about their
Master overseer so they often
Incorporated code words to mention
subjects that were off limits slaves
were often expected to sing by their
overseer if they were being
silent constantly being oppressed and
physically abused these songs took on a
sorrowful tune and told stories of
hardship and
struggle ex-slave Frederick Douglas once
wrote the songs of slaves represented
their sorrows rather than their Joys
like tears they were a relief to aching
Hearts slave spirituals are often the
most well recognized forms of early
African-American music as slaves on
plantations or in the city
African-Americans were allowed to attend
Christian Church they often stayed after
service to participate in song slaves
took the common Christian themes of
repentance and deliverance and
Incorporated them into a genre that
would become one of the biggest
influences on early American
Music the spirituals also ignited a
strong religious faction among slaves
themes from the Bible like The Exodus
became a metaphor for slavery
substituting the Mississippi or Ohio
River for the Jordan River songs like
Follow The Drinking Gourd became a
metaphor of the Big Dipper giving slaves
directions to the Underground
[Music]
Railroad contrary to myth slave and work
songs were actually organized
intelligent compositions their music has
historic Al been labeled as
[Music]
monophobia actually originated in Africa
syncopation is a rhythmic technique
which involves stressing beats that are
not normally stressed drums and other
percussion instruments were banned on
the assumption that slaves would use
them to communicate ideas of escaping or
Uprising with each other so they
implemented stomping and clapping to
create cross rhythms that went against
the fixed beat to create a sound
previously unheard of to White
settlers slaves that could play
instruments however were allowed a banjo
or other stringed instrument some songs
use a call and response style of singing
where a lead singer will call out a
short verse and the rest of the workers
known as basers will respond with the
refrain usually with a recurring
theme an interesting and crucial aspect
of this nature of music is that it is
imperfect basers May begin the refrain
before the leader was finished with the
solo or the leader May begin the solo
before the chorus was finished this type
of call and response created a unique
blend of Melodies and high and low
pitches that were bound together by
strong rhythmic
elements the actual songs sung were
unique in themselves as they portrayed
striking imagery without the use of
rhyme scheme as most songs originated as
improvisations spirituals became
synonymous with hope whether for Freedom
or perhaps the darkest form of
emancipation death regardless slave
songs shared a common theme of fighting
disguised as good versus evil or God
fighting the devil spiritual invigorated
African-Americans desire to fight their
bondage and free their
souls and before I be a
slave I'll be buried in my
grave and go home to my
Lord and be
free throughout American history
African-Americans have been patronized
to continue to face Prejudice in their
daily lives it has been said that humans
use forms of art as an outlet from their
daily lives music for African-Americans
was a path used in their struggle
following the abolition of slavery and
the ending of the Civil War one way in
which African-Americans became involved
with music was through minstral shows
tracing the Inception back to Chatham
Theater in 1843 a white Irish American
Protestant with a black face sat on
stage with three others dressed in
Plantation or slave like clothing
singing Tales of slave life this was the
first performance of emt's Virginia
minstrels and is still generally
considered to be the birth of the
commercialized blackface minstral
show in their early form these
impersonations were conventionally
staged by white male performers
blackening up their face and when they
were not wearing white gloves also
blackening their hands the visual
picture was completed by dance music and
song performances this form of
entertainment became a central part of
the saloons taverns and music Halls
across Britain Glasgow a city departing
point for America had developed close
ties with certain American states such
as Virginia a place where American
Musical influence was truly
alive during this time period Sheep
music was evolving the evolution of
sheep music led to more racial cues and
circumstances throughout these
shows the Irish and America as a group
used the phrase blacking up to establish
its ethnic separation from other races
across the country there were two groups
of Irish Americans that participated in
blackace Ministry these two consisted of
the Irish Catholics and the Irish
Protestants Christopher J Smith suggests
that when we examine all the sources we
should see that the roots of blackface
minst go back virtually to the founding
of the American
colonies during this entertainment
period based on cross race impersonation
blackface delation or minst consisted in
the grotesque and caricatured
impersonations of African-American men
and were performed by white British or
American men in most cases however after
the end of the Civil War blacks were
thoroughly integrated into minstral
shows when One race impersonates another
for entertainment reception becomes a
barometer of ethnic hedony interracial
politics and power oh Mr Billy you know
I'm crazy about my girl I love that
woman tell me cotton how do you kiss
your girl well first you got to get a
girl then you draw a close up to your
chest smooth over with fond caress put
lip to lip and gum to gum then close
your smackers and yum yum yum
artists have been repeatedly tempted to
appropriate and even try to reassign
signifiers from this tradition but
blackace and its indeni liability
Associated minstral repertoire retain
the power to reopen these hard to heal
deep
wounds While most regarded them as a
representation of African-American low
cultural One Vision originated among
whites and another originated among
blacks 20th century artists also have to
address the derogatory way in which
minst represented black people most
regarded them both as instances of
African-American low culture in today's
society we see the impact of menual
shows and blackface performances the
language of modernity therefore involved
a measure of what historian Michael
North calls racial
ventriloquism yet it wasn't only white
writers who resorted to this practice
although one might imagine that early
20th century black modernists would have
SE SE the opportunity to silence the
ways of menstrually in fact they did no
such thing at all menstrual tropes are
still uous in Black modernist
literature Wallace Thurman Langston
Hughes Alan Lo all used interrogate and
revise the form of these minstral
shows as the minstral men of the 19th
century encourage styles of racialized
masculinity contemporary white Youth too
were attracted not only to the music but
various cultural artifacts extended
beyond what was once considered to be
hip and cool for blacks was now
beginning to be liked by
whites this began with the integration
of black and white to the Minal shows at
saloons and theaters all across America
simply put blackface minst was for by
and about the white Community although
in its early period it was a form of
engaging the black other it is
misleading to suggest that this
engagement might even have been
supportive of action to correct the
other's social plight black minerally
promoted racism and undermined the
African-American race during this time
period thus allowing Prejudice and
stereotyping to live on after the Civil
War after the transatlantic slave trade
had ended it is during this period to
which America witnessed the birth of a
powerful musical expression conceived as
the result of the black man's struggle
for his survival and freedom known for
his ability to endure his spiritual
strength and his outstanding sense of
Rhythm black men in America would use
these characteristics to shape the
sounds and ideas of their music in the
years to come the earliest trace of
popular black music that still exists
today is the Blues in the difficult
period of transition From Slavery to
Freedom during the mid 19th century the
blues became an outlet and a therapeutic
release for black men to unburden
himself from the cruel and harsh
realities of his life
[Music]
she make me than of mine than of
[Music]
mine it is during this time while
performing in the company of whites that
the Black American singer had to develop
dual personality traits as a survival
mechanism by removing black slang verbal
codes and suggestive material in order
to appeal to the white crowds at the
turn of the 19th century and the
beginning of the 20th the earliest forms
of jazz emerged when black musicians and
other African-Americans became immersed
in Modern Life and Society in what was
originally known as a [Β __Β ] song during
the American miny period it was during
the earli 20th century where it acquired
the additional label of rag time with
the focus primarily based exclusively
upon syncopated time and not so much
melody or fine Harmony rag time would
become the precursor to modern-day Jazz
seen as a revolt against Victorian codes
of behavior the black American artists
of this time were abandoning accepted
musical styles of the time period and
entering risky stylistic and social
terrain being a direct challenge to
Western norms and culture the birth of
jazz music was more than just music it
was a cultural movement which influenced
the attire language and attitude of all
its followers in this respect Jazz
became a prototype for later forms of
Music such as rock and roll in hip-hop
because it was hated by the bis and
musical establishment of that time
period largely associated with the drug
use and deviancy jazz music in its
earliest forms was referred to as the
devil's
music one cannot discuss the rods of
jazz without mentioning the great jelly
roll Morton identified as a major
influence on the development of early
American Jazz the self-proclaimed
inventor of jazz was responsible for
writing the first complex and
self-conscious compositions deploying
breakes stop time devices improvising
feeling and the swing Rhythm all factors
of jazz that would continue to shape the
genre for decades to come growing up as
a Creole in New Orleans in the early
20th century jelly roll Morton became
both the face and the talk about jazz
music known for his flamboyant demeanor
Morton was also a whouse Entertainer and
alleged pimp with a diamond tooth and a
large wardrobe of flashy suits making
much of the American society associate
jazz music with criminality and
deviancy growing up in New Orleans
Morton describes the city as the
stomping grounds for all the greatest
Jazz pianists in the country wherever
jazzz was being played Martin notes how
there was no discrimination of any kind
and people of different color and
backgrounds mingled together just as
they wish to and everyone was just like
one big happy family although by the
early to mid 20th century major cities
like New York and Chicago both had
established Jazz scenes that cannot be
comparable to New Orleans historically
New Orleans was a major port where on
Sundays a place called Congo Square
became a destination hot spot for slaves
and free blacks for Sunday Recreation
and Market activity here in Congo Square
African music was performed throughout
the early and middle Decades of the 19th
century leading many historians to
believe that jazz and by extension all
black music traces its genealogy to this
iconic Square in New Orleans another
major reason why New Orleans had such
distinct Jazz culture would be the
city's complex social order of white
black and creole inhabitants who each
had their own unique musical
performances and styles with the
racially mixed and diverse City it is no
wonder how New Orleans Jazz became such
such a unique style and expressive art
form although many see a direct
connection between African music and
dance and the early rise of jazz jelly
roll Morton stresses how early Jazz was
a unique product of America not Africa
he notes How African music is nothing
like no New Orleans music just like oil
come out of Oklahoma jazz came out of
New Orleans starting with jelly roll
Morton followed by other New Orleans
greats like leis Armstrong and King
Oliver all three allow Jazz to Branch
out and become music that no longer only
belonged to New Orleans but to the
world while the blues rag time and the
evolution into jazz can all be traced
back to African Roots it was the
African-American who truly shaped the
foundation of what the future of modern
music would sound like although
originally only heard in the streets and
clubs of New Orleans the once forbidden
and demonic music scene would spread
like wildfire and penetrate mainstream
American culture placing the black
artists at the center of attention in
the public eye characterized by their
Carefree lazy yet extremely personalized
and intimate performances it is the
American black artist of the early 20th
century that would ultimately shape the
sounds of American popular music in the
years to
come e
Browse More Related Video
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)